Glossary

Tsuu t'ina (Sarcee) Nation

”Tsotli'na" (earth people) or Tsuu t'ina (many people) were thought to be a splinter tribe of the Beaver nation. According to one theory the tsuu t'ina split from their parent nation and were driven south by the Cree during the mid-18th century.

Similar to the Siksika in customs and traditions such as the Sun Dance, funeral, and marriage rites as well as their connection to the buffalo hunt, the Tsuu t'ina spoke in the Athapaskan tongue. They gained a reputation for being a brave people and their territory ranged from Peace River in the north to Red Deer in the south.

After signing Treaty 7, they were to share a reserve with the Siksika and the Kainai on the Bow River but, instead, resumed their nomadic lifestyle. Eventually they settled on 2800 hectares of land on the western outskirts of Calgary.

Dene Tha (Slavey)

The Dene Tha are also known as the Acha’otinne, or "woodland people." The Dene Tha inhabited Alberta’s far north, with their hunting territory encompassing part of the Northwest Territories. They were organized into six bands and, like other woodlands people, maintained only small family groupings with no central leadership only electing leaders in times of conflict.

The Dene Tha developed a reputation of being a peaceful people with a rich tradition of story-telling. They were respectful of each other as well as of outsiders. They were forest-dwellers and had few enemies due to their reputation of being powerful sorcerers.

Staples of the Dene Tha diet included fish, along with moose and caribou, although obtaining enough food was often problematic.

The southernmost of the Dene Tha signed Treaty 8 in 1900, while those further north were left out until 1921, when they signed Treaty 11.

Status Indian

An Aboriginal person registered under the Indian Act.

Traditions

Traditions are aspects of a culture that are practiced from one generation to the next. One way that traditions are passed down in Aboriginal communities is through oral history.

Worldview

The worldview of Aboriginal people stems from the belief that the universe was developed by the Creator and human beings should live in a harmonious respectful way towards one another, oneself, and with nature. Each Aboriginal culture expresses their worldview in a unique way with different stories, practices, and cultural products.