Leadership Teachings from Cree Elders

For the past two hundred and fifty years, the relationship between First Nation and Euro-Canadians has shifted from an equal partnership to one of colonized and colonizer. Despite this history, First Nation people have shown resiliency, continuing to honor beliefs, values, and traditions. Constrained by Euro-Canadian government Indian Affairs polices, First Nations have not progressed economically or politically, but have been caught in the trap of administering their own poverty. The First Nations people are dying a slow death; thus, it is critical to examine their current reality, acknowledging that history does not begin with the arrival of the Europeans, but that the beliefs, values, and philosophies of the First Nations are embedded in their culture. Using a grounded theory approach, this study attempted to answer two questions: What are the core values and beliefs of the Cree people? And, how can these beliefs be used to reshape the Cree self- governance systems?