Discover Indigenous Culture in Southern Alberta at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Discover Indigenous Culture in Southern Alberta at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Southern Alberta is home to an incredible and rich history—a history that includes the stories of the Blackfoot and Indigenous People of the Northwestern Plains. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and award-winning interpretive centre that works to preserve a small portion of this incredibly diverse and rich history and culture. This summer, in addition to their stellar interpretive centre, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump will be hosting drumming and dancing performances in their outdoor space every Wednesday in July and August.
These performances are put on by some of Canada’s best Indigenous dancers. At 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM each Wednesday you will have the opportunity to enjoy a performance of multiple dance styles, including chicken dances, warrior dances, and many more beautiful styles of Indigenous dance. If the weather doesn’t permit an outdoor performance, the interpretive centre is more than capable of hosting it indoors. In this case, incredible views of the performance can be found on the upper levels of the interpretive centre.
While the addition of drumming and dancing performances each Wednesday is incredible, the programming at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is still more than enough to fill your time any other day of the week!
The interpretive centre at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump won the Governor General's Award for Architecture in 1990, and taking no more than a few steps inside is enough to understand why. Its stunning building is made even better by the unique and thoughtfully crafted experience it provides. The centre takes visitors through many different facets of the life and culture of the Blackfoot and Indigenous People of the Northwestern Plains, allowing you to get up close and personal with the culture, people, and practice of buffalo jumps. At ground level, a theatre shows a film depicting the buffalo hunt every 15 minutes. There are also multiple interactive and static displays throughout the floor to help illustrate the history of the site, as well as how it was uncovered.
As you ascend through the interpretive centre, you’ll learn about the incredible coordination required for the buffalo hunt, the people who participated, and the land they inhabited. When you reach the top you'll be met with an outdoor observation viewpoint of the buffalo jump that was in use for hundreds of years. By this time you’ll have a much greater appreciation for the beauty of the culture that used to inhabit these lands.
Don’t forget to take a moment on the outdoor observation viewpoint and gaze over not only the historic site of the buffalo jump, but at the vast prairie landscape that sits in front of it. There are large sets of stationary binoculars that visitors can use to get a better view of the landscape. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site unlike any other, with a landscape to match its unique qualities.
From the outdoor observation viewpoint, you can choose to head back inside or continue your time outdoors by walking one of the interpretive trails located on site. The trails offer a chance to enjoy the fresh air, scenery, and even the possibility to learn more about the site by seeing it up close!
The interpretive centre also contains Napi’s Gift Shop, a great place to get a gift or small souvenir to remember your visit to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.
Whether you visit on a Wednesday and see the incredible drumming and dancing performances, or you’re there during a regular day, there is more than enough to experience at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump this summer!
Don't forget to share all your adventures out at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump with us on social media using #ExploreLethbridge. We check the hashtag often, and even like to share some of our favourite shots on social media. Don't worry, we always ask for permission before reposting!