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Indigenous cultures in Alberta

Alberta is home to a multitude of Indigenous peoples. Here are some of the most authentic ways to learn about their cultures

The diversity of Alberta is mirrored in its Indigenous peoples who have lived on its lands for time immemorial. Each Indigenous group has its own history, culture and traditions, its own knowledge keepers and sacred places.

Métis Crossing

The unique culture of the Métis people is celebrated and shared through hands-on activities, crafts and food at Métis Crossing, northeast of Edmonton. Follow costumed interpreters through a traditional harvesting camp, and experience a river lot farmyard with homesteads and gardens. Then visit the museum, enjoy craft and skills demonstrations and take a voyageur canoe experience. Clients can choose to stay overnight in a replica Métis Trapper Tent or brand-new boutique-style lodge. From autumn 2022, spend the night in a year-round star-watching pod.

Writing-on-Stone

The Blackfoot name for Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is “Áísínai´pi,” which means “it is pictured/written.” The UNESCO World Heritage Site has the largest collection of First Nation petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) on the great plains of North America. The Blackfoot people believe the hoodoo landscape at Áísínai´pi is home to powerful spirits that write their truths on the rocks, and in the past young warriors came here to fast and pray on vision quests.

intErprEtEr lEadEr at MEtis crossing paintEd Warriors ranch

hEad-sMashEd-in Buffalo JuMp

There are three recognised Indigenous groups in Canada: Metis are of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, Inuit originate from the Arctic region and First Nations peoples were the original inhabitants of Canada.

Exploring thE rock art at Writing on stonE

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

It may not have the most romantic name, but Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southwest Alberta is an important archaeological site. It is one of the world’s oldest and best-preserved buffalo jumps, and also has UNESCO World Heritage Site status. For nearly 6,000 years, Indigenous hunters used their knowledge of the land and bison behaviour to chase them over the precipice. There’s an onsite museum to explore, too.

Painted Warriors Ranch

Located outside Sundre, in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, Painted Warriors Ranch offers a variety of outdoor adventures rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing, learning and experiencing the wilderness. The 82-acre ranch offers animal tracking, showshoeing, horseback riding, forest walks and archery, as well as multi-day outdoor training programmes and equine training. Spend the night glamping in an authentic Métis Trapper Tent and wake up to views of the Rocky Mountains. •