First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park
Encyclopedia
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is a Montana state park in Cascade County
, Montana
in the United States. The park is 1481 acres (599.3 ha) and sits at an elevation of 3773 feet (1,150 m).
It is located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northwest of the small town of Ulm
, which is near the city of Great Falls
. First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park contains the Ulm Pishkun (also known as the Ulm Buffalo Jump), a historic buffalo jump
utilized by the Native American tribes of North America.
It has been described as, geographically speaking, either North America's largest buffalo jump or the world's largest. There is some evidence that it was the most utilized buffalo jump in the world. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on December 17, 1974. The former name of the park was derived from the Blackfeet word "Pis'kun," meaning "deep kettle of blood," and the nearby town of Ulm.
Although there are more than 300 buffalo kill sites in Montana, First People's Buffalo Jump is one of only three protected buffalo jumps in the state. The other two are Madison Buffalo Jump
near Bozeman
, and Wahkpa Chu'gn near Havre
(both of which are also on the National Register of Historic Places).
that is part of the bentonitic Taft Hill Member of the Blackleaf Formation.
Archeological research and carbon dating of evidence at the site indicates that Native Americans used the site as early as 500 C.E.
However, in 2011, park archeologists found a point (either a large arrowhead or a spearhead) that initial estimates indicated might be as much as 5,000 years old, which would force a radical revision in the date of earliest use. But this early use appears to be infrequent. Most evidence indicates that the pishkun began to be heavily frequented for hunting purposes around 900 C.E.
The site was used as a "buffalo jump," a place where American bison
could be driven up a hill and over a cliff. Prior to 1700 C.E., Native Americans lacked horses. Because they utilized dogs as hunting companions and for transportation, this time period is known as the "Dog Days" by many tribes. Bison served as a significant food source for many Native American tribes. Killing the animals, however, was difficult, as bison are notoriously difficult to herd or capture, and can be highly aggressive. Buffalo jumps were one way to kill large numbers of the animals at once without many of the risks associated with close-proximity ambush. Once the animals were driven over the cliff and incapacitated, they would be slaughtered and their meat, hides, and bones used by the hunters to feed and clothe their families and to make various tools and weapons. Jumps were rare, as ambush was a far more common killing method. There is conflicting evidence about what time of year the jumps were used most heavily. There is some evidence that bison kills usually occurred between early fall and early spring, but evidence of unborn and young calf skeletons at the site indicate that slaughter may have occurred year-round.
Under the most widely accepted scenario, hunters would slowly encircle a bison herd several miles from the jump and subtly drive them toward the base of the hill leading up to the cliff. It's not known how many hunters this required. Archeologists theorize that anywhere from 12 to 100 people may have participated. Low fences (or "drive lines") of rock and braided vines were built to help funnel the bison toward the summit. These fences extended back at least half a mile from the summit. (About 260 stone piles, remnants of these drive lines, still exist near the hilltop. In 2011, remains of the braided vines were also found at the site.) As the bison began moving toward the summit, hunters (perhaps wearing wolf hides) would leap up from their hiding places behind the rock fences and begin making loud noises. This would begin to stampede the herd, so that they could not stop at the cliff face and would plummet over it to their deaths. There are oral history
traditions among some tribes about "buffalo runners" – swift, brave young men who would drape themselves in a buffalo robe and race ahead of the herd to help lead them toward the cliff summit. The young man would leap over the cliff and land on a ledge just out of sight below, while the herd would plummet over and past him. Others (primarily women and children) would kill any animals who did not die from the fall, and butcher all the carcasses.
The slaughtering process changed over time. An analysis of the deep piles of bone at the site revealed that the earliest hunters probably just stripped the hides and meat off the dead animals. But around 500 C.E., Native Americans began using fire pit
s to cook or dry the meat, then pulverize it and mix it with dried berries and fat to create pemmican
. Tribespeople also built shallow bowls in the earth and lined them with rock to create primitive cooking pots. These cooking devices (known as "blood kettles") were used to boil bison blood so that it would coagulate and to lessen its susceptibility to spoilage. Other foods would be mixed with the coagulated blood to form a sort of gelatinous food source high in protein and nutrients, or the cooked blood could be used with ground grain to make biscuits
.
