Warrior Women & the Cree Indigenous Peoples

The Cree Indigenous Peoples are one of the largest First Nations groups in North America, with communities stretching across Canada from Alberta to Quebec and into parts of the northern United States. Traditionally divided into different groups based on region and dialect, including Bauer’s group Sturgeon Lake, the Cree have a rich cultural heritage rooted in hunting, trapping and deep spiritual relationships with the land.

Today, the Cree remain one of the largest groups of Indigenous North Americans and are actively involved in preserving their culture and language, which is still spoken by more than 80,000 people.

Image courtesy of Warrior Women

Warrior Woman, a collective founded by mother and daughter team, Matricia Bauer and Mackenzie Brown, play an important part in this mission. Matricia is a member of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and her traditional name is Isko-achitaw waciy / ᐃᐢᑯ ᐃᐦᒋᑕ ᐘᒋᕀ meaning ‘She Who Moves Mountains’; a name received from Elder, Frieda Maynard. “My passion is to introduce all the beautiful parts of my culture to the world,” she says, “and my tag line is to ‘Indigenize the world, one drum beat at a time.’

Our Autumn Train Journey Through The Canadian Rockies to Vancouver includes the chance to join Matricia around an open fire for an evening of conversation, stories and drumming. She will also teach you some indigenous songs and a few phrases in Cree. This unique experience is, she says, “a spiritual adventure” in which you will “wind down your busy day with some friendly conversation, reflection and listen to the heart beat of Mother Earth.”