{"id":1816,"date":"2012-11-11T22:19:35","date_gmt":"2012-11-12T05:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/drfumblefinger.com\/wrdprs\/?p=1816"},"modified":"2017-08-13T19:16:14","modified_gmt":"2017-08-14T01:16:14","slug":"head-smashed-in-buffalo-jump-a-unesco-world-heritage-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/drfumblefinger.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/head-smashed-in-buffalo-jump-a-unesco-world-heritage-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump, A UNESCO World Heritage Site"},"content":{"rendered":"

I like direct clear-spoken people, so you can see why Native American names appeal to me.  “Head-smashed-in-buffalo jump<\/a>” was just that — a place buffalo were chased off a cliff and killed for food.  (An alternative legend has the place’s name originating from a careless young warrior at the jump’s base who had his noggin smashed in by the half ton mass of a falling bison).<\/p>\n

Located 18 km northwest of Fort Macleod<\/a>, Alberta, where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the great plains, is one of the world’s oldest, largest, and best preserved buffalo jumps.  Head-Smashed-In has been a communal hunting site used by aboriginal peoples for almost 6,000 years (until abandoned in the era of horses and guns).  It provides a direct link to prehistoric life in North America and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Head-Smashed-In Visitor Center<\/p><\/div>\n

Head-Smashed-In sits on the eroded Porcupine Hills<\/a> which adjoin, but are not part of, the Rocky Mountains.  There are many natural springs in the area and the water and grass attracted massive herds of buffalo, as well as elk and pronghorn antelope.  The variable erosion of limestone produced escarpments such as that of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump used by the Indians for the collecting and preparing of their winter food.   The Plains Indians were highly dependent on the buffalo for their existence and there was no easier way for them to stock up for the winter than at a Jump site.<\/p>\n

American Bison<\/a> (also known as buffalo — but very different from buffalo in Asia or Africa) are a herd animal, although adult males mostly live a solitary existence.  Buffalo have poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell and a strong fear of predators and prairie fires.  When frightened, buffalo run in the opposite direction.  Herds tend to move in an harmonious manner following their leaders.  Only a few animals in the lead can actually see where the herd is running, the rest following blindly.   Those few animals at the front who might have seen the jump were not able to stop because the charging herd behind them propelled them over the cliff’s edge.  Due to their understanding of topography and bison behavior, native people from hundreds of kilometers around gathered here in the fall to collectively hunt the buffalo.  Their intent was to make the bison “jump” (not a natural bison behavior), thereby killing them by the hundreds if possible.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Porcupine Hills viewed from top of the Head-Smashed-In Visitor Center (jump site)<\/p><\/div>\n

The bison hunt was risky for the Natives as bison are massive creatures with sharp horns.  The hunt required careful planning and coordination — a tribal effort really — including:<\/p>\n