Several Native American tribes have an oral history which includes the First Peoples Buffalo Jump. These include the A'aninin
, Assiniboine, Cree
, Kalispel, Piegan Blackfeet, Salish
, and Shoshoni. Each of these tribes has its own name for this pishkun. There is evidence that other tribes may also have used the pishkun, but this is not conclusive. The site was used heavily throughout this period. There is archeological evidence that members of these tribes camped on and near the pishkun. One indication of how frequented the site was is the bone bed, which extends along the entire length of the cliff and is 13 feet (4 m) deep. An archeological estimate based on the number of bones at the site indicates that at least 6,000 bison died there.
But with the arrival of the horse, Native American tribes began hunting buffalo from horseback, and the pishkun fell into disuse around 1700 C.E.
in 1864 after a series of gold rush
es. Settlement of the territory was sparse, especially the area around the pishkun. In 1878, the area containing the First Peoples Buffalo Jump fell under the control of William H. Ulm, a white settler from Indiana
who homesteaded a 1000 acres (404.7 ha) cattle ranch in the area. The pishkun itself was named Taft Hill. The nearby city of Great Falls was founded in 1883, and the Montana Central Railway
arrived from the booming mining town of Butte
(passing through Ulm on its way to Great Falls) in October 1887.
The pishkun site became a popular one for members of the public to look for arrowheads and other Native American artifacts. From 1889 to 1905, the pishkun was used as a sandstone quarry. Several buildings in Great Falls and Helena were built with sandstone quarried from the site.
The state of Montana obtained the site sometime prior to 1945. From 1945 to 1947, the need for phosphorus
(a mineral used in fertilizer and explosives) was high. The state of Montana leased the site for $7,600 to the Frost Fertilizer Company, which began "mining" it for bone. More than 150 short tons (136.1 MT) of bones were removed from the site, pulverized, and shipped to the West Coast
for use as fertilizer and in explosives manufacturing. The site was one of the two largest pishkuns in the United States mined for bison bone, A second attempt to mine the site for bone was made in the 1950s. But local rancher Earl Monroe, who wished to protect the site from further depredation, leased the land and kept it off-limits to the public.
In the early 1970s, the Montana State Historical Society leased the portion of the site owned by the state. The historical society turned its lease over to the Montana Fish and Game Commission (now the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks), which in 1972 turned the 160 acres (64.7 ha) site into Montana State Historical Monument. The Fish and Game Commission eventually leased the site directly and managed it on behalf of the Department of State Lands. From 1972 until 1998, the only amenities at the site were picnic tables and limited signage below the cliffs. Local private organizations assisted the Fish and Game Commission in maintaining the site. Scientific research, funded almost exclusively by private organizations, was conducted at the site in the 1990s.
The park underwent major expansion in the late 1990s. In 1993, media mogul Ted Turner
– who owned large tracts of land in Montana – proposed giving the state of Montana 11630 acres (4,706.5 ha) of land near Alder, Montana
, and 1059 acres (428.6 ha) at the Ulm pishkun in exchange for the state's releasing 7486 acres (3,029.5 ha) of land located within Turner's Flying D Ranch (located just north of Yellowstone National Park
). The Ulm land ran directly along the cliff face and near the base of the hill leading up to the jump. This proposal was rejected, but Turner modified the proposal and asked for just 6167 acres (2,495.7 ha) of state-owned land within the Flying D. The state accepted the deal in 1996, but was sued by four sportsmen's groups who argued that the state was gaining access to low-quality fisheries near Alder and losing access to high-quality ones on the Flying D. The district court issued a summary judgment
in favor of the state, but the Montana Supreme Court
overturned this ruling in Skyline Sportsmen's Association v. Board of Land Commissioners, 286 Mont. 108, 951 P2d 29 (1997), and remanded the case back to the district court for further proceedings. In August 1998, Turner agreed to provide a 20-year conservation easement
to give the public access to the fisheries on his land. Four months later, the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) gave 1070 acres (433 ha) of land next to pishkun to the state Fish and Wildlife Commission in exchange for 1067 acres (431.8 ha) nearby. The DNRC had gotten the land from Turner, and the swap occurred to help expand the southern portion of the pishkun by more than a mile.
The land swap meant that a number of improvements to the park could now go forward. Although the Montana FWP had long sought to build an interpretive center at the site, but due to the small amount of land the state owned the project had never received permission. Although the land swap was not yet a done deal, in 1997 the Montana state legislature approved $950,000 for a new visitor center. The center was originally proposed for the top of the cliffs, but Native American tribes opposed that site. Instead, a 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) center was sited at the base of the hill leading up to the cliffs.
