Sarcee Nation

Also known as the 'Tsotli'na” (earth people) or Tsuu T'ina (many people) the Sarcee are said to be a splinter tribe of the Beaver nation. According to one theory, the Sarcee split from their parent nation and were driven south by the Cree during the mid-18th century. Similar to the Blackfoot in customs and traditions, the Sarcee spoke the Athapaskan language. 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 Blood on the Bow River. Instead, they resumed their nomadic lifestyle. Eventually they settled on 2,800 hectares of land on the western outskirts of Calgary.

Slavey (Dene Tha)

Also known as the Acha’otinne, or “woodland people.” The Slavey peoples inhabited Alberta’s Far North, their hunting territory encompassing part of Nunavut (NWT). They were organized into six bands and, like other woodlands people, maintained only small family groupings with no central leadership, electing leaders only in times of conflict. The Slavey people developed a reputation as 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 Slavey diet included fish, along with moose and caribou, although obtaining enough food was often problematic. The southern Slavey signed Treaty 8 in 1900, while those further north were left out until 1921, when they signed Treaty 11.