Tsuu T’ina Nation
Bullhead Road
Tsuu T’ina Nation 145, AB
T2W 6H6
The Tsuut’ina (Sarcee) are a Dene (or Athabaskan) First Nation whose reserve borders the southwestern city limits of Calgary, Alberta. The name “Sarcee” is believed to have originated from a Siksikáí’powahsin (Blackfoot language) word meaning boldness and hardiness. The Sarcee people call themselves Tsuut’ina (also Tsuu T’ina and Tsúùt’ínà), translated literally as “many people”, “every one (in the Nation)” or “beaver people.” All interpretations are correct.
As sovereign people and signatory to the Peace & Friendship Treaty No. 7, the Tsuut’ina Nation never relinquished any inherent or Treaty right or responsibility.
Our Lady of Peace has been a mission of Holy Spirit Parish since 1996, as such our clergy celebrate Mass and sacraments there. The original Sarcee Reserve was established in 1878 and was served by the Oblates from St. Mary’s, from Cluny and then from Cochrane and, finally, from Holy Spirit Parish. The original wood building, a small chapel called St. George’s Church, was replaced by the current church and given its current name as a Diocesan Jubilee gift.
Below, you will find an overview of the history of Our Lady of Peace. Valuable insights into the history of Our Lady of Peace have been gathered from the Calgary Diocese Archives, as well as through interviews from videos dated 2021. These videos featured relatives of Dick Starlight, who helped build the current church in 1964 and allowed it to be constructed on land that was allocated to him for his personal use.
Additionally, the write-up has been reviewed, edited, and verified by Regena Crowchild, a member of the Tsuut’ina Nation community, ensuring accuracy and respect for the history shared.
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.) are a missionary religious congregation dedicated to evangelizing “the abandoned poor” and the Indigenous peoples of Canada. When they arrived in the North-West in 1845, their mission was to support and supplement the diocesan priests who were stretched thin from extensive travel, baptizing, and ministering to both the mixed-blood population and the Aboriginal Peoples. Their arrival marked a significant new chapter in missionary work, and they were warmly welcomed by the communities in the North-West. It didn’t take long for the Oblate missionaries to recognize that the deep spirituality of the Aboriginal Peoples was a significant factor in their attraction to the Catholic faith.
In 1877, Chief Bull Head of the Tsuut’ina Nation (formerly known as the Sarcee) signed Treaty 7. When Chief Bullhead entered into Treaty 7, he kept this land for the exclusive use of his people to continue their way of life. This land, situated between Fish Creek and the Elbow River, was part of the territory occupied by their people.
Following the signing of the treaty, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate from St. Mary’s in Calgary, which later became the Cathedral, frequently visited the Tsuut’ina Nation reserve. In 1912, a small chapel was built at a cost of $1,200 and was named St. George’s Church. Mass was celebrated once a month on Sundays and occasionally during the week. However, in bad weather, the church could not be reached. In 1940, Fr. J. Lessard, O.M.I., wrote to Bishop Carroll requesting permission to celebrate Mass in three private houses on the Reserve due to the church being too inaccessible for most of the population, and was granted permission. In 1950, Fr. Clement Frappier reported to Bishop Carroll that the Sarcee Catholics were numerous and faithful to the practice of their faith but Mass was still being celebrated in three houses on the Reserve because of the remote location of St. George’s Chapel. He told Bishop Carroll that the congregation was keen to have Mass every Sunday so it was decided that St. George’s Chapel would be moved to a new, more accessible location. Originally located in the southern part of the reserve, this wooden church was then moved in 1951 to its current location, about 2 miles from Anderson Road.
By the early 1960s, the little church congregation had grown significantly – with 106 Catholic children residing on the reserve and the majority of the community identifying as Catholic. In light of this growth, it became evident that a new church was necessary, as St. George’s Church was aging, too small, and deteriorating. The strong Catholic presence on the reserve underscored the urgency for a new church.
Despite the parishioners’ efforts to raise funds for a new church, their attempts fell short. In response, Bishop Carroll initiated fundraising efforts, beginning with a special appeal for donations for a new Sarcee church during the Tour of the Pilgrimage Statue throughout the diocese. By January 1963, it became impossible to continue celebrating Mass at St. George’s Church, prompting Bishop Carroll to recognize that further delays in constructing a new church at Sarcee were not an option. With funding from the Church Extension Society ($2,000), the Tour fund and funding from the Diocese ($4,000) along with labour offered by the Oblate brothers, the building of the new church commenced.
A pivotal moment occurred during Lent. Each year, Mass was celebrated at St. George’s Church every Wednesday evening. While Dick Starlight and Henry Dodging Horse were walking home after evening Mass, they experienced a vision of Our Lady of Peace Church as it stands today. This vision inspired Dick to contribute to the church’s construction; he sold cattle and offered land originally allocated for his personal use for the church’s site. This is where the current church is located (as told by Bruce Starlight).