A series of major improvements occurred at the site in 1999. Cascade County and the city of Great Falls each contributed $100,000 to widen the 3.5 miles (5.6 km) road leading to the pishkun, and the state spent $300,000 to pave it. The $2.2 million visitor center opened in May 1999, the first pishkun visitor center in the state of Montana and the nation. The DFWP also engaged in a land swap with the DNRC in December 1999, giving away 630 acres (255 ha) of flat land in exchange of 700 acres (283.3 ha) of DNRC land near the base of the hill leading to the jump. FWP announced that the land swap would allow it to construct hiking trails from the visitor center to the cliff summit.
In February 2000, the site was changed from a state monument to a state park, and named Ulm Pishkun Buffalo Jump State Park. The same year, the All Nations Pishkun Association (ANPA), a group of all Native American tribes in the state, was formed to support the park, provide educational activities there, spread awareness of the park's existence, and encourage visitation to the site.
The park underwent expansion again the following year. In 2001, the state traded some excess land at the southern end of the jump for a private landowner's property near the top of the jump, a transaction which not only connected all parts of the jump for the first time but which also acquired the cliff for almost its entire length. In October, a winter wheat
field between the cliff and the visitor center was removed and reseeded with native grass. Trails about 2 miles (3.2 km) long were also constructed in 2001 between the visitor center and the jump cliff.
The park began to reach its present size in 2002. In August, the DFWP leased more than 1200 acres (485.6 ha) of DNRC land to the west of the park, doubling the size of the buffalo jump. Additionally, two privately leased portions of land next to the park were turned over to the DFWP as well. The ANPA leased a 360 acres (145.7 ha) site against the park's border for $2,500 a year, while ANPA secretary Brad Hamlett leased a 900 acres (364.2 ha) site to the park's south for $1,600 a year. The 900-acre section contained the last unprotected segment of the hill as it rose to the cliff face. Both leases were assigned to the DFWP for the term of the lease, which was 10 years (with an option to renew at the end).
Development of educational activities at the pishkun occurred in other ways, too. In June 2004, the ANPA, in cooperation with DFWP and DNRC, to house four Spanish Barb
horses at the park. The Barbs were obtained from the Bureau of Land Management
's Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range
, and are direct linear descendants of horses brought by the Spanish
to North America in the 16th century.
Efforts to expand the park even further occurred in 2005. State officials began working on yet another land purchase that would permanently double the size of the park. In March 2005, the DFWP spent $96,500 to eliminate a hairpin turn
on Taft Hill Road, reduce the road grade, and lay new gravel on the road (which enters the park on its west side and provides vehicular access to the cliff face). Park officials also began to worry in 2005 about an infestation of black-tailed prairie dog
s. The prairie dogs, which were not native to the area, took over an area about 200 acres (80.9 ha) in size, denuding it of vegetation and altering the historic appearance of the summit of the buffalo jump. Park officials worried that arrowheads and other artifacts were being exposed by the activity of the prairie dogs, and that tourists were taking these artifacts from the park. The prairie dogs were also destroying the tipi
rings and sweat lodges placed at the top of the pishkun. The existence of the prairie dogs was also worrisome because the site was so poorly explored. In the summer of 2005, as park officials relocated a portion of the hiking trail leading to the top of the cliffs, they discovered three "blood kettles" mere feet from the old trail.
The 2005 effort to expand the park culminated in 2006. In July, the Montana Land Board, the state agency which supervises management of the state's school trust lands, agreed to buy the 898 acres (363.4 ha) of private land adjacent to the park's northern border for $763,000 and turn over a third of the acreage to the Ulm Buffalo Jump State Park. Marilyn and Ron Eustace, whose family had owned the property since the 1940s, had originally proposed a 250 acres (101.2 ha) land swap so that the state park could own more land on top of the cliff. But the state offered to buy the cliff-top land instead, along with the rest of the Eustace family ranch. The property had been the top item on the DFWP acquisition list. The purchase included the portion of the cliff not already owned by DFWP, and a large portion of the cliff and bone bed which had never been mined, quarried, or disturbed. Stone and braided vine "drive lines" and some tipi rings also existed on the Eustace land. The purchase was made using funds from the Montana Land Banking program, a program established in 2003 that seeks to manage state lands more effectively, improve the value of state land, increase the earning potential for this land, and/or reduce the risk to school trust land. The Land Board funded the transaction by using a portion of $6.4 million earned from selling an isolated industrial parcel near Kalispell
. The Ulm pishkun sale was the first purchase the Land Board had ever made. The 300 acres (121.4 ha) of land transferred to DFWP was non-productive; DNRC retained the remaining land, and said it intended to lease it for farming or grazing. The addition expanded the park to about 2043 acres (826.8 ha). In February 2007, the DFWP purchased a $334,000 permanent conservation easement
on 418 acres (169.2 ha) of the DRNC-owned land. DFWP would pay a lease fee for five years on the land, during which time it would seek funding to pay the easement from the state legislature. The easement was purchased in March 2010.
