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Published: July 15th 2016
10 Jul 2016: Our purpose in stopping in Lethbridge was to visit "Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump", a UNESCO World Heritage site. The place contains a six story museum built into the hillside full of displays of artifacts and mixed media telling about the place. It is well worth your time if you have an opportunity to visit. Archeologists have excavated and found evidence of hunts going back 5800 years. That is older than the pyramids, older that Stonehenge. For some reason nobody can yet explain, there was a period of about 1,000 intervening years in which no evidence of hunts are found. Why is that?
The site contains a sandstone ledge with a drop of about 30 feet. The land curves so you cannot see the drop off until you are right on top of it. The First Nations People, who in recent times were known as Blackfoot, (We do not know how they called themselves anciently) women and children, would build cairns of rocks into which they stuck tree branches forming a narrowing channel that confined the herd as two braves wearing wolf skins moved the herd towards the precipice. Only two were needed as that was just
enough to get the herd moving. Others had drug Bison skins over tThe wind had to be just right as Bison, while having poor eyesight had an excellent sense of smell. he grass to leave a reassuring oder. In front, a brave wearing a Bison calf skin would lead, emitting distress calls to get the cows looking for the endangered animal. As the channel narrowed, tribal members caused a stampede by rising up and shaking skins and yelling. Now the herd was in full flight and, upon reaching the low cliff, was unable to stop or turn. Over they went, being pushed by the panicked animals behind. If the fall didn't kill them, men armed with stone clubs dispatched them at the bottom and others used spears to kill those still on their feet. It was thought that if any survived they would tell the others about the trap and the Bison would then avoid the area. The tribe then set to the task of butchering the meat and hanging it up in strips to dry. Later, the dried meat would be pounded into a powder and mixed with berries to make Pemmican. Hides were used for blankets and tipis,
bone was broken and the marrow sucked out of them. Bones were also broken and boiled to render the fat they contained. Rocks were heated and submerged in water to bring it to a boil. Sinews were used as bow string and thread. The entire animal was put to use. The skulls were ceremoniously arranged in circles so that the deceased animals could call to their brethren to come and give up their lives for Man. Conditions had to be just right for these hunts. Sometimes many years passed before one could be organized again.
It is estimated that throughout this period, about 30-40 million head of Bison grazed the Great Plains and their numbers remained constant. Once the Blackfoot had access to the horse, left by the Spanish explorers and obtained by trade or war, it became easier to hunt while mounted. The arrival of Europeans and near extinction of the Bison brought the Buffalo Jumps to a close. In 1877 a treaty was made with the Blackfoot and today many have become ranchers, farmers and gardeners. I believe the First Nations people were treated much more fairly than their U.S. counterparts. They have a prominent role in
the Calgary Stampede, which I will report in a forthcoming blog.
Oh, by the way, the "Head Smashed in" part came not from the Bison but from a young warrior who was unfortunate enough to get too close to the stampeding animals and met his demise along with his intended targets.
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Catherine L Lambson
non-member comment
Bison - a favorite animal
Thank you for posting the above information. I love the pictures. I have pictures hanging in our home of bison. One is a watercolor, one is an oil, one is a pencil sketch -- all three are signed by the artist. I also have several "dust catchers" as some would call them of this beautiful animal.