These pictures have all come from the internet as I forgot my camera and missed fantastic opportunities for pictures.

As we have traveled Pacific Canada and North America we have been intrigued with the lives and history of the indigenous peoples. There are many differences in the culture but there are even more similarities.

We have lived in Calgary for 30 years but had never visited Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump before. It is located in Southern Alberta where the prairies meet the foothills.

This was the land of the Blackfoot Indians. They were prairie Indians that were nomadic. During the summer they traveled to the foothills where they hunted buffalo, cougar, bear, basically large game. This was also the area that contained many of the plants used for their medicines and berries that could be dried for the winter. During the winter they made their home in the valley by the rivers where there was some wood and small game.

Buffalo Smashed In is the oldest know archaeological site known that shows how these people lived. There are many sites throughout Alberta but this one best depicts the 1000's of years of history.

The archaeological facts show that the buffalo killings started 6000 years ago and ended in the mid 19th century. So what was the hunt like?

There were special tribesmen with great stamina (young) that would track the herds of buffalo. The wore skins of other animals to disguise themselves becoming human decoys and herded them to an area where they had set up corals , the buffalo would follow the path to try and escape only to plummet over a cliff to their death. Bows and arrows were used for the killings. The carcasses were skinned at the site. Pretty much the whole buffalo was used. The remains would then be burnt so as to not attract unwanted animals. The buffalo meat would then be smoked for the coming winter. The Indigenous people only took what was needed thereby the herds remained plentiful. Then came the introduction of guns.Once the guns were introduced the method of killing changed. This still did not deplete the herds.

Buffalo Bills wild wild west! The rail lines were built right through this area and the introduction to CP Rail hunting BIG GAME tours began. People were aloud to shoot from the train leaving the carcasses to rot. Within 10 years the animals were hunted to near extinction.

The Indigenous starved and small pox annihilated the villages.

The bone deposits are 12 metres deep and show both animal bones and artifacts of weapons and utensils used by the people of the past.

While we were at the interpretation venue we were lucky to take in aboriginal dancing. There were several of the dances demonstrated. The colour and the pageantry was well worth watching.

This was an afternoon well spent and I would highly recommend it. If you're in the neighbourhood, travel the back southern roads and participate in this World Heritage Site.

Ken is still in Fort McMurray and RJ's reno is coming right along.

Lea and I have been doing the teacher thing with the grandkids and setting up our own complicated geocache. The geocache is based on the Twilight Saga Series by Stephanie Meyer that is so popular with the teens these days. It has been fun but lots of work.

I am not sure what attraction we will be attending this week yet but stay tune there is lots to see in this great country.