Additional expansion was explored in 2009. In early 2009, the ANPA and Hamlett began seeking a way to have the DNRC transfer the lands they leased to the DFWP, and take it out of production as farmland. On March 30, the DFWP agreed to take over the leases for a year. The ANPA and Hamlett suggested that the additional lands be used to house a small group of buffalo, or to provide camp sites for visitors. But no action had been taken as of April 2011.
was once held in place there). There are drinking water facilities, garbage cans, and public restrooms throughout the park.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump is managed by Region Four of the Montana state park system, and as of 2005 the park was operated by a full-time park manager, one full-time and two seasonal park rangers, and a part-time maintenance worker. The 1481 acres (599.3 ha) park is open year-round. The park may is reached by road by traveling 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Great Falls on Interstate 15, taking the Ulm exit, and then traveling 3.5 miles (5.6 km) down the Ulm-Vaughn Road. During the summer (May–October) the park is open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; in the winter it is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Montana residents do not need to pay a fee to access the park, but non-residents must pay a $5.00 fee for automobiles or a $3.00 fee for accessing the park via foot or bicycle.
The visitor's center consists of a main hall describing Native American buffalo culture and how buffalo hunts were organized, a room displaying archeological finds from the site, a gift shop, and restrooms. A picnic area is adjacent to the visitor center. The fields nearby are also available for use by the public. Visitors can see a stuffed bison bull, cow, and calf; a life-size tipi made of buffalo hides; and a 160 feet (48.8 m) mural depicting the surrounding landscape. The importance of bison in modern culture is also emphasized, and visitors can view a rare buffalo nickel coin and a football helmet adorned with the image of a bison. The visitor center exhibits were updated in 2006 to improve even further their historical accuracy. In 2009, eight new murals were unveiled which updated and provided more information about Montana's Native American tribes.
Many artifacts such as arrowheads, piece of pottery, bone knives, and bone scrapers can be found exposed or only slightly buried at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park. However, it is illegal to disturb these items, dig them up, or remove them from the park. Park rangers should be alerted to the location of these items when they are discovered.
, bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-thread grass
, and prickly pear cactus
. Wildlife which can be seen there include American badger
s, black-tailed prairie dog
s, burrowing owl
s, coyote
s, curlew
s, ferruginous hawk
s, golden eagle
s, gopher snake
s, gray partridge
, great horned owl
s, lark
s, mice
, mountain cottontail
s, mule deer
, pheasant
s, porcupine
s, pronghorn antelope
, raccoon
s, racer snakes
, red-tailed hawk
s, Richardson's ground squirrel
s, sharp-tailed grouse
, striped skunk
s, Swainson's hawk
s, Western rattlesnake
s, and yellow-bellied marmot
s.
Hunting with bow and arrow
is available on a limited basis within the park (although hunting with firearms is not). Bow hunting is limited to those areas furthest away from the trails and other visitor areas. Hunters primarily stalk antelope and mule deer within the park. Hunting in the park boundaries is not common; only 25 hunting permits were issued by the park in 2008.
Visitors are cautioned to be on the lookout for prairie rattlesnakes, which frequent the site. Visitors are asked to wear heavy hiking boots, watch small children closely, and keep pets on a leash.
Since 2000, the park has also held an atlatl
contest each September. The event, which draws participants from throughout the American West, features both accuracy and distance contests as well as atlatl-making courses.
In 2008, the University of Great Falls
began hosting an annual Buffalo Jump Fun Run each Memorial Day
weekend. The event includes a 3 miles (4.8 km) walk, a 6.25 miles (10.1 km) run, and a half-marathon
.
Cascade County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge*Lewis and Clark National Forest -Economy:Malmstrom Air Force Base is a driving force in the regional economy...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in the United States. The park is 1481 acres (599.3 ha) and sits at an elevation of 3773 feet (1,150 m).
