Last Tuesday, in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day and Indigenous History Month, our Thurber team in Calgary had the opportunity to visit the Tsuut’ina Nation Museum and learn more about this Indigenous community that resides in the southwestern side of Calgary.
They were lead on a tour through the museum, beginning with a video introducing them to ideas and practices important to the Tsuut’ina Nation, such as fire, storytelling and the teepee, alongside a brief introduction to the origin of the Tsuut’ina Nation as told through the story of a mother and her child crossing a lake in central Alberta.
After the video, they entered the gallery and were set free to roam and appreciate the plethora of artifacts on display from Tsuut’ina history. Drawings on cloth retold stories of conflicts in the past, while outfits of feathers, beads and cloth reflected the values and beliefs of the Tsuut’ina people. Tools, weapons and other implements illustrated the ingenuity and significance of the traditional Tsuut’ina lifestyle. Taxidermized animals sat above plaques in the museum displaying their names in the Tsuut’ina language, such as dikoyi (coyote), dzazi (elk) and guyani (deer).
Museum director and Tsuut’ina Elder Jeanette Starlight shared a valuable message about the importance of exercising respect in our treatment of the natural world, especially the ground, and its importance and significance to the Tsuut’ina people.
For more on the Tsuut’ina Nation, we encourage you to visit their website at https://tsuutina.com or learn more about the museum at https://tsuutinamuseum.com.