UNESCO World Heritage SiteUNESCO Heritage
Canada

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Buffalo jump in Alberta, Canada

Location

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Historical Context

About

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a buffalo jump located where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains begin to rise from the prairie 18 km (11 mi) west of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada, on Highway 785. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home of a museum of Blackfoot culture. Joe Crowshoe Sr. (1903–1999) – Aapohsoy’yiis (Weasel Tail) – a ceremonial Elder of the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta, was instrumental in the development of the site. The Joe Crow Shoe Sr. Lodge is dedicated to his memory. He dedicated his life to preserving Aboriginal culture and promoting the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people and in 1998 was awarded the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for "saving the knowledge and practices of the Blackfoot people."

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Primary period of use

used for 5,500 years

First European record

1880s

Joe Crowshoe Sr. lifespan

1903–1999

First major excavation

1938

Earliest documented use

at least 6,000 years ago

National Historic Site designation

1968

Provincial Historic Site designation

1979

UNESCO World Heritage designation

1981

Interpretive centre opening

1987

Governor General's architecture award

1990

Joe Crowshoe Sr. recognition

1998

Lost Identities exhibit first displayed

1999

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Domestic and Habitation Structures

Villages
category

Environmental and Natural Features

Landscaped EarthworksModified Caves
category

Food Production and Processing Features

Butchering Areas
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Transportation and Communication Structures

Paths
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

Canada

Coordinates

49.75° N, -113.63° E