It is located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northwest of the small town of Ulm
Ulm, Montana
Ulm is a census-designated place in Cascade County, Montana, United States. It was originally a large ranch owned by Indiana-born cattleman William Ulm. The population was 750 at the 2000 census...
, which is near the city of Great Falls
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
. First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park contains the Ulm Pishkun (also known as the Ulm Buffalo Jump), a historic buffalo jump
Buffalo jump
A buffalo jump is a cliff formation which North American Indians historically used in mass killings of plains bison. Hunters herded the bison and drove them over the cliff, breaking their legs and rendering them immobile. Tribe members waiting below closed in with spears and bows to finish the kills...
utilized by the Native American tribes of North America.
It has been described as, geographically speaking, either North America's largest buffalo jump or the world's largest. There is some evidence that it was the most utilized buffalo jump in the world. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 17, 1974. The former name of the park was derived from the Blackfeet word "Pis'kun," meaning "deep kettle of blood," and the nearby town of Ulm.
Although there are more than 300 buffalo kill sites in Montana, First People's Buffalo Jump is one of only three protected buffalo jumps in the state. The other two are Madison Buffalo Jump
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is a Montana state park in Gallatin County, Montana in the United States. The park is and sits at an elevation of . The park is named for a canyon cliff used by Native Americans as a buffalo jump, where herds of bison were stampeded over the cliff as an efficient...
near Bozeman
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
, and Wahkpa Chu'gn near Havre
Havre, Montana
Havre is a city in, and the county seat of, Hill County, Montana, United States. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. The population was 9,621 at the 2000 census.-History:...
(both of which are also on the National Register of Historic Places).
Native American use
The site's cliff face is approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) long, and has been variously measured at between 30 to 50 ft (9.1 to 15.2 m) in height. The east-west trending cliff is composed of sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
that is part of the bentonitic Taft Hill Member of the Blackleaf Formation.
Archeological research and carbon dating of evidence at the site indicates that Native Americans used the site as early as 500 C.E.
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
However, in 2011, park archeologists found a point (either a large arrowhead or a spearhead) that initial estimates indicated might be as much as 5,000 years old, which would force a radical revision in the date of earliest use. But this early use appears to be infrequent. Most evidence indicates that the pishkun began to be heavily frequented for hunting purposes around 900 C.E.
The site was used as a "buffalo jump," a place where American bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
could be driven up a hill and over a cliff. Prior to 1700 C.E., Native Americans lacked horses. Because they utilized dogs as hunting companions and for transportation, this time period is known as the "Dog Days" by many tribes. Bison served as a significant food source for many Native American tribes. Killing the animals, however, was difficult, as bison are notoriously difficult to herd or capture, and can be highly aggressive. Buffalo jumps were one way to kill large numbers of the animals at once without many of the risks associated with close-proximity ambush. Once the animals were driven over the cliff and incapacitated, they would be slaughtered and their meat, hides, and bones used by the hunters to feed and clothe their families and to make various tools and weapons. Jumps were rare, as ambush was a far more common killing method. There is conflicting evidence about what time of year the jumps were used most heavily. There is some evidence that bison kills usually occurred between early fall and early spring, but evidence of unborn and young calf skeletons at the site indicate that slaughter may have occurred year-round.
Under the most widely accepted scenario, hunters would slowly encircle a bison herd several miles from the jump and subtly drive them toward the base of the hill leading up to the cliff. It's not known how many hunters this required. Archeologists theorize that anywhere from 12 to 100 people may have participated. Low fences (or "drive lines") of rock and braided vines were built to help funnel the bison toward the summit. These fences extended back at least half a mile from the summit. (About 260 stone piles, remnants of these drive lines, still exist near the hilltop. In 2011, remains of the braided vines were also found at the site.) As the bison began moving toward the summit, hunters (perhaps wearing wolf hides) would leap up from their hiding places behind the rock fences and begin making loud noises. This would begin to stampede the herd, so that they could not stop at the cliff face and would plummet over it to their deaths. There are oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
traditions among some tribes about "buffalo runners" – swift, brave young men who would drape themselves in a buffalo robe and race ahead of the herd to help lead them toward the cliff summit. The young man would leap over the cliff and land on a ledge just out of sight below, while the herd would plummet over and past him. Others (primarily women and children) would kill any animals who did not die from the fall, and butcher all the carcasses.
