IS THERE REALLY A PLACE CALLED HEAD-SMASHED-IN BUFFALO JUMP?

Location:
Canada

Blackfoot, Canada, Education

V!VA User‘s Description

IS THERE REALLY A PLACE CALLED HEAD-SMASHED IN BUFFALO JUMP?

Magic is afoot at the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Exhibit Centre near Ft. MaCleod, Alberta. We arrived cranky and 30 minutes late to meet our Blackfoot Nation guide Nick, and tried apologizing profusely. He shrugged and said there is no such thing as ‘late.’

The self-deprecating Blackfoot operate on what they call “Indian Time.” Once you step across the threshold of the Centre, you pass through a portal parsing ‘profane’ from ‘sacred’ time. Leave watches and preconceptions behind, you need only an open heart and mind to grow in this very special place. And bring the kids, because they’ll be able to explain a lot of what is going on to you.

The Jump is a piece of geography steeped in First Nation tradition. Tourists rub elbows with the spiritual, whether they realize it or not; the land embraces the people, the symbolic breathes and history comes alive. Not bad for the price of admission.

The Centre offers a range of programs during the day, including Native dancing and drumming, which is not to be missed. If you visit during the Calgary Stampede, some of the best competitive First Nation dancers in the world are available and often dance at the Centre.

Managed with great dignity by the local Blackfoot people, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump bears the cachet of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It quietly celebrates and impressively documents the cultural, geological, archaeological, spiritual, and social history of a piece of land where the Blackfoot Nation hunted buffalo for nearly 6,000 years. The Centre tells a complete and compelling story, emphasizing the eternal bond between land and people; a good lesson in these days of geo-climatic uncertainty.

The brilliant design of the Exhibit Centre tells the story of the hunt, which was inextricably linked to the formation of the land. The surrounding geography of rolling plains and occasional fractures created occasional 30 to 50 foot drops, virtually unnoticeable until ‘stumbled’ upon. When the migratory buffaloes appeared, local Blackfoot people would send out runners, gathering the clans at the site. Once assembled the clans would perform the requisite spiritual rituals and prayers, preparing for the hunt.

The strategy of the hunt itself is explained through the exhibits of the Centre, the dialogue with the First Nation guides, and a short, powerful film (no animals were harmed in the making of the movie, but it is very convincing). Since each buffalo was completely rendered by the Blackfoot into meat, tools fat, skin and other items critical to survival, the goal of the hunt was to separate anywhere from 10 to one hundred buffalo from the main herd and coax them over the drop, without using weapons until they had tumbled to the bottom of the chasm. Tough way to make a living, eh?

The Exhibit Centre is built into the hillside below the buffalo jump. Each inside level tells a part of the story, such as the ecology and geology of the area, or the importance of the buffalo in the lives of the Blackfoot, and can be moved through chronologically. Artifacts uncovered from the site, well-informed guides, and extremely informative exhibit labeling draw you upward through the Centre; you eventually end up outside, at the Jump itself. Swallows flit in and out of nests they’ve built onto the cliff side for ten thousand years, and a small, wind-stunted tree, laden with small packages attached to its branches stands nearby.

“Offerings,” explained Nick.

Offerings. The Centre is a sort of a living shrine for the Blackfoot people. Abandoned 170 years ago when the Blackfoot acquired guns and horses, the site remains a profoundly vital link with tradition and spirit; a window into the lives and minds of a people who have sustained themselves for thousands of years through fidelity to their spiritual values and the ability to adapt. Information is offered soberly and willingly, and with quiet pride.

The exhibits and tours can be done in a single day; we’d strongly encourage overnight camping at the Tipi's on the site. With about a dozen other families, you stay in an authentically designed Blackfoot Tipi, joined by a storyteller who shares the myths of the Blackfoot, answering any remaining questions.

During the late afternoon our children made quick friends with other kids from literally all over the world; Germany, Canada, Haiti, South Korea. This international tribe proceeded to chase the innumerable and taunting ground squirrels around the campsite like a cosmic game of international “whack a mole.” They never caught any, but that wasn’t the point. The magic of the land and the place created instant friendships, shifting and articulated hunting strategies, and eventually reduced the children to a state of dreamy exhaustion. Magic.

I stood outside after dark and stared in wonder at the big sky shimmering with stars, feeling the wind move through the grasses and the hills. Perhaps I heard the coyote howls mix seamlessly with the whispered voices of 150 generations of Blackfoot hunters as the night held me. People of the Blackfoot will tell you it happens. Travelers, all you need to do is listen for it.

In the morning I greeted a staffer who had bid us a good night when the Centre closed at 6 PM, and reopened it for us at 9 AM, allowing us to breakfast before the crowds arrived.

“You here 24 hours a day?” I asked, jokingly.

“I feel like I am, even when I’m not,” he said.

Now, I understand what he meant.

HEAD-SMASHED-IN BUFFALO JUMP

P.O. Box 1977

Ft. MaCleod, Alberta

Canada Tol oZo

(403) 553 2731

Further Information

Travel tips: If you are driving down from Calgary in July, watch for the endless fields of yellow canola blossoms on either side of the road. Remember that this place, while not a "shrine" in the strictest sense, holds great sacred value to the Blackfoot Nation, and behave accordingly. It can get pretty hot in the summer, so be prepared, although much of the exhibit is inside. Try to make arrangements for a small group personal tour; it will provide a more active dialogue about the exhibits. Also, we found that the staff were willing to answer questions as approached individually, these small dialogues were often incredibly informative.

Must see/do at this place: The lower trail hike is very do-able, and well-marked. Take your time and appreciate whole the entire exhibit covers the full 5,700 years of the revealed history of the site. There is a lot of opportunity for hands-on with the artifacts, especially when you have arranged for a guided tour; perfect for kids. Make sure that you see the dancing and drumming demonstrations, the costumes are handmade and often spectacular. Tip your guides; don't be a cheapskate.

If at all possible, arrange for a night of Tipi camping, especially if you have kids. It begins after the Exhibit Centre closes, and you are provided with air mattresses and sleeping bags as needed.

You should avoid here: Be aware that their are some topics your guide will not speak directly to, or answer questions about. Their response will be "I'm not yet privileged to have that information," which refers to their cultural deference to sacred wisdom knowledge, and sharing it when the recipient demonstrates they are ready. Accept these answers, and be tactful. Avoid the natural tendency to be PC; the Blackfoot are content to call themselves Indians, and have a very quiet, self-deprecating wit. Also, don't apologize for historic wrongdoings against the Blackfoot; they are an accomplished and dignified people and have made the adaptations they have had to make.