In the early 1970s, the majority of Crees spent most of the year in their hunting grounds and on traplines in multi-family groups and had only occasional contact with other groups. Summer was the time when the community assembled in the village, for trading and activities related to hunting, fishing and trapping, funeral ceremonies, weddings and rites of passage. That is also when people shared news from the outside world.

Life in the bush was characterized by the sharing of equipment and game. The multi-family groups generally had common concerns, linked to activities on the land. Hunting groups made decisions collectively, but placed a lot of stock in the opinion of experienced hunters. For most of the year, the families took care of all their own needs (trading, mutual assistance, traditional knowledge, etc.). Relations between men and women were based on interdependence, each group being unable to survive without the contribution of the other. Lastly, relationships between parents and children were limited because young Cree children spent most of the year away at school.

Many people interviewed in the community feel that the community is less close-knit than in the 1970s. High population growth and a loss of proximity due to a move into single-family homes are the reasons cited to explain this change.
In villages, the availability of services (running water, electricity, television, stores and restaurants, healthcare, social services, etc.) has decreased the need for community members to help each other, even within families. On the other hand, the opening of schools in the communities has promoted closer ties between parents and school-age children.

In the 1980s and 1990s, local and regional Cree organizations were created and took charge of a number of functions previously assumed by outside government authorities. Today, more and more decision-making centres are managing a growing number of key community issues (youth training, health and social services, economic and social development, public safety, etc.). Community needs, interests and aspirations now vary from one community to the next, and even within each community.

Accordingly, it is becoming increasingly difficult to involve everyone in decisions that affect the community. With the high number of decision-making centres and the emergence of issues that require a high level of education to resolve, the leaders of the past (elders, tallymen, etc.) no longer play such an important role. Since the people are now less involved in making decisions that affect everyone, some individuals, especially young Crees, are starting to criticize the local and regional leadership.

Social relations today are formed on the basis of age group and membership (family, work, school, hunting group, sports team, religion, etc.). Male-female relationships are changing because it is becoming more common for women to work. Separations and divorces are on the rise. Children are being more and more influenced by the outside world, and sometimes adopt its values and behaviours.