Don't go mistaking Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump as an area where you have to watch out for violent buffalo; in fact, it is a fascinating historical area with UNESCO World Heritage Site status. There is indeed an interesting story here. Some fifteen thousand years ago, indigenous people undertook an annual buffalo hunt at this site, a large communal event held by during the autumn in which the people of the Plains would slay great quantities of buffalo for food, clothing and tools. The most commonly used method was to herd the buffalo before chasing them off cliffs to cause them to break their legs, preventing them from running away, before finally killing them with spears. Cliffs used for the purpose of hunting in this manner are known as buffalo jumps. Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is frequently noted for its unusual name, which is believed to originate from an old aboriginal tale of morality. It goes that one year, a little boy decided to leave safety in order to watch the hunt up close; he was subsequently knocked down and crushed by the falling buffalo, and later found with his head smashed in. Hey, if it was a nice story, there probably wouldn't be much to learn from it! The long-abandoned Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is now an educational tourist attraction, where the remains of an aboriginal camp and even the occasional buffalo carcass can still be found.
Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.
