information guide - albertawowalbertawow.com/layout_maps/headsmashedin-buffalo-jump... ·...
TRANSCRIPT
information guide
World Heritage Sites – an overview• In2006 there were only 12 other World Heritage Sites in Canada.
•ThehistoryofdesignatingWorldHeritageSitesgoesbackto1972. Recognizingthattheworld’sculturalheritageknowsnonationalboundaries,memberstatesofUNESCOunanimouslyformedaConventionfortheProtectionoftheWorldCulturalandNaturalHeritage,knownastheWorldHeritageConvention.
•TheWorldHeritageConventionprovidesaworldwidesystemofcooperationtoprotecttheworld’sheritagewithinapermanent administrativeframework.
•TheConventionmaintainsaWorldHeritagelistidentifyingtreasuressuchasmasterpiecesofhumanity’screativegenius,uniquewitnessesoflostcivilizations,naturalhabitatswherethreatenedspeciesofplantsandanimalsstillsurvive,andbeliefsthathaveleftastrongmarkonhumanity.
ForinformationonUNESCOseewww.unesco.org
world heritage sites
for more info
Head-Smashed-in
Buffalo Jump
Box 1977
Fort Macleod, Alberta
Canada T0L 0Z0
tel (403) 553 2731
fax (403) 533 3141
www.head-smashed-in.com
head-smashed-in buffalo jump is known around the worldforitsremarkable
testimonyofprehistoriclife.Thesitebearswitnesstoacustompracticedbynativepeopleofthe
NorthAmericanplainsatHSIBJfornearly6,000years.Thankstotheirexcellentunderstanding
oftopographyandofbisonbehavior,theywereabletokillbisonbydrivingthemoveraprecipice.
Carcasseswerecarvedupandprocessedinthebutcheringcampbelow.
In1981,theUnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization(UNESCO)
designatedthejumpasaWorldHeritageSite,placingitamongotherworldattractionssuch
astheEgyptianpyramidsandtheGalapagosIslands.
Why is Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump a World Heritage Site?
• Somemeatwasmadeintopemmicanbyfirstsun-dryingit,thenpulverizingthedried
meatwithastonemaulandmixingthiswithbuffalofat.Toaddflavortopemmican,
fruitsuchaschokecherriesorsaskatoonberrieswasadded.Themixturewasthen
placedina‘parfleche’,arawhidecontainer,andpoundedtoremoveallairfromthe
food.Thismixture,whencarefullyprepared,remainedibleformanyyears.
•Longbeforetheyhadthehorse,thegunoreventhebow,Plains NativeTribeshuntedthebuffalo,drivingherdstotheirdeathoverthecliffsatHead-Smashed-InBuffaloJump.
•Buffalojumpingissuchasophisticatedhuntingtechniquethatmodernscienceisonlybeginningtounderstanditsworkings.
•Thehuntbeganwithaspiritualceremonyinwhichmedicinewomenandmenwouldgothroughdetailedritualstoensureasafeandsuccessfulhunt.
•Duringtheceremonies,the‘buffalorunners’weresenttolocateandherdtheanimals.Thesewereyoungmenwhopossessedskilltomovethebisonherds.
•Thebuffalorunners,disguisedunderanimalhides,wouldpassneartheherdsandtrytolurethemtowardthecliffs,usingtheirintricateknowledgeofbuffalobehavior.
• IngeniousV-shapeddrivelaneswereusedtochannelherdstothemostdangerouspointonthecliffs.Theselaneswereedgedwithrowsofstonecairnswhicharestillvisibletoday.Thelanessnaketheirwayacrossthecountryside,followingridges,crossingcouleesandrisingacrossthetopsofhighhills.
•Nearthecliffareaofthedrivelanes,peoplehidbehindbrushstuckintothecairnsandpreventedthebeastsfromstrayingbyshoutingandwavingbuffalohides.Huntersrushedfrombehind,panickingtheanimalsintoathunderingheadlongplungeoverthecliff.
•Afterfalling,manybuffalowereonlystunnedorwounded.Hunterswaitedbelowtheclifftokillthesurvivingbeasts.TheNativePeoplebelievedthatescapinganimalswouldwarnotherherdsofthedeadlytrap.
•Thekillbroughtasurplusofmeattofamiliesandclansparticipatinginthehunt.Thepeopledriedthemeat,madepemmican,extractedfatfromthebones,madetools,andtannedhides.Almosteverypartoftheanimalwasused.
buffalo jumping
?knowdidyou
Napi’sWorldLevel 1 orients the visitortothedelicateecologyoftheprehistoricplains;describesthegeography,climate,andvegetation;andintroducesthenativeaccountoftheoriginofpeopleandhowtheylearnedtohuntthebuffalo.
