Power and Dignity: the Social Consequences of Hydro-Electric Development for the James Bay Cree

This article gives a brief description of the 2 main styles of life in Cree society: the hunting, fishing & trapping lifestyle in which families co-operate with one another, & the village lifestyle in which people depend more upon formal institutions. These styles overlap & are interdependent. Data which shows how the rapid centralization of the James Bay Cree into structured communities has led to social instability, reflected by problems such as suicide & child neglect, is discussed.