Anthropology and People : The World of the Plains Cree

University of Saskatchewan University Lectures No. 12. David G. Mandelbaum was an American anthropologist whose doctoral research involved Saskatchewan’s Plains Cree. In this booklet, Mandelbaum provides an overview of Plains Cree life and comments on anthropology's contribution to preserving Cree history. He describes the centrality of bison to Cree life, comments on ritual activities and key social roles in Cree society, and explains his interest in the field. Mandelbaum then reflects on cultural anthropology’s role in preserving the cultural memory of groups whose societies have changed rapidly or drastically, as well as the relationship between anthropologists and their subjects of inquiry. A succinct description of Plains Cree life from an influential academic in the field.