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18 Cree Quotes, Proverbs & Sayings Everyone Should Know

Cree people use a lot of sayings and expressions in daily life which offer advice and even sometimes have hidden meanings.

Check out these proverbs and quotes below to gain some insight into Cree beliefs and ways of thinking. 

Below I’ve listed famous Cree quotes, inspiring Cree sayings and common Cree proverbs. 

Famous Cree Proverbs & Cree Sayings

Below I’ve listed the most famous Cree proverbs as well as some common Cree sayings. These are used often in day to day life.

  1. Good fortune and bad fortune arrive in the same canoe.

This famous Cree proverb teaches us that good things and bad things often come together. 

Famous Cree proverb which reads 'good fortune and bad fortune arrive in the same canoe'.
  1. Only two relationships are possible – to be a friend or to be an enemy.
  1. Never sit while your seniors stand.

This Cree saying suggests how important respect for elders is. You should always give up your seat for an elderly person.

  1. Follow one elk at a time.

This famous Cree proverb teaches us to focus on one thing at a time. 

  1. Knowledge that is not used is abused.
  1. Words are strong, brevity stronger, silence strongest.

This Cree proverb teaches us how powerful silence can be. 

  1. Ask the flint-maker about flint.

This Cree proverb teaches us to always ask someone who is knowledgeable about something for advice in that area. 

  1. A tired hunter cannot aim.
  1. The log used to cross a river is left behind.

This Cree saying teaches us to be grateful to those who have helped us.

Beautiful Cree Quotes & More Cree Proverbs

Below I’ve listed a range of famous and inspirational Cree quotes as well as more thought-provoking Cree proverbs.

  1. Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

This famous Cree quote teaches us how important it is to take care of the Earth and the land. 

Famous Cree proverb which reads 'he last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.'
  1. Trust life, especially when you cannot see around the bend where she leads you.
  1. For the man in a trap, everything is a trap.
  1. The bird that flies straight is the first one to be struck by an arrow.
  1. Listen or your tongue will keep you deaf. 

This Cree quote teaches us the power of listening. If you just talk and never listen, you will never learn anything.

  1. “English is so hierarchical. In Cree, we don’t have animate-inanimate comparisons between things. Animals have souls that are equal to ours. Rocks have souls, trees have souls. Trees are ‘who’ not ‘what’.” – Tomson Highway
  1. Fire in the hands of a fool becomes prairie fire.
  1. Realize that we as human beings have been put on this earth for only a short time and that we must use this time to gain wisdom, knowledge, respect and the understanding for all human beings since we are all relatives.
  1. Be truthful and respectful in our speech, which in itself is a miracle and a gift from the Creator, that we might use it only to speak good of each other and pass on the good things of life.

Thanks for reading this post on the best Cree quotes about life, famous Cree sayings and fascinating Cree proverbs.

These Cree quotes & sayings give an interesting insight into the Cree beliefs and language.

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