Napi’sPeopleLevel 2 provides an overviewofthelifestyleofthePlainspeopleandincludesreconstructionsofatipiand‘dogdays’travois,andanumberofartifactswhichvisitorsareencouragedtohandle.This‘handson’approachtointerpretationhasbeenakeyelementinthedevelopmentofdisplaysandprogramsthroughouttheCentre.
TheBuffaloHuntLevel 3 describes the use of jump sitesliketheoneatHead-Smashed-In,focusingonatopographicalmodelofthegatheringbasinanddrivelanesusedtodirectthestampedingherdtowardthecliff.Thespiritualandceremonialsignificanceofthehuntisalsoexplored.
Theatre ‘insearchofthebuffalo’,atenminutefilmdepictingtheIniskimCeremony.LocalBlackfootactorsre-createabuffalodriveandtheactivitiessurroundingajump.
CulturesinContactLevel 4 depicts the consequencesoftheintroductionofEuropeantradegoodsintheearly18thcentury.Thearrivalofthehorseandgunmarkedthepassingofthetraditionalbuffalohuntanddramaticallyalteredthenativebuffaloculture.Europeancontactbroughtepidemicsofforeignoriginthatnearlywipedoutthenativepopulation.
UncoveringthePastLevel 5 includes a film presentationofthearchaeologicalprogramatHead-Smashed-In.
the exhibits
• Itisestimatedthat60millionbuffaloroamedtheGreatPlainswhentheEuropeans
arrivedinNorthAmerica.
• TheHead-Smashed-Inareaaverage35Chinooksperyear,thehighestfrequencyin
Canada’schinookbelt.AChinookisthewarm,dry,westerlywindthatflowsoverthe
RockyMountainsandbringsrelieffromcold,snowywinterweather.?knowdidyou
Fire Exit
Upper Trail and Viewpoint
level 1 – Napi’s World
Fire Exit
Entrance/Fire Exit
Fire Exit
Fire Exit
To Lower Trail >
Theatre
level 4 – mezzanineCultures in Contact
level 2 – Napi’s People
level 3 – The Buffalo Hunt
Camp Site and Processing Area
Gathering Basin
Head-Smashed-In
Drive Lanes
Head-Smashed-In
Kill Site
Gathering Basin
Calderwood
Drive Lanes
Calderwood
Kill Site
Plaza
< to Lower Parking
to Lower Trail >
Elevator 1
Elevator 2
level 4 – Cafeteria
level 5 – Ground LevelGift Shop & Information
level 5 – Ground LevelUncovering the Past
To view the exhibits chronologically:follow the ‘Red Buffalo’ from Elevator 1 to Elevator 2 on Level 3. Take Elevator 2 and then two flights of stairs to reach the Upper Trail Viewpoint, then follow the exhibits moving downward from Napi’s World to Ground Level.
Follow the ‘Red Buffalo’
Interpretive Centre
the archaeology
• Buffalohornswerescrapedandformedintospoons.
• Buffalotongueswereoftengivetomedicinemenorwomen,whowereresponsiblefor
ensuringthesuccessofthehunt.
• PeterFidler,aHudson’sBayCompanytrader,wasprobablythefirstEuropeanexplorerto
visitthePorcupineHillsarea.Hetraveledtherein1792/93withabandofPeiganIndians.
•ThisWorldHeritageSiteisrichinprehistory.Boneandtoolbeds,nearlyelevenmetresthick,liebeneaththejump’ssandstonecliffs.
•TheoldestevidenceofhumansatHead-Smashed-InisrepresentedbytwoScottsbluffspearpoints,whicharebelievedtobe9,000years old.Thesepointsindicatethesitewasvisitedinearlyprehistorictimes,althoughthereisnoevidencethatbisonweredrivenoverthecliffbythemakersoftheearlyartifacts.
•Accordingtoradiocarbondatingofancientbones,thesitewasusedasabuffalojump5,700 yearsago–morethan500yearsbeforethefirstpyramidwasbuiltinEgyptandbeforeStonehengewaserectedinEngland.
•Head-Smashed-Inisjustonepartofacommunalkillsitecomplexwhichincludesanetworkofsophisticateddrivelanesusedtogatherherdsandlurethemtothecliffs.
•ThefirstarchaeologisttoinvestigatethesitewasJuniusBirdoftheAmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory in 1938.Sincethen,thesitehasseenfourmajorarchaeologicalprojects,betweenthelate1940s and early nineties.
