National Historic Site
Which site was the heritage designation of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump from Nov 1968 to Jun 1976?
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a buffalo jump located where the foothills of the Rocky Mountains begin to rise from the prairie 18 km ( 11.2 mi ) west of Fort Macleod , Alberta , Canada on highway 785 . It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home of a museum of Blackfoot culture . Joe Crowshoe Sr . ( 1903–1999 ) – Aapohsoy’yiis ( Weasel Tail ) – a ceremonial Elder of the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta , was instrumental in the development of the site . The Joe Crow Shoe Sr . Lodge is dedicated to his memory . He dedicated his life to preserving Aboriginal culture and promoting the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people and in 1998 was awarded the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for saving the knowledge and practices of the Blackfoot people . History . The buffalo jump was used for 5,500 years by the indigenous peoples of the plains to kill buffalo by driving them off the 11 metre ( 36 foot ) high cliff . Before the late introduction of horses , the Blackfoot drove the buffalo from a grazing area in the Porcupine Hills about west of the site to the drive lanes , lined by hundreds of cairns , by dressing up as coyotes and wolves . These specialized buffalo runners were young men trained in animal behavior to guide the buffalo into the drive lanes . Then , at full gallop , the buffalo would fall from the weight of the herd pressing behind them , breaking their legs and rendering them immobile . The cliff itself is about 300 metres ( 1000 feet ) long , and at its highest point drops 10 metres ( 33 ft ) into the valley below . The site was in use at least 6,000 years ago , and the bone deposits are 12 metres ( 39 feet ) deep . After falling off the cliff , the injured buffalo were finished off by other Blackfoot warriors at the cliff base armed with spears and clubs . The carcasses were then processed at a nearby camp . The camp at the foot of the cliffs provided the people with everything they needed to process a buffalo carcass , including fresh water . The buffalo carcass was used for a variety of purposes , from tools made from the bone , to the hide used to make dwellings and clothing . The importance of the site goes beyond just providing food and supplies . After a successful hunt , the wealth of food allowed the people to enjoy leisure time and pursue artistic and spiritual interests . This increased the cultural complexity of the society . In Blackfoot , the name for the site is Estipah-skikikini-kots . According to legend , a young Blackfoot wanted to watch the buffalo plunge off the cliff from below , but was buried underneath the falling buffalo . He was later found dead under the pile of carcasses , where he had his head smashed in . World Heritage Site . Head-Smashed-In was abandoned in the 19th century after European contact . The site was first recorded by Europeans in the 1880s , and first excavated by the American Museum of Natural History in 1938 . It was designated a National Historic Site in 1968 , a Provincial Historic Site in 1979 , and finally a World Heritage Site in 1981 for its testimony of prehistoric life and the customs of aboriginal people . Interpretive centre and museum . Opened in 1987 , the interpretive centre at Head-Smashed-In is built into the ancient sandstone cliff in naturalistic fashion . It contains five distinct levels depicting the ecology , mythology , lifestyle and technology of Blackfoot peoples within the context of available archaeological evidence , presented from the viewpoints of both aboriginal peoples and European archaeological science . The centre also offers educational public and school programs which can be booked throughout the year . Each year Head-Smashed-In hosts a number of special events and native festivals known throughout the world for their color , energy and authenticity , including Buffalo Harvest Days , which brings together First Nations artists and craftspeople who display a wide variety of jewelry , clothing , art and crafts . Visitors can witness traditional drumming and dancing demonstrations every Wednesday in July and August at 11 a.m and 1:30 p.m . at the centre . An exhibition of photography titled Lost Identities : A Journey of Rediscovery , a collection of photographs taken in aboriginal communities , made its first appearance at the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump interpretive centre in 1999 . After some time as a traveling exhibit , it was returned permanently to display in the centre . The permanent exhibition is a collaboration of many historical societies and museums to provide interpretations of the collection . The subjects of the photographs had gone unidentified for some time . While it was a traveling exhibit , the aboriginal communities where the photographs were taken provided further background and voice to the photographs . The facility was designed by Le Blond Partnership , an architectural firm in Calgary . The design was awarded the Governor Generals Gold Medal for Architecture in 1990 .