Exploring Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump with Kids

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This is a repost from a few years ago.

This week the kids and I are taking in some of the sights and spending some time with family in Alberta. The first place we enjoyed so far is called Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. 

 

What is Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump?

 

Located 90 minutes south of Calgary, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was used by Native people for close to 6,000 years. Native guides describe a way of life at the very place where hunters drove buffalo over the cliff. In our imagination, the cliff still echoes with the voices of the hunters and the thunder of buffalo hooves.

Why is Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump a Unesco World Heritage Site?

Head-smashed-in buffalo jump is known around the world for its remarkable testimony of prehistoric life. The site bears witness to a custom practiced by native people of the North American plains at HSIBJ for nearly 6,000 years. Thanks to their excellent understanding of topography and of bison behavior, they were able to kill bison by driving them over a precipice. Carcasses were carved up and processed in the butchering camp below.

In 1981, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the jump as a World Heritage Site, placing it among other world attractions such as the Egyptian pyramids and the Galapagos Islands.

~Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump website

 

Our Visit to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump

 

This heritage site was amazing! It was so interesting and quite interactive so our kids being 13,11 & 8,  were really able to appreciate and understand most of it.

 

 

There is an interpretive center where there are a bunch of replicas and really interesting information about the buffalo and the native people who lived there. There are also a few outdoor areas where you can visit, including the actual site of the cliff the buffalo plummeted off of to their deaths.

 

My kids were so amazed at how far they could see.  The landscape here in southern Alberta is very different than our home in southern B.C. Although the prairies are beautiful in their own way, Nyla and Cadence said that they prefer being surrounded by mountains, like at home.  🙂

There was a cornucopia of information to learn and explore. For instance, the interpretive centre had a very interesting video about the yearly nature cycle. And consequently, how that affected both the wildlife and the Blackfoot tribes of the area.

There was a teepee that people can climb inside and learn about as well as a lot of interactive learning aids.

In light of how fun and informative this trip has been, we are looking forward to exploring more of Alberta!

More Fun in Alberta:

• Our 30 hour Family Adventure at the West Edmonton Mall
• Sleeping with Dinosaurs ~ The Best Way to Experience The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller Alberta
• Exploring the Calgary Zoo with Kids
• Our 30 hour Family Adventure at The West Edmonton Mall

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have not been compensated in anyway for this post, I just think it’s a really cool place to visit!

More Helpful Resources:

• Headsmashedin.ca
• Travel Bucket List ~ North America
• Travel Bucket List ~ Anywhere

Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments.

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