A HEAD SMASHING BUFFALO JUMP & HISTORICAL SITES IN FORT MACLEOD - Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Today we spent 2-1/2 hours at the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site about 11 miles west of Fort Macleod (price was $13 each for seniors). We left the camper around 9:30 a.m., after having pancakes and sausage for breakfast. 

As we headed out, it was cloudy with the temperature around 40 degrees, which would reach a high of 64 degrees before the end of the day. It was brisk and windy outside when we arrived at the “Buffalo Jump” site.

Mel standing beside the stuffed buffalo shows just how big these beastly animals really are. We then went outside of the museum to the upper trail and learned about several landmarks including the kill site. 

Back inside the museum, we learned how the Blackfoot tribe actually hunted the buffalo.

The Plains People worked together as families . . .

And when they had to move their tepees to follow the buffalo herd, they relied on their dogs to help out.

The hunt usually took place in the fall, but the tribe worked together throughout the other seasons, to prepare for the hunt, and gather food to survive throughout the winter.

The buffalo jump was used for more than 5,500 years by the indigenous peoples of the plains to kill bison by driving them off the 36 foot high cliff. 

Before the late introduction of horses, the Blackfoot drove the bison from a grazing area in the Porcupine Hills about 1.9 miles west of the site to the "drive lanes", lined by hundreds of cairns, by dressing up as coyotes and wolves. 

These specialized "buffalo runners" were young men trained in animal behavior to guide the bison into the drive lanes. Then at a full gallop, the bison would fall from the weight of the herd pressing behind them, breaking their legs and rendering them immobile.

The cliff itself was about 1,000 feet long, and at its highest point dropping 33 feet into the valley below. After falling off the cliff, the injured bison were finished off by other Blackfoot warriors at the cliff base armed with spears and clubs. The carcasses were then processed at a nearby camp. The camp at the foot of the cliffs provided the people with everything they needed to process a bison carcass, including fresh water. The bison carcass was used for a variety of purposes – from tools made from the bones to the hide being used to make dwellings and clothing.

Many skulls were found at the kill site.

Winter counts were often painted onto buffalo hides as shown below.

Besides the exhibits in the center, we also watched several informative videos including a portrayal of the actual process of leading the buffalos to the jump area through the drive lanes and then off the deadly cliff. It was the best documentation of this event in the life of the Blackfoot tribe that we had ever seen.

Outside we followed the Lower Trail Self-Guided Tour – which took us by the butchering site located on the lower plains and then up to the kill sight beneath the buffalo jump escarpment. The walking tour took us around an hour covering nine different stops along the way.

Shown below is the actual buffalo jump escarpment they used to run the buffalo over.

We then decided to drive to Lethbridge to see if we could get a duplicate key made for the truck at one of the local Chevrolet dealerships, but we were not successful. We will have to try later. We did stop for gas in town at the Lethbridge Circle K. We then decided to get lunch at The Canadian Brewhouse in Lethbridge. 

We ordered of the special lunch menu – and each had the chicken fingers and poutine (which is French fries smothered in gravy with cheese curds melted on top). I also had a tossed salad with ranch dressing, while Mel opted for the baked potato soup. Mel drank a mug of Kokanee beer. Boy was lunch delicious! (And it only cost us $50.35.)

After lunch, we stopped at the Safeway in Lethbridge to pick up some groceries. 

Then we headed back to Fort Macleod to explore its Historic Main Street – which highlighted numerous buildings that used Edwardian architecture. Our first stop was at the Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police & the 1884 Barracks Provincial Historic Site – however it was not open. I did take some pictures from the outside.

 

Mel is standing in front of the Fort Museum. Next we went to take a look at the buildings along the Historic Main Street.

Along the Historic Main Street, was an awesome looking hotel that they’re in the process of remodeling. It seemed to have what looked to be an open balcony on the second level. 

But I found the historic Empress Theatre to be the most interesting – as it is the oldest operating theater west of Winnipeg and some say it comes complete with a resident ghost commonly referred to as “Ed.” This historic jewel was built in 1912 as a venue to entertain the Northwest Mounted Police through vaudeville and theatrical productions.

Before leaving Fort Macleod, Mel wanted to stop and get a beer at the Stronghold Brewery, and so we did. He also got a growler filled to take back to the RV.

Lastly, before returning to our campground, we drove through the small town of Granum to see the Old Jail & Museum. We arrived back at the camper at 6:30 p.m. after being gone 9 hours and driving 126 miles. We ate dinner around 8:15 p.m. and settled down for the night.

What a smashing fun day!

Shirley & Mel