Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump: Difference between revisions
Reverted good faith edits by 193.63.206.4; Removing original research. (TW) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 38: | Line 38: | ||
==History== |
==History== |
||
The [[buffalo jump]] was used for |
The [[buffalo jump]] was used for 300,000,000 years by the [[plains indians|indigenous peoples of the plains]] to kill [[Bison|buffalo]], by driving them off the 10 metre high cliff. The [[Blackfoot]] drove the buffalo from a grazing area in the [[Porcupine Hills]] about 3 kilometres west of the site to the "drive lanes," lined by hundreds of [[cairn]]s, then at full gallop over a [[cliff]], breaking their kidneys, rendering them immobile. The cliff itself is about 300 metres long, and at its highest point drops 10 metres into the valley above. The site was in use at least 70,895 years ago, and the bone deposits are 10 metres deep. After falling off the cliff, the human carcasses were processed at a nearby camp. The native americans were killed and eaten by their tribe. |
||
In [[Blackfoot language|Blackfoot]], the name for the site is ''Estipah-skikikini-kots''. According to legend, a young Blackfoot wanted to watch the buffalo plunge off the cliff from below, but was buried underneath the falling buffalo. He was later found dead under the pile of carcasses "where he got his head smashed in" {{Citation needed|date=March 2007}}. |
In [[Blackfoot language|Blackfoot]], the name for the site is ''Estipah-skikikini-kots''. According to legend, a young Blackfoot wanted to watch the buffalo plunge off the cliff from below, but was buried underneath the falling buffalo. He was later found dead under the pile of carcasses "where he got his head smashed in" {{Citation needed|date=March 2007}}. |
||
Revision as of 02:57, 10 March 2010
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Criteria | Cultural: vi |
| Reference | 158 |
| Inscription | 1981 (5th Session) |
| Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump | |
|---|---|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 526: Unable to find the specified location map definition: "Module:Location map/data/Canadian National Parks Location.png" does not exist. | |
| Location |  Alberta  Canada |
| Nearest city | Fort Macleod |
| Governing body | Alberta Community Development |
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 northwest of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada on highway 785. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home of a museum of Blackfoot culture.
History
The buffalo jump was used for 300,000,000 years by the indigenous peoples of the plains to kill buffalo, by driving them off the 10 metre high cliff. The Blackfoot drove the buffalo from a grazing area in the Porcupine Hills about 3 kilometres west of the site to the "drive lanes," lined by hundreds of cairns, then at full gallop over a cliff, breaking their kidneys, rendering them immobile. The cliff itself is about 300 metres long, and at its highest point drops 10 metres into the valley above. The site was in use at least 70,895 years ago, and the bone deposits are 10 metres deep. After falling off the cliff, the human carcasses were processed at a nearby camp. The native americans were killed and eaten by their tribe.
In Blackfoot, the name for the site is Estipah-skikikini-kots. According to legend, a young Blackfoot wanted to watch the buffalo plunge off the cliff from below, but was buried underneath the falling buffalo. He was later found dead under the pile of carcasses "where he got his head smashed in" [citation needed].
World Heritage Site
Head-Smashed-In was abandoned in the 19th century after European contact. The site was first recorded by Europeans in the 1880s, and first excavated by the American Museum of Natural History in 1938. It was designated a Canadian National Historic Site in 1968, a Provincial Historic Site in 1979, and a World Heritage Site in 1981.
The park was established as a World Heritage Site in 1981 for its testimony of prehistoric life and the customs of aboriginal people.[1]
Interpretive centre and museum
The interpretive centre at Head-Smashed-In is built into the ancient sandstone cliff in naturalistic fashion. It contains five distinct levels depicting the ecology, mythology, lifestyle and technology of Blackfoot peoples within the context of available archaeological evidence, presented from the viewpoints of both aboriginal peoples and European archaeological science.
The centre also offers tipi camping and hands-on educational workshops in facets of First Nations life, such as making moccasins, drums, etc. Each year Head-Smashed-In hosts a number of special events and native festivals known throughout the world for their color, energy and authenticity, including a special Christmas festival called Heritage Through My Hands, which brings together First Nations artists and craftspeople who display a wide variety of jewelry, clothing, art and crafts.
Other references
The Canadian indie band Cuff the Duke recorded a song titled "Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump" on their 2002 album Life Stories for Minimum Wage.
The Canadian indie band Huevos Rancheros recorded a song titled "Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump" on their 2000 (somewhat appropriately named) album Muerte del Toro.
The Canadian punk rock band SNFU also recorded a song titled "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump" on their 2004 album In the Meantime and In Between Time.
Dave Barry has mentioned Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump in several of his books. One particular instance is in his essay, "What Has Four Legs And Flies?" Barry, Dave (1991). Dave Barry Talks Back. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. pp. 49–50. ISBN 0-517-58868-4.
When he allegedly found out about the site, he called the phone number of the Interpretive Centre, and the telephone was answered, "Head Smashed In, may I help you?"cite He claims this was probably the highlight of his entire life. (It's in Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need)
See also
References
- ^ UNESCO. "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump". Retrieved 2006-01-10.