Swampy Cree, known by themselves as
Maskiki Wi Iniwak,
Mushkegowuk (or
Maškekowak in common Cree spelling) or
Maskekon therefore often known as
Muskegon and
Muskegoes. Sometimes also called
West Main Cree or
Lowland Cree, are a division of the
Cree First Nation occupying lands located in northern
Manitoba, along the Saskatchewan River in northeastern
Saskatchewan, along the shores of Hudson Bay and adjoining interior lands south and west as well territories along the shores of Hudson and James Bay in
Ontario. They are geographically and to some extant culturally split into two main groupings, and therefore speak two dialects of the
Swampy Cree language, which is a "n-dialect":
- Western Swampy Cree (called themselves: Mushkego, Mushkegowuk (or Maškekowak), also called Lowland (Half-Homeguard) Cree, are speaking the western dialect of the Swampy Cree language, while the s/š distinction is kept in the eastern dialect, the western dialect have merged both into s)
- Eastern Swampy Cree / Western James Bay Cree (called themselves: Omaškêkowak, Omushkego, Omushkegowak, together with the Moose Cree also called Lowland Cree, Lowland (Homeguard) Cree, West Main Cree, James Bay Mushkego, because they were living along the western shores of the Hudson and James Bay they were oft also known as Western James Bay Cree, reflecting their position in contrast to the (Eastern) James Bay Cree, are speaking the eastern dialect of the Swampy Cree language, which kept the s/š distinction)