Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Head Smashed In sign For a long time, ever since I first heard of it in Dave Barry’s Only Travel Guide You’ll Ever Need, I’ve wanted to visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the Wikipedia article about the location, “when [Dave Barry] found out about the site, he called the phone number of the Interpretive Centre, and the telephone was answered, ‘Head-Smashed-In, may I help you?’ He claims this was a highlight of his life.”
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump The obvious part of the story behind the name is that native people used to drive buffalo over the cliff (at right) to kill the buffalo and then made use of the meat and other parts of the animal. There were many buffalo jump sites through western North America, and they would not necessarily be used every season, sometimes lying unused for generations until conditions were right (buffalo in the right spot at the right time of year, the spiritual exercises completed, the tribes in the right location, the wind blowing the right way).
There are two things that make this site special. First, it has extensively preserved archaeological remains since it was used over a period of up to 9000 years. Second, a foolish young brave once wanted to see the buffalo jump from a little bit closer up, and when the rush of buffalo came over the cliff, they landed on him and he ended up dead with his head smashed in. And that is definitely worth a UNESCO World Heritage site!
