Blackfoot Archives - Digitally Preserving Alberta's Diverse Cultural Heritage

Niitsitapiisini Our Way of Life Exhibit

Niitsitapiisini: Our Way of Life was the result of a groundbreaking partnership between Glenbow Museum and the Blackfoot Confederacy. Eighteen Blackfoot elders worked with Glenbow staff to lead the design of the exhibition and infuse traditional knowledge and contemporary lived experiences into an innovative storytelling experience that shared the history and culture of the Blackfoot people. The exhibition was an important cultural resource for Indigenous and non-Indigenous museum visitors for almost 20 years.

EaPd-7 and EaPd-8 Stone Circle Sites

There is evidence of over 10,000 years of human occupation on the Alberta Plains [1]. While this is a vast expanse of time the nomadic lifestyles of the people of the plains left a minimal trace of their lifeways on the landscape. The physical remains can consist of a single stone tool to a complex of stone circles, effigies and medicine wheels. This site, located in southern Alberta, is evidence of a temporary camp with over 60 stone circles, cairns, alignments and a possible turtle effigy. A few of the stone circles have been tagged in the model, how many can you see?

Alberta Buffalo Jump Site

“over the edge of which hunters used to drive the buffalo…and their bones still lie in places two and three feet deep”
St. Maur, S. 1890.

Buffalo jumps such as this are found scattered over the Plains of North America. Archaeological excavations took place at this site in 2015 and 2016 and recoveries include stone projectile points, along with metal trade points, and a glass trade bead, these material culture indicators suggest that the jump was used between 1725 to 1870 A.D., the continued use of which spans the period immediately preceding, during and directly following the first interaction between First Nations and Europeans along the foothills of southern Alberta. The Buffalo Jump site represents one of the greatest achievements of communal hunting to survive in harsh climatic conditions and recoveries from the excavations can be used to provide additional insight into cultural transformation during this dynamic period.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is an important historic site to the Blackfoot people, and is designated as a Provincial Historic Resource, National Historic Site, and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Southwestern Alberta. The significance of this site lies within its historical, archaeological, traditional, and scientific value. The archaeological layers of this site indicate use by the Indigenous Plains nations stretching back at least 6,000 years. Head-Smashed-In is one of the oldest, most extensive, and best-preserved examples of a buffalo jump in North America. Overall, this site and the surrounding landscape is a hugely valuable representation of this traditional hunting method used by Plains Nations until the late 19th century.

North West Mounted Police Barracks, Fort MacLeod

The North West Mounted Police (NWMP) Barracks, were constructed in 1884 replacing the original fort on MacLeod Island in the Old Man River (Est. 1874) due to flooding [4]. The buildings left of the NWMP Barracks represent the history of the protection of Canadian sovereignty of the West. As the first permanent station of the NWMP in western Canada Fort Macleod’s history is intertwined with the difficult histories of the whiskey trade, Indigenous relations, and European settlement in Southern Alberta. This survey was conducted to assist Alberta Culture and Tourism with the reconstruction and preservation of the harness shop (tag 4 in 3D model).

Okotoks Erratic “Big Rock”

The Okotoks Erratic, also known as ‘Big Rock’, was dropped by the southward-moving glacier around 10 000-12 000 years ago. The Okotoks Erratic is believed to have originated in Jasper National Park and now currently sits 7-8km West of the Town of Okotoks. The Rock is estimated to weigh 16500 tonnes and has dimensions of 41m by 18m by 9m [1]. The Okotoks Erratic is an important location for many of the First Nation groups in the area, but is often associated with the Blackfoot First Nations and a story of Napi, the supernatural trickster, explaining how the rock got to its current resting place and why the rock is split down the middle.

News Article #2

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