Communities
The archives contains many materials that can give insight on past and present community culture and dynamics within certain Indigenous Nations in Canada. Some of these sources come from members of these nations, however, many of the sources have been written from an outside settler perspective. It is important to remember the biases that comes alongside these outside perspectives when going through materials, even more so in older sources.
ÎETHKA - STONEY NAKODA
We have many records on Îethka (Stoney Nakoda) communities in the archives. There are records and photographs of the community that include buildings, playgrounds, community centres and members of the community, as well as plans for new buildings like the administration building built around the 1970’s. Documentation of these can be found in Morley- people, views and buildings, New Building Morley, Morley Past, the Stoney Indians infofile and the Indigenous (Indians) infofile.
There are several issues of Îethka newspapers from the 1970’s listed under periodicals; these include Stoney news, Stoney news bulletin and Morley news and bulletin. Other newspaper articles on Îethka communities can be found under Stoney-Iyârhe Nakoda in our newsfiles as well as in past copies of the Crag and Canyon. Another place to look in our library is in some of the books on Îethka people and culture such as These mountains are our sacred places: the story of the Stoney People or Perception as an agent of sociocultural change for the Stoney Indians of Alberta.
SIKSIKAITSITAPI - BLACKFOOT
There are several resources in our archives that speak to communities part of the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy). There are newspaper articles in our newsfiles divided into folders for the Siksika (Blackfoot), Kainai (Blood) and Piikani (Peigan), and touch on a variety of topics including community struggles as well as forms of revitalization.
Other documents that may be of use include records from Indian agents in the Piikani as well as several books that give insight into the Blackfoot social structure, the people and culture. Some examples of these books include The story of the Blackfoot people: Niitsitapiisinni, Changing configurations in the social organization of a Blackfoot tribe during the reserve period (the Blood of Alberta, Canada) and The effects of white contact upon Blackfoot culture: with special reference to the role of the fur trade....
TSUUT’INA - SARCEE
Information on the Tsuut’ina (Sarcee) community can best be found through newspaper clippings in our newsfiles. These files contain several articles that speak to the events and culture of the community from the past 80 years. Other sources of information can be found in books in our library; some of which include The Sarcee Indians of Alberta and A Native Heritage. There are some photographs of people from the Tsuut'ina Nation during Banff Indian Days, both identified and unidentified, as well as sound recordings of a number of Tsuut'ina songs sung by David Onespot.
NEHIYAWAK - CREE
For information on Nehiyawak (Cree) communities, our library is our best source. In our newsfile section there are a number of newspaper articles pertaining to Nehiyawak communities. Another news article found under periodicals titled Group Comforting: Ka-keh-ci-hi-to-win provides insights to the healing benefits a Nehiyawak community has found from having strong internal relationships.
There are also books in our library that speak to Nehiyawak people, communities and culture from both Indigenous and settler perspectives. Some examples are Voices of the Plains Cree and Canoeing with the Cree. Other sources of information can be found in archival resources such as the sound recordings taken in Maskwacis.
FIRST NATIONS BC
Our archives also holds insights into some of the Indigenous communities that make up present-day British Columbia. There are newspaper articles in our newsfiles on Indigenous communities in British Columbia as well as an additional file on the Ktunaxa (Kootenay). Other newspaper articles exist in our archives that are a useful insight into the different communities and cultures, as well as books from our library. Some that may be of use include The native tribes of British Columbia, The Shuswap people of British Columbia and Ethnography of the Kutenai.
INUIT
The archives holds a variety of materials on Inuit communities. Many of these materials were gathered and recorded from non-Indigenous people's travels to the circumpolar regions of Canada and Alaska. There are several photos from these trips but may be titled under the names Eskimo or Esquimo. We have many books on Inuit Nations, particularly many pertaining to Inuit art and sculpture but also some on stories, songs, their people, territory and history. Some books of interest may include Elik, and other stories of the MacKenzie Eskimos, SakKija^juk: art and craft from Nunatsiavut and Eskimo Place Names of Northern Cumberland Peninsula, Baffin Island.
We have an Inuit newsfile which contains newspaper articles pertaining to Inuit news and issues. The Peter and Catharine Whyte fonds contains 2 files of textual records titled Eskimo that may have useful information as well.
MÉTIS
Information on Métis communities can be found in our archives in a few different places. Most of the information can be found in books in our library such as The Metis Betterment Act, Metis and the medicine line: creating a border and dividing a people, The identities of Marie Rose Delorme Smith: portrait of a Metis woman, 1861-1960 and Bead by Bead: Constitutional Rights and Metis Community.
We also hold a map which outlines Métis settlements in Alberta, as well as newsfiles containing newspaper articles on Métis History and Métis Inherent Rights and Land Claims.
When looking for information on Indigenous communities in our database, try searching the community or nation name you are looking for including any older names that have been used in the past. For example, if you were looking for information on the Tsuut'ina Nation, be sure to search into our database Tsuut'ina OR Sarcee, so the results show all items we have that pertain to the Tsuut'ina Nation.
This webpage has been designed and created by Jacinda Brisson, Archives Indigenous Research Intern, as part of the Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage Internship Program.