Fire pit
Fire pits have been in existence for a very long time and despite many technological advancements since the advent of man's use of fire, they have remained a popular item because of their versatility. A fire pit can physically vary from a pit dug into the ground to an elaborate gas burning...
s to cook or dry the meat, then pulverize it and mix it with dried berries and fat to create pemmican
Pemmican
Pemmican is a concentrated mixture of fat and protein used as a nutritious food. The word comes from the Cree word pimîhkân, which itself is derived from the word pimî, "fat, grease". It was invented by the native peoples of North America...
. Tribespeople also built shallow bowls in the earth and lined them with rock to create primitive cooking pots. These cooking devices (known as "blood kettles") were used to boil bison blood so that it would coagulate and to lessen its susceptibility to spoilage. Other foods would be mixed with the coagulated blood to form a sort of gelatinous food source high in protein and nutrients, or the cooked blood could be used with ground grain to make biscuits
Biscuit (bread)
A biscuit in the United States, and widely used in popular American English, is a small bread made with baking powder or baking soda as a chemical leavening agent rather than yeast....
.
Several Native American tribes have an oral history which includes the First Peoples Buffalo Jump. These include the A'aninin
Gros Ventre people
The Gros Ventre people , also known as the A'ani, A'aninin, Haaninin, and Atsina, are a historically Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe located in north central Montana...
, Assiniboine, Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
, Kalispel, Piegan Blackfeet, Salish
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation are the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreilles Tribes. The Flatheads lived between the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountains. The Salish initially lived entirely east of the Continental Divide but established their...
, and Shoshoni. Each of these tribes has its own name for this pishkun. There is evidence that other tribes may also have used the pishkun, but this is not conclusive. The site was used heavily throughout this period. There is archeological evidence that members of these tribes camped on and near the pishkun. One indication of how frequented the site was is the bone bed, which extends along the entire length of the cliff and is 13 feet (4 m) deep. An archeological estimate based on the number of bones at the site indicates that at least 6,000 bison died there.
But with the arrival of the horse, Native American tribes began hunting buffalo from horseback, and the pishkun fell into disuse around 1700 C.E.
Post-Native American use
The area that is today known as the state of Montana was made an organized incorporated territories of the United StatesOrganized incorporated territories of the United States
Organized incorporated territories are those territories of the United States that are both incorporated and organized .Through most of U.S...
in 1864 after a series of gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
es. Settlement of the territory was sparse, especially the area around the pishkun. In 1878, the area containing the First Peoples Buffalo Jump fell under the control of William H. Ulm, a white settler from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
who homesteaded a 1000 acres (404.7 ha) cattle ranch in the area. The pishkun itself was named Taft Hill. The nearby city of Great Falls was founded in 1883, and the Montana Central Railway
Montana Central Railway
The Montana Central Railway was a railway company which operated in the American state of Montana from 1886 to 1907. It was constructed by James Jerome Hill's St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway, and became part of the Great Northern Railway in 1889....
arrived from the booming mining town of Butte
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
(passing through Ulm on its way to Great Falls) in October 1887.
The pishkun site became a popular one for members of the public to look for arrowheads and other Native American artifacts. From 1889 to 1905, the pishkun was used as a sandstone quarry. Several buildings in Great Falls and Helena were built with sandstone quarried from the site.
The state of Montana obtained the site sometime prior to 1945. From 1945 to 1947, the need for phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
(a mineral used in fertilizer and explosives) was high. The state of Montana leased the site for $7,600 to the Frost Fertilizer Company, which began "mining" it for bone. More than 150 short tons (136.1 MT) of bones were removed from the site, pulverized, and shipped to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
for use as fertilizer and in explosives manufacturing. The site was one of the two largest pishkuns in the United States mined for bison bone, A second attempt to mine the site for bone was made in the 1950s. But local rancher Earl Monroe, who wished to protect the site from further depredation, leased the land and kept it off-limits to the public.
