Location
The Cree live all over Canada,mostly concentrated in the plains area.There are many different groups of Cree, sometimes referring to where they live, such as the Woodland Cree or the Plains Cree. They also live in parts of North Dakota and Montana. The plains cree are nomadic and the woodland Cree are semi-nomadic
Climate
On the plains, summers can be between 10ºC and 30ºC. Winters are cold. January can be between -10ºC and -30ºC. The Cree had four seasons every year, with a cycle for winter and summer. During winter they lived in small family groups. They would hunt and fish in one area. In spring,summer and autumn, they would gather in large groups to hunt geese,ducks,and fish.The climate affected what they ate because in the winter on the woodlands the animals would hibernate and food was scarce. Since they lived in small groups it was easier to feed a family instead of feeding many more people. The climate affected how they dressed because they needed to adapt to their climate. In the summer they would not need to wear very warm clothes since it was warm outside. The climate affected whether or not they were nomadic because of their food sources. The plains Cree would need to roam around to find food. Since food was of more abundance and variety in the woodlands, they only needed to move around during season changes. It affected their shelter because they used materials around them and used their resources to create what they needed.The climate determined how they traveled during the different seasons. For example in the winter they used sleds and snowshoes.
Geography
The geography of the lands the Cree inhabited were hills, cliffs, low mountains, forests, wide river valleys, sand dunes and prairie grass. The landscape of the Plains region can be described as mainly flat with prairie grasslands. The geography had an impact on what they ate and wore because they had limited food sources and animals in their environment.They had to satisfy all of their needs from what was in their environment. One way in which geography affected the type of shelter was in the materials their environment provided for shelter. For example,wigwams were made out of the readily available birch bark. Geography also had an impact on how they traveled.They were good canoe builders, in response to their need to travel over water.