The Oblates arrived in the spring of 1963 to build the church’s frame and returned in the summer to complete the interior, constructing it exactly as envisioned by Dick Starlight and Henry Dodging Horse. The new church was named in honor of the first mission chapel built in the diocese in 1872, as a Diocesan Jubilee gift. It was dedicated by Bishop Francis P. Carroll on October 6, 1963, and from that day forward, Mass was celebrated every Sunday at the new church.
In the 1990s, the congregation size started to decline. Eventually, the church fell into significant disrepair, primarily due to a leaky roof and other issues. In 2021, Ruby Starlight, granddaughter of Dick Starlight, was interviewed by a Rebel News journalist at the Calgary Stampede Elbow River Camp, a venue celebrating First Nations culture. During the interview, she invited the journalist and his crew to visit Tsuut’ina Nation to learn about their traditions and highlighted the need for repairs on “her grandfather’s church.” Moved by the story, Rebel News decided to support the cause and launched a fundraiser titled “Repair the Church” (Click HERE to learn more). Thanks to the generous contributions, crucial repairs were carried out, including replacing the roof, fixing a broken window, and addressing rodent and groundhog problems. The parishioners were deeply appreciative of the improvements and viewed the fundraiser as an answer to their prayers, helping to maintain their cherished place of worship.
Bishop McGrattan outside Our Lady of Peace after celebrating Mass and spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, leading our first of four 10-Hour Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations (Septempber/24)
As part of the historic relic tour across Western Canada, relics of St. Kateri Tekakwitha – the first Indigenous North American saint and beloved patron of First Nations peoples – traveled alongside major relics of the Canadian Martyrs. Her relics were available for veneration during the tour’s stop at Tsuut’ina Nation, held at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on January 5, 2025. Tsuut’ina became the first First Nation in Canada to welcome these historic relics. The Tsuut’ina Nation collaborated with the Diocese of Calgary and the Jesuits of Canada to host this special event on the Traditional Lands of the Tsuut’ina People.
Accompanying her relics were relics of three Jesuit missionary martyrs: the skull of St. Jean de Brébeuf and bones of St. Charles Garnier and St. Gabriel Lalemant. These three saints are among the eight French Jesuit missionaries who first brought the Gospel to Canada and were martyred during the Huron Iroquois Wars of the early 1600s. While all eight were canonized, only the relics of these three have been preserved for nearly four centuries and have been housed for nearly a century at the National Shrine to the Canadian Martyrs in Midland, Ontario. This pilgrimage marked the first time these sacred relics have traveled across the country.
Click HERE to watch a 3-minute overview of the Canadian Martyrs, St. Kateri, and the National Shrine in Ontario – home to these sacred relics.
Click THIS FACEBOOK LINK to watch a 1-minute highlight video from the Relic Tour’s visit to Tsuut’ina Nation on January 5, 2025, featuring the 1st Class relic of St. Kateri. (Facebook account may be required.)
St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. She was born in 1656 in the state of New York. Her mother, an Algonquin, was captured by the Mohawks and later married a Mohawk chief.
At age four, Kateri contracted smallpox, which scarred her face and impaired her eyesight. The illness took the lives of her entire immediate family. Afterward, she was raised by her uncle, a Mohawk chief who strongly opposed Christianity.
Kateri became known as a skilled, diligent, and patient worker. At age 11, Jesuit missionaries visited her village and introduced her to Christianity. When she was 19, she converted to Catholicism and began living a deeply devout life – spending hours in prayer and often fashioning crosses out of twigs. When her adoptive parents proposed a suitor for marriage, she refused, saying she was married to God and that no man could take His place in her heart. Her decision was unpopular, and rumors of sorcery began to spread among her neighbors.
To escape persecution, Kateri fled to a Christian Native community south of Montreal. There, she received her First Communion and, on the Feast of the Annunciation in 1679, made a vow of perpetual virginity.
In her new community, she became known for her holiness and devotion. According to legend, she placed thorns on her sleeping mat as a form of penance and frequently prayed for the conversion of her Mohawk people. Jesuit missionaries reported that she fasted regularly and sometimes tainted her food to reduce its flavor. On at least one occasion, she even burned herself – a form of self-mortification not uncommon among the Mohawk.
Kateri taught prayers to children, cared for the elderly and sick, and often attended Mass at sunrise and sunset. Her health declined in her final years, and she died of tuberculosis on April 17, 1680, just before her 24th birthday – five years after her conversion. Witnesses reported that moments after her death, the smallpox scars vanished from her face, which then radiated with beauty.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012. Also known as the “Lily of the Mohawks”, she is a patron saint of ecology and the environment, people in exile, and Native Americans. Her Feast Day is July 14th.
