Experience South Central Alberta
Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta / Jeremy Fokkens
Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta/ Katie Goldie
Photo Courtesy of Neil Zeller @neil_zee
If you visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, 18 km northwest of Fort Macleod, your journey through the picturesque and historic southern Alberta is really just beginning. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump has an excellent interpretative centre west of Hwy 2 and is one of the world’s oldest buffalo jumps. Known for its remarkable preservation of prehistoric life, the site bears witness to the technique of harvesting buffalo practiced by indigenous people of the North American plains for nearly 6,000 years. With its elaborate drive lane complex and deep archaeological deposits still intact it was designated a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1981.
The area was being threatened by the disruptive and unlawful practices of the American whiskey traders who were trading deadly “firewater” for buffalo robes, wolf skins, and other items of value. The arrival of the NWMP put an end to the illicit trade within the Blackfoot, Blood, and Piegan Indian territory. While on a broader scale, the presence of the federal mounted police in the region, discouraged any thoughts by the United States of possibly annexing the Canadian territory.
A visit to nearby Fort Macleod - located on the east/west Hwy 3 at the junction of the north/south Hwy 2 is a good next choice.
To learn more, be sure to visit The Fort Museum of the NWMP and First Nations Interpretive Centre. Throughout the summer they showcase the world-renowned NWMP Musical Ride four times each day! The Fort Museum has also received numerous awards including the prestigious Canadian Signature Experience.
The town of Fort Macleod and historic fort site are at the roots of settlement in Western Canada. Founded in 1874 with the arrival of the North West Mounted Police, led by Colonel James F. Macleod, Fort Macleod became the headquarters of the first law and order in what then was known as the North West Territories of Canada.
Travelling east from Fort Macleod, visitors brush the northern edge of the Kainai Nation which is commonly known as the Blood Reserve. It’s the largest first nations reserve in Canada which covers about 1,414 km² (approx 350,000 acres). With a population of about 12,000, the Kainai speak a language of the Algonquian linguistic group; their dialect is closely related to
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