•Atthebottomlayerofthekillsite,archaeologistshavefoundprojectilesusedduringtheMiddlePrehistoricPeriod.Thesetoolsarefromthe‘MummyCaveComplex’–crudeprojectilepoints,smallerthanspearheads,buttoolargetotiparrows.Thepointswereattachedtoadartthatwasthrownwithan‘atlatl’orthrowingstick.
•Duringtheperiodfromabout4,000 to 3,000 yearsago,thejumpappearstohavebeenabandoned.TherearenotoolsorbonedepositsdirectlyabovethoseattributedtotheMummyCaveComplex.Archaeologistsareuncertainwhythejumpwasnotusedatthistime.
•MostofthebonedepositsandartifactsrecoveredatHead-Smashed-IncomefromLatePrehistorictimes;thatis,duringthelast1,800 years.
•TheuppermostlayersatHead-Smashed-Incontainmetalarrowheads,indicatingthejumpwasusedinearlyhistorictimes.Asgunsandhorsesbecamecommonthelabour-intensivebuffalojumpsweresoonabandoned.
•Archaeologistshavealsostudiedsitesabovethecliffs.Therearepetroglyph,orrockcarvingareas,andvisionquestsiteswherebraveswouldgotocommunewiththespirits.Thesesitesarenotopentothepublic.
?knowdidyou
Interiorskylights over the ecological and buffalo jump displaysprovidenaturallight.
Thebuilding’sinteriorhasaseriesofterracesonwhichthedisplaysarearranged.
Elevatorsandstairstakevisitorstothetopofthebuildingwheretheycanoverlookthepanoramicplains.Stairsallowvisitorstodescendthroughtheexhibitsandtheatretothemainfloorandgiftshop.
Exteriorto give the impression the building was created by erosion, its exteriorcloselyresemblesthesurroundingrockoutcropsincolorandtexture.Thisthemeofsubduedsandstonehuesisreinforcedinsidethebuilding.
OutsidetheCentre,visitorscanwalktoaninterpretivenode,overlookingthejumpsite,ortakeawalkintheshadowofthecliffsonthelowertrail.
the architecture
• Duringthesummermonths,thebuffalo’shairisatitsshortest.Lodgecoversand
numerousotherarticlesweremadefromthesoft,dressedbuffaloskins.
• Oneortwoindividualanimals,usuallyfemales,ledthebuffaloherds.
• Naturaltopographicbarrierssuchascoulees,depressions,orhillsweresometimes
usedtofunnelbuffalotothejump.SuchisthecaseatHead-Smashed-In.
The unique $9.8 million visitor centre (1987 dollars) is a seven-tiered building buried in a large slump block, south of the jump sites.
ArchitectRobertLeBlond(ofLeBlondPartnership)designedtheCentre.Carefultonotdisturbthefragilearchaeologicaldeposits,contractorsremovedasectionofthecliff,builtamassiveconcretebox,andthenpulledtheearthandgrassbackoverthetopofthebuilding.
RobertLeBlondwaspresentedtheGovernorGeneral’sAwardfor Architecturein1990forhisdesign.
?knowdidyou
LocationHead-Smashed-InBuffaloJumpislocated18kmnorthandwestofFortMacleodonsecondaryHighway#785(SpringPointRoad),attheeasternedgeofthePorcupineHills,approximately100kmeastoftheRockyMountains.
HoursofOperationOpen year-round, seven days a week. 10am–5pm
Closed: ChristmasEve,ChristmasDay, NewYear’sDay,andEasterSunday
History1968–designatedaNationalHistoricSite1979–designatedaProvincialHistoricResource1981 – designated a World Heritage Site1982–May,ProvincialGovernmentapprovalforInterpretiveCentre1984–September28,groundbreakingceremony1985–June,startconstruction1986–October,finishconstruction1986–December,buildingoccupancy1987–July23,officialopeningwithHRHPrinceAndrewand PrincessSarahFerguson,theDukeandDuchessofYork.
the centre
FACILITIES
Theatre(80seats)
Cafeteria(60seats)
GiftShop
Over2kmofoutdoor
interpretivetrails
Wheelchairaccessible
services
ToursoftheCentre
withBlackfootGuides
Educationprograms
Tipicamping(seasonal)
PARkING
Cars:120stalls
Trailers/RV’s:30stalls
Buses:6stalls
DIMENSIONS
Site:1,270acres
Building:2,400 m²
Publicareas:1,850 m²
Displayareas:568 m²
COSTTOBuILD
9.82 million in 1986
CONTACT
Box1977
FortMacleod,Alberta
CanadaT0L0Z0
tel (403) 553 2731
fax (403) 533 3141
email [email protected]
www.head-smashed-in.com