New book about the history of the Tsuu T'ina

Moderator: newsposter

New book about the history of the Tsuu T'ina

Postby newsposter » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:54 pm

William McLennan is a Calgary historian, author and CHI member. His new book is about our Tsuu T'ina neighbours. Review:


Gems from Alberta's history unearthed
McLennan a delight

Naomi Lakritz
Calgary Herald


Sunday, May 06, 2007


REVIEW

Tsuu T'ina by William McLennan (Fort Brisebois Publishing,

147 pages, $16.95)

- - -

William McLennan is a Calgary historian and a veritable fount of knowledge about southern Alberta history. His passion for local history and his dedication to research shine in his new book, Tsuu T'ina.

Not content to stick to the well-trodden paths, McLennan loves to dig for the esoteric and the little-known, and he sprinkles his book generously with the historic gems he has dug up.

For example, he tells that the Beaver Indians considered the northern lights "to be spirits of the dead dancing before the Manitou, or Great Spirit."

Every tribe has its creationist myths and the Beavers believed "that humans crawled through a hollow log in order to reach Earth."

In the 1860s, the Sarcees (Tsuu T'ina) were at war with the Cree, and one of their battles was fought at Nose Hill in present-day Calgary, with a record of these battles "documented by picture writing on a buffalo hide."

McLennan traces the history of the Sarcees -- one theory holds that their name is a Blackfoot word for "bold people" -- through to their contemporary world on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation just outside Calgary.

He serves up an intriguing helping of Sarcee myths and stories, including their explanation for chinooks: "The chinook was caused by the 'Wind Maker,' a mountain monster who, when awakened, blew hot air from his nose."

Unfortunately, the book sometimes suffers from a lack of organization and a frustrating dearth of explanation.

Regarding the pictures drawn on buffalo skins -- where are these skins today? How were the pictures done? Why is the Sarcee language so difficult to learn, even for their Blackfoot neighbours? Some examples of Sarcee grammar would have been helpful. Judicious copy editing would have resulted in better organizing of the material; McLennan tends to skip from one subject to another at a jarring rate.

Still, the book is so chock full of fascinating stuff that it's a delight to read, and, on almost every page, there's an "Oh, I didn't know that!" moment for the reader.

available at Owl's Nest, Glenbow Museum, McNally Robinson, and the Trading Post in Bragg Creek.

© The Calgary Herald 2007
newsposter
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:13 am

Return to News

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 40 guests