country. Canada
year of inscription. 1981
criteria. Cultural
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump WHS is located in the province of Alberta, where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. A buffalo jump is a site where the indigenous people hunt American bison (buffalos) by funneling them into drive lanes that end at a precipice, over which the bison are stampeded. The ability to engage in this traditional hunting method reflects a profound knowledge of the topography and animal behaviour. In this WHS, the remains of a marked trail, aboriginal butchering camps, and a tumulus with vast quantities of bison skeletons can be found. The site is evident of nearly 6,000 years of said activity, albeit with one lengthy period of – as-yet – unexplained interruption. It provides historical, archaeological, and scientific information into the way of life of indigenous people of the area.
