Long before there were special parking lots for RVs, the Bow Valley was the occasional home to nomadic First Nations people who roamed the Canadian Rockies’ eastern ranges. It's their heritage which comes alive at the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum. Norman Luxton, an adventurer who arrived in Banff in 1901, opened the ‘Sign of the Goat’ trading store specializing in taxidermy and animal pelts which he mounted and dressed himself (he also established Banff’s newspaper, the Crag and Canyon, which still publishes weekly). Luxton is also remembered for his role in helping restore buffalo herds in Western Canada. He developed strong friendships with the Stoney First Nations from the nearby settlements of Morley and Nordegg. In 1951, Luxton made room in his store for an exhibit on local native culture. He later moved everything into a new building, with the help of Calgary’s Glenbow Museum. His collection remains today in the Luxton Museum at 1 Birch Avenue, Banff (across the Bow River and right at the lights).
The museum is an under-rated place, often overlooked by tourists. You can see firsthand what life was like for people who roamed the West following great buffalo herds, hauling their teepees and pounding berries and meat for pemmican. There’s a lot to learn and this museum is a great place to start. Kids love it! The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
