Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump, Alberta

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Long before horses arrived in North America, the Blackfoot (Niitsitapi) people used to drive bison on foot towards funnel lanes they created until eventually sending them over the cliff at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. 

Since the grazing area of the bison was roughly 3km away, the "buffalo runners" dressed up wearing coyote & wolf hides to spook/scare the bison herd into running towards the well thought out area of the jump. Once the bison would reach the cliff & due to the weight of the herd pressing from behind, the bison would fall off the cliff causing them to break their legs rendering them immobile and severely injured. Warriors were waiting at the bottom of the jump to finish the kill(s) also thanking the creator for the bison's sacrifice to feed their people and have their souls leave to a peaceful resting place. After the kills were made, the bison were then taken to a nearby camp for the carcasses to be processed. The Blackfoot people used everything they could out of each bison including the hides for clothing, bones for tools, and meat to feed the community. 

Fun fact - This site was not only recognized for the buffalo jump. Since there was such an abundance of food after the hunt, the people had more time on their hands. This allowed time for the people to enjoy leisure activities, sports like lacrosse, celebration ceremonies, spiritual growth, & artistic interests for remarkable cultural expansion. 

Wondering where the name "Head-Smashed-In" originated from? As legend has it, a young warrior wanted to see the bison plunge off the cliff from below and went missing after the animals had fallen off the cliff. When the warriors were moving the bison carcasses to be processed, they found the young warrior lying under a pile of the mighty animals with his head "smashed-in." From there, the Blackfoot people named the jump "Estipah-skikikini-kots" which translates to "Head-Smashed-In." 

Fun Fact - When horses arrived in North America, the Blackfoot people called them "pomokáóitaawa" which translates to "Elk Dog." This name was created because they were as big as an elk but could be tamed like a dog. Not sure about anyone else but that made us love horses even more after hearing that story because of how accurate the term is. 

Dr. Joe Crowshoe Sr. was considered a legendary man who was a ceremonial elder of the Piikani Nation in Southern Alberta. As a respected elder & a cultural leader, he received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1998 for his involvement saving the knowledge & practices of the Blackfoot people as well as his work as an advisor for Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. 

Not only was he considered a cultural leader to the Blackfoot people, Joe was also a very educated man. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Calgary & a Doctorate of Humanities from the University of Montana during his lifetime helping him gain his illustrious status. 

Joe was also a very loving father who spent 65 years with his wife Josephine and had 11 children together making the Crowshoe name even more prominent in the Blackfoot culture. Jo & his wife dedicated their lives to educating First Nations & non-First Nations about their history and traditions. 

There was a great book written about Joe in 2008 and have attached a link below for those who may want to read up on him even further.  

Thank you for everything Joe, Josephine & their children did for the Blackfoot people. The Crowshoe name is one that will go down in our nation's history. 

That's right, the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump was inducted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the early 1980's. 

The jump site was first recorded by the European pioneers back in the 1880's and it has steadily made its mark in Canadian history ever since. The American Museum of Natural History started excavating the site in 1938 discovering this jump was being used for thousands of years. The Archeologists working on the site discovered bison remains 12 meters below the surface and proved this jump site had been used for at least 6,000 years by the aboriginal people. 

As the years went on, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump was designated as a National Historic Site in 1968 followed by a Provincial Historic Site in 1979. The UNESCO designation in 1981 demonstrates the historical significance of this jump site because of the evidence of prehistoric life & customs used by the aboriginal people before written documentation. 

Pretty neat to think about!