Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Lore & Background

The buffalo jump was used for nearly 6,000 years by indigenous peoples of the plains to kill bison by driving them off the 11-metre-high cliff. Before the late introduction of horses, the Blackfoot drove the bison from a grazing area in the Porcupine Hills about 3 kilometres west of the site to the 'drive lanes', lined by hundreds of cairns, by dressing up as coyotes and wolves. Specialized 'buffalo runners'—young men trained in animal behavior—guided the bison into the drive lanes. At full gallop, the bison would fall from the weight of the herd pressing behind them, breaking their legs and rendering them immobile. The cliff itself is about 300 metres long, and at its highest point it drops 11 metres into the valley below.

Reader's Guide

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is significant as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that testifies to prehistoric life and the customs of aboriginal people. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1968, a Provincial Historic Site in 1979, and a World Heritage Site in 1981. The interpretive centre, opened in 1987, is built into the ancient sandstone cliff and contains five distinct levels depicting the ecology, mythology, lifestyle and technology of Blackfoot peoples, presented from both aboriginal and European archaeological perspectives. Joe Crowshoe Sr., a ceremonial elder of the Piikani Nation, 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 relationships between Aboriginal and non-aboriginal people, and in 1998 received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for 'saving the knowledge and practices of the Blackfoot people.' The centre hosts special events such as Buffalo Harvest Days and offers educational programs. The facility's design won the Governor General's gold medal for Architecture in 1990.

Did You Know?

• The Blackfoot name for the site is Estipah-skikikini-kots, meaning 'where he got his head smashed in,' referring to a legend of a young man buried under falling bison.
• The bone deposits at the cliff base are 12 metres (39 feet) deep.
• Joe Crowshoe Sr. was awarded the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1998 for saving the knowledge and practices of the Blackfoot people.
• The interpretive centre was designed by Le Blond Partnership and received the Governor General's gold medal for Architecture in 1990.

The Ancient Hunt and Its Mechanics

For roughly five and a half millennia, the peoples of the northern plains perfected a hunting technique here that stands as one of the most remarkable examples of coordinated human ingenuity in the archaeological record. The Blackfoot drove bison herds from grazing grounds in the Porcupine Hills, about three kilometres to the west, funnelling them along drive lanes marked by hundreds of stone cairns. Young men, specially trained in reading animal behaviour, disguised themselves as coyotes and wolves to steer the herd without alarming it. Once the bison reached the cliff's edge, the sheer mass of the herd pressing from behind sent them tumbling over the precipice. The cliff stretches roughly three hundred metres in length and drops ten metres at its highest point. Those that survived the fall with broken legs were dispatched at the base by warriors wielding spears and clubs. The accumulated bone deposits reach twelve metres in depth, a testament to countless generations of hunts. The Blackfoot name for the place, Estipah-skikikini-kots, preserves a tragic legend: a young man who wished to observe the plunge from below was buried beneath the cascade of carcasses and found with his head crushed.

Cultural Depth Beyond Survival

The buffalo hunt at this site was never merely about securing food. Every part of the carcass was put to use: bones became tools, hides were transformed into dwellings and clothing, and the processing camp at the cliff's base provided fresh water for the work. But the deeper significance lay in what surplus made possible. After a successful hunt, the abundance of meat freed the community to pursue artistic creation and spiritual practice, elevating the cultural complexity of Blackfoot society far beyond mere subsistence. This legacy of cultural richness was championed by Joe Crowshoe Sr. (1903–1999), a ceremonial elder of the Piikani Nation whose Blackfoot name was Aapohsoy'yiis, meaning Weasel Tail. He devoted his life to preserving Aboriginal knowledge and fostering understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. In 1998, he received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, cited specifically for saving the knowledge and practices of the Blackfoot people. The Joe Crow Shoe Sr. Lodge at the site stands as a permanent memorial to his lifelong commitment to cultural continuity.

The Interpretive Centre and Living Heritage

Opened in 1987, the interpretive centre is a striking architectural achievement, built directly into the ancient sandstone cliff in a naturalistic style that makes it appear as though it grew from the rock itself. Designed by the Calgary-based firm Le Blond Partnership, the building earned the Governor General's gold medal for Architecture in 1990. Inside, five distinct levels walk visitors through the ecology, mythology, daily life, and technology of Blackfoot peoples, always grounded in available archaeological evidence and presented from both Indigenous and European scientific perspectives. The centre hosts year-round educational programs for schools and the public, and its special events have gained a worldwide reputation for colour, energy, and authenticity. Buffalo Harvest Days gathers First Nations artists and craftspeople to display jewelry, clothing, art, and handcrafted goods. Traditional drumming and dancing demonstrations take place every Wednesday in July and August. A permanent photography exhibition, Lost Identities: A Journey of Rediscovery, first shown here in 1999, features images of Aboriginal community members whose identities had long gone unrecorded, with context provided by the communities themselves.

From Abandonment to World Recognition

After European contact in the nineteenth century, the buffalo jump fell into disuse, and the site lay largely forgotten until the 1880s, when Europeans first documented it. In 1938, the American Museum of Natural History conducted the first formal excavation. Recognition then accelerated: the site was designated a National Historic Site in 1968, a Provincial Historic Site in 1979, and in 1981 it achieved the highest international honour, UNESCO World Heritage status, cited for its testimony to prehistoric life and the customs of Aboriginal peoples. Located eighteen kilometres west of Fort Macleod, Alberta, in the transitional zone where the Rocky Mountain foothills rise from the open prairie, the site has also found an unexpected echo in popular culture. The band SNFU named a 2001 track after it, the John Borra Band wove its full name into a 2002 song, and in 2026 the television series The Pitt featured a character planning a sabbatical visit to the jump. These cultural ripples underscore how a single landscape can resonate across millennia and media.