Tsuut'ina
The Sarsi, also known as Tsuu T'inà, are an Indigenous group from Alberta, Canada, belonging to the Athabaskan (Dene) language family. They traditionally inhabited regions along the upper Saskatchewan and Athabasca rivers, migrating southward from their original territory associated with the Beaver Nation by the early eighteenth century. Historically, the Sarsi lived in bands of related families that cooperated in hunting, particularly buffalo, which were essential for food, clothing, and shelter. Their social structure was decentralized, with each band led by a respected man rather than a central government.
The Sarsi faced significant challenges following their first contact with European traders in the late eighteenth century, including warfare and diseases that severely impacted their population. In 1877, they signed a treaty with the Canadian government, resulting in their relocation to a reservation near Calgary. Despite facing a decline in their language, efforts are ongoing to revitalize Tsuut'ina culture, including language preservation initiatives. Today, the Sarsi engage in various economic activities, including farming and tourism, with notable developments such as the Grey Eagle Resort & Casino and significant commercial projects like the Taza development. The Sarsi are also recognized for their cultural displays, such as bull riding, particularly during events like the Calgary Stampede.
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Subject Terms
Sarsi
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Plains
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Athabaskan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Alberta
- POPULATION SIZE: 2,439 (Statistics Canada, 2020)
The Sarsi (or Sarcee), who refer to themselves as Tsuut'ina (also Tsuu T'ina or Tsúùt'ínà), are a branch of the Athabaskan (Dene) family who traditionally lived along the upper Saskatchewan and Athabasca rivers. The name "Sarsi" is from the Blackfoot sa arsi, which referred to a hardy constitution or stubbornness. They once lived farther north as part of the Beaver Nation, migrating southward by the early eighteenth century. They lived in bands of related families who traveled and hunted together. There was no central Indigenous government; each loosely connected band was headed by a man whose counsel was respected but not necessarily heeded.
They obtained most of their food by hunting, especially buffalo, which were typically driven over a cliff or into corrals by large groups of men gathered together for that purpose. The buffalo were used for food, clothing, skin tepees, bow strings, bone tools, and other necessities of life. Women were responsible for making and erecting the buffalo-skin tepees. Most medical care was provided by women who used knowledge of healing herbs and other techniques such as cauterization. Tsuut'ina families may have practiced polygamy as well as traditional marriage. Girls were members of their mother’s band, while boys joined their father’s band. Bands came together for ritual events, including Sun Dances.
The Tsuut'ina's first contact with Whites came in the late eighteenth century, when the Hudson’s Bay Company set up trading posts nearby. Contact brought firearms and horses to the Indigenous peoples, which in turn escalated their fighting. By the nineteenth century, the Blackfoot and the Tsuut'ina had formed an alliance to defend themselves against the Cree and Assiniboine. The Tsuut'ina suffered significant losses from these attacks, and their population was diminished further by smallpox in 1836 and 1870 and by scarlet fever in 1856. In 1877, they signed a treaty with the Canadian government, giving up their lands. They were placed on a reservation near Calgary, Alberta, along with other alliance members. In the second half of the twentieth century, they made their living by farming, stock raising, and logging.
Over the years, the Tsuut'ina language experienced a significant decline—by 2016, only around 150 speakers considered the language their native tongue, according to the University of Victoria. Indigenous groups worked with linguistics programs, including at the University of Calgary, to ensure the preservation of the language and work toward a revival among younger Tsuut'ina. Still, the United Nations classified the Tsuut'ina language as critically endangered. Despite the loss of language, the Tsuut'ina population experienced an increase in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, boosted by a greater acceptance of people identifying as First Nations Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Many members of the First Nation mixed traditional beliefs and customs with Christian practice and other European traditions. The Tsuut'ina became well known for displays of bull riding on Canada's National Aboriginal Day and as part of the Calgary Stampede. There is an active movement to document, preserve, and revitalize other aspects of traditional Tsuut'ina culture, specifically through programs such as the Tsuut'ina Gunaha Institute.
In 2007, the Tsuut'ina Nation opened the Grey Eagle Resort & Casino near Calgary, Alberta, which became a major source of revenue for the nation. It was also involved in further economic development projects in the area, notably the Taza development, one of Canada's largest First Nations developments. This project included commercial development along Southwest Calgary Ring Road. In 2020, Costco opened a store in the Shops at Buffalo Run development, which was also part of the Tsuut’ina’s Taza development project. The store was the first Costco to open on a First Nations reserve in Canada.
Bibliography
"About Us." Tsuut'ina Development Authority, tda.tsuutina.com/about. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Archibald, Kristy. "Seeing Is Believing for the People of the Tsuut'ina Nation." Calgary Citizen, 21 June 2021, calgarycitizen.com/p/seeing-is-believing-for-the-people-of-the-tsuutina-nation. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Brownstone, Arni. War Paintings of the Tsuu T'ina Nation. U of Albert P, 2015.
Cook, Eung-do, and Michelle Filice. "Tsuut’ina (Sarcee)." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 11 Sept. 2020. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sarcee-tsuu-tina. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Cox, Philip. "Asleep no More: Tsuut'ina Language Awakened." University of Victoria News, 15 June 2021, www.uvic.ca/news/topics/2021+asleep-no-more+news. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
"Justin Trudeau Honoured by Tsuut'ina First Nation as 'The One that Keeps Trying.'" CBC News, 4 Mar. 2016. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/trudeau-afn-tsuutina-headdress-ceremony-1.3475730. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Offin, Sarah. "Tsuut'ina Nation Reveals Plans for Major Development in Southwest Calgary." Global News, 11 July 2016. globalnews.ca/news/2817211/tsuu-tina-nation-reveals-plans-for-major-development-in-southwest-calgary. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
"Our Story." Taza, togetherattaza.com/our-story. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Tesar, Alex. "Treaty 7." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 10 Nov. 2023, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/treaty-7. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
"Our History - Our Nation." Tsuut'ina Nation. tsuutina.com/our-history/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
White, Ryan. "Costco Opens on Tsuut'ina Nation, Company's First Store on an Indigenous Development in Canada." CTV News, 28 Aug. 2020, calgary.ctvnews.ca/costco-opens-on-tsuut-ina-nation-company-s-first-store-on-an-indigenous-development-in-canada-1.5083081. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.