Experience Blackfoot Crossing
Siksika Blackfoot dancers standing in front of the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Interpretive Centre.. Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta / Katie Goldie
As we left Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, with the many powerful experiences and exhibits still fresh on our minds, we decided we needed to do one last thing to commemorate a thoroughly enjoyable day. With my father-in-law, Gordon, navigating, I turned off the highway to follow the overgrown jeep trail to the grave of Chief Crowfoot. It seemed fitting, as the last rays of golden light flooded the plains, to pay homage to this great man, this great Blackfoot leader.
For many people in Alberta, “Crowfoot” is just a name that is somehow connected to First Nation’s culture. However, at Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park you will learn “the truth,” and the significance about Chief Crowfoot, why he chose peace, why he persuaded the Blackfoot people to embrace change, and why, ultimately, he should be honoured. But, in terms of what you will discover at Blackfoot Crossing, learning about Chief Crowfoot is just the tip of the iceberg.
Unquestionably, standing by his grave, on a wind-swept bluff high above the sacred site where Treaty 7 was signed in 1877, was a powerful conclusion to the day. But, as we had already discovered, a visit to Blackfoot Crossing is a potent experience that can be savoured for many different reasons.
A day spent at Blackfoot Crossing is a journey, an adventure, which incorporates a wide variety of Blackfoot themes. From sampling traditional aboriginal food to strolling the sacred site (both indoors and outside along the valley trails), there is much to see and do.
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park – which features a gorgeous, $27-million dollar building, clinging to the bluff overlooking the sacred treaty-signing site – pays homage to the Blackfoot people, their history, their leaders, culture, and the amazing stories that have not only shaped the Blackfoot people, but our entire country of Canada.
One of the highlights is exploring the impressive exhibit hall and viewing the many spectacular exhibits that document everything from daily life on the Great Plains to fierce battles and historic massacres. The nomadic lifestyle of the Blackfoot, influenced greatly by the movement of the buffalo herds, is a dominant theme. From their cozy tipi homes to their holistic
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