Songs of the Sarcee
Sarcee Bull Head Youth Club Singers, Alberta Canada
Canyon Records
Singers: Mike Meguinis, group leader, Charley Wood, Jr., lead singer, Louis Meguinis, Norma Meguinis, Michael Meguinis, all of Sarcee, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Singers: Mike Meguinis, group leader, Charley Wood, Jr., lead singer, Louis Meguinis, Norma Meguinis, Michael Meguinis, all of Sarcee, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
©1975 Canyon Records, Phoenix, AZ
The Sarcee of Albert are an Athapaskan speaking group who, according to their traditions, split off from the Tsattine or Beaver tribe many years ago. Following this division, which probably took place in the northern part of the province, the Sarcee moved south and became true Plains Indians, following buffalo herds, living in conical hide tipis, and practicing the Sun dance.
The Sarcee have never been a large tribe. At the beginning of the 19th century they numbered "120 warriors, in 35 tents," or about 400 people. Their hunting grounds at this time were on the upper Saskatchewan River, toward the Rocky Mountains. At an early date they placed themselves under the protection of the powerful Siksika or Blackfoot confederacy and their survival can probably be credited to this fact. The name Sarcee is also spelled Sarsi, the accepted anthropological usage (from the Black-foot Sa arsi). Members of the tribe, however, and the general press usually use Sarcee.
It was undoubtedly from the Blackfoot that the Sarcee acquired most of their Plains Indian culture. Although in most respects the Sarcee are typical Northern Plains Indians, their language remains pure Athapaskan to this day. As such it is closely related to the languages of the Dine groups of northern Canada and Alaska and also the Navaho and Apache languages of the American Southwest.
The Sarcee might have increased to become a tribe of major importance but disease and other tragedies seemed to plague them. In 1870 an epidemic of small pox left more dead than alive, and the Sarcee never regained their former numbers. When they assembled at Blackfoot Crossing to negotiate Treaty No. 7 with the Canadian government their people totaled less than 250. As a result of this treaty the Sarcee were given a small tract of land bordering the Blackfoot reserve on the north side of the Bow River. They accepted this grudgingly, as they would have preferred a reserve further west.
By 1879 the buffalo were gone and the people were hungry. Government rations proved totally inadequate and the Sarcee seemed to be facing starvation. In 1880, under their great chief Bull Head, the tribe loaded tipis, possessions, and families into wagons and drove westward toward Fort Calgary, vowing never to return to the Bow river reserve. At Fort Calgary there was a confrontation with the Mounted Police under the command of Inspector Cecil Denny. Fortunately bloodshed was averted and the Sarcee agreed to remove temporarily to Fort MacLeod until a new reserve could be found. In 1881 Bull Head and his people moved to their new reserve located beside the Elbow River, a few miles southwest of Calgary, Alberta. The Sarcee have remained on this reserve to the present day.
They were famous among other northern Plains tribes for their tanned bison robes and fine buckskins, likewise their handcrafted saddles and cherry wood bows. As early as 1909 the Sarcee were noted as farmers and cattlemen, and they continue in these occupations at the present time.
As we might expect, the music of the Sarcee is very similar to that of other tribes of the Canadian Prairie provinces, particularly the Blackfoot and the Atsina. It is clearly in the "Northern Plains" musical style, with it high falsetto beginning and cascading descent. Within this general tradition, the music of the Sarcee has its own distinct flavor, perhaps a result of the tribe's Athapaskan speaking linguistic background. At any rate a Sarcee "drum" or singing group is always welcomed at pow-wows in Canada and in the northern Plains of U.S. as the tribe is known for its fine singers. The songs on this record provide an excellent example of the Sarcee repertoire.
The songs on this disc were recorded on August 3, 1974, at the Northwest Inter-tribal Indian Days Celebration at Woodinville, Washington. The singers are members of the SARCEE BULL HEAD YOUTH CLUB SINGERS.
...Notes by James H. Howard
The Sarcee have never been a large tribe. At the beginning of the 19th century they numbered "120 warriors, in 35 tents," or about 400 people. Their hunting grounds at this time were on the upper Saskatchewan River, toward the Rocky Mountains. At an early date they placed themselves under the protection of the powerful Siksika or Blackfoot confederacy and their survival can probably be credited to this fact. The name Sarcee is also spelled Sarsi, the accepted anthropological usage (from the Black-foot Sa arsi). Members of the tribe, however, and the general press usually use Sarcee.
It was undoubtedly from the Blackfoot that the Sarcee acquired most of their Plains Indian culture. Although in most respects the Sarcee are typical Northern Plains Indians, their language remains pure Athapaskan to this day. As such it is closely related to the languages of the Dine groups of northern Canada and Alaska and also the Navaho and Apache languages of the American Southwest.
The Sarcee might have increased to become a tribe of major importance but disease and other tragedies seemed to plague them. In 1870 an epidemic of small pox left more dead than alive, and the Sarcee never regained their former numbers. When they assembled at Blackfoot Crossing to negotiate Treaty No. 7 with the Canadian government their people totaled less than 250. As a result of this treaty the Sarcee were given a small tract of land bordering the Blackfoot reserve on the north side of the Bow River. They accepted this grudgingly, as they would have preferred a reserve further west.
By 1879 the buffalo were gone and the people were hungry. Government rations proved totally inadequate and the Sarcee seemed to be facing starvation. In 1880, under their great chief Bull Head, the tribe loaded tipis, possessions, and families into wagons and drove westward toward Fort Calgary, vowing never to return to the Bow river reserve. At Fort Calgary there was a confrontation with the Mounted Police under the command of Inspector Cecil Denny. Fortunately bloodshed was averted and the Sarcee agreed to remove temporarily to Fort MacLeod until a new reserve could be found. In 1881 Bull Head and his people moved to their new reserve located beside the Elbow River, a few miles southwest of Calgary, Alberta. The Sarcee have remained on this reserve to the present day.
They were famous among other northern Plains tribes for their tanned bison robes and fine buckskins, likewise their handcrafted saddles and cherry wood bows. As early as 1909 the Sarcee were noted as farmers and cattlemen, and they continue in these occupations at the present time.
As we might expect, the music of the Sarcee is very similar to that of other tribes of the Canadian Prairie provinces, particularly the Blackfoot and the Atsina. It is clearly in the "Northern Plains" musical style, with it high falsetto beginning and cascading descent. Within this general tradition, the music of the Sarcee has its own distinct flavor, perhaps a result of the tribe's Athapaskan speaking linguistic background. At any rate a Sarcee "drum" or singing group is always welcomed at pow-wows in Canada and in the northern Plains of U.S. as the tribe is known for its fine singers. The songs on this record provide an excellent example of the Sarcee repertoire.
The songs on this disc were recorded on August 3, 1974, at the Northwest Inter-tribal Indian Days Celebration at Woodinville, Washington. The singers are members of the SARCEE BULL HEAD YOUTH CLUB SINGERS.
...Notes by James H. Howard