A unique historical site with an intriguing name, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is an important stop-off for any Native history buff. The “buffalo jump” part of its name is taken from an interesting hunting technique used by the Blackfoot Indians. At a buffalo jump, hunters would scare a herd of buffalo into such a frenzy that they would stampede, forcing the herd to follow a path that ended at a cliff. The buffalo, in a blind panic, would run right off the edge, making for easy pickings at the bottom for hunters. But the “head-smashed-in” part of the site’s name has an even more bizarre story. It supposedly comes from the tale of an Indian brave who wished to witness the plunging buffalo while sheltered by a ledge at the base of the cliff. When the pile of dead buffalo reached higher than expected, the brave was crushed against the cliff. When his tribe came to butcher their kill, they found the brave with his head smashed in, crushed by the weight of the buffalo. The Blackfoot Indians, who were fiercely independent and very successful warriors, controlled a vast region stretching from the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta to Yellowstone River of Montana, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Cypress Hills on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. It was not until the coming of the North West Mounted Police in 1874, over 110 years ago, that Euro-Canadian settlement in the region began. Until the near extinction of the buffalo in 1881, the Blackfoot pursued their traditional ways of life. Only with the loss of this food supply were they obliged to adapt to the new era.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump has been used continuously by aboriginal peoples of the plains for more than 5,500 years and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, placing it among other world attractions such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge and the Galapagos Islands. One of the best-preserved and oldest buffalo jumps in North America, the site is located 165 kilometres (90 miles) south of Calgary and 18 kilometres (12 miles) north and west of Fort Macleod. An impressive interpretive centre documents the buffalo hunting culture of the Plains Indians from their beginnings until the arrival of the Europeans and interpretive guides are available to share information about Indian culture with visitors. Where the Natives once processed the buffalo meat there now exists an archaeological site. Today, scientists use the site to try and learn more about the natives and their culture. The centre is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. in winter and 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. in summer.
