The Sarcee (or Sarsi) tribe of Native Americans traditionally lived along the Saskatchewan and Athabaska rivers in what is now the Canadian province of Alberta. They may once been part of the Beaver tribe living farther to the north. The name Sarcee came from a Blackfoot Indian word meaning either “bold” or “not good.”

Society and culture

The Sarcee were a tribe of hunters and gatherers. They lived in small bands of related families that traveled in search of wild game. While bands were politically independent, they often came together to perform religious ceremonies. The Sun Dance was a ceremony that went on for nine days.

The Sarcee began trading for horses in the early 1800s. With horses they became great buffalo (bison) hunters. They often killed large numbers of buffalo by driving them off cliffs. They also knew how to herd buffalo into corrals, where they could easily be slaughtered. In addition to meat, the buffalo gave the Sarcee hides, which they used to make tepees and clothing.

History

The Sarcee probably first met non-Indians in the late 18th century, when traders from the Hudson's Bay Company established posts in their land. From these traders the Sarcee obtained horses and guns. With the introduction of firearms to the region, warfare between the Sarcee and other Indians increased. Their greatest enemies were the Cree and the Assiniboin. The Sarcee, like the Gros Ventre, sought strength in an alliance with the powerful Blackfoot tribe. Their group was called the Blackfoot Confederacy.

Constant warfare took a toll on the Sarcee population. But many more Sarcee were killed by diseases brought by European settlers. Breakouts of smallpox occurred in 1836 and 1870, and scarlet fever struck in 1856.

Weakened by war and disease, the Sarcee signed a treaty with the Canadian government in 1877. In it, they gave up their traditional territory. Three years later they settled on a reserve near Calgary, Alberta.

At the end of the 20th century about 800 Sarcee lived in Canada. Many make their living by farming, logging, and raising livestock. Now known as the Tsuu T'ina Nation, the Sarcee also operate several business and a tribal museum.