As a state park
The Montana Department of State Lands (now known as the Department of Natural Resources) purchased a portion of the site in the 1930s. The lands were made part of the school trust lands – land held in trust for the benefit of the Montana public school system. Under a mandate from the Montana Constitution, these lands must be managed to obtain the maximum benefit possible. Amateur archeological activities began at the site in the 1950s and 1960s, which developed archeological evidence about the importance of the site. The first efforts to establish a state park occurred shortly thereafter but were unsuccessful.In the early 1970s, the Montana State Historical Society leased the portion of the site owned by the state. The historical society turned its lease over to the Montana Fish and Game Commission (now the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks), which in 1972 turned the 160 acres (64.7 ha) site into Montana State Historical Monument. The Fish and Game Commission eventually leased the site directly and managed it on behalf of the Department of State Lands. From 1972 until 1998, the only amenities at the site were picnic tables and limited signage below the cliffs. Local private organizations assisted the Fish and Game Commission in maintaining the site. Scientific research, funded almost exclusively by private organizations, was conducted at the site in the 1990s.
The park underwent major expansion in the late 1990s. In 1993, media mogul Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
– who owned large tracts of land in Montana – proposed giving the state of Montana 11630 acres (4,706.5 ha) of land near Alder, Montana
Alder, Montana
Alder is a census-designated place in Madison County, Montana, United States. The population was 116 at the 2000 census. Alder takes its name from Alder Creek , the site of the second major gold discovery in Montana....
, and 1059 acres (428.6 ha) at the Ulm pishkun in exchange for the state's releasing 7486 acres (3,029.5 ha) of land located within Turner's Flying D Ranch (located just north of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
). The Ulm land ran directly along the cliff face and near the base of the hill leading up to the jump. This proposal was rejected, but Turner modified the proposal and asked for just 6167 acres (2,495.7 ha) of state-owned land within the Flying D. The state accepted the deal in 1996, but was sued by four sportsmen's groups who argued that the state was gaining access to low-quality fisheries near Alder and losing access to high-quality ones on the Flying D. The district court issued a summary judgment
Summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial. Such a judgment may be issued as to the merits of an entire case, or of specific issues in that case....
in favor of the state, but the Montana Supreme Court
Montana Supreme Court
The Montana Supreme Court is the highest court of the Montana state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution...
overturned this ruling in Skyline Sportsmen's Association v. Board of Land Commissioners, 286 Mont. 108, 951 P2d 29 (1997), and remanded the case back to the district court for further proceedings. In August 1998, Turner agreed to provide a 20-year conservation easement
Conservation easement
In the United States, a conservation easement is an encumbrance — sometimes including a transfer of usage rights — which creates a legally enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a qualified land...
to give the public access to the fisheries on his land. Four months later, the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) gave 1070 acres (433 ha) of land next to pishkun to the state Fish and Wildlife Commission in exchange for 1067 acres (431.8 ha) nearby. The DNRC had gotten the land from Turner, and the swap occurred to help expand the southern portion of the pishkun by more than a mile.
The land swap meant that a number of improvements to the park could now go forward. Although the Montana FWP had long sought to build an interpretive center at the site, but due to the small amount of land the state owned the project had never received permission. Although the land swap was not yet a done deal, in 1997 the Montana state legislature approved $950,000 for a new visitor center. The center was originally proposed for the top of the cliffs, but Native American tribes opposed that site. Instead, a 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) center was sited at the base of the hill leading up to the cliffs.
A series of major improvements occurred at the site in 1999. Cascade County and the city of Great Falls each contributed $100,000 to widen the 3.5 miles (5.6 km) road leading to the pishkun, and the state spent $300,000 to pave it. The $2.2 million visitor center opened in May 1999, the first pishkun visitor center in the state of Montana and the nation. The DFWP also engaged in a land swap with the DNRC in December 1999, giving away 630 acres (255 ha) of flat land in exchange of 700 acres (283.3 ha) of DNRC land near the base of the hill leading to the jump. FWP announced that the land swap would allow it to construct hiking trails from the visitor center to the cliff summit.
In February 2000, the site was changed from a state monument to a state park, and named Ulm Pishkun Buffalo Jump State Park. The same year, the All Nations Pishkun Association (ANPA), a group of all Native American tribes in the state, was formed to support the park, provide educational activities there, spread awareness of the park's existence, and encourage visitation to the site.
The park underwent expansion again the following year. In 2001, the state traded some excess land at the southern end of the jump for a private landowner's property near the top of the jump, a transaction which not only connected all parts of the jump for the first time but which also acquired the cliff for almost its entire length. In October, a winter wheat
Winter wheat
Winter wheat is a type of wheat that is planted from September to December in the Northern Hemisphere. Winter wheat sprouts before freezing occurs, then becomes dormant until the soil warms in the spring. Winter wheat needs a few weeks of cold before being able to flower, however persistent snow...
field between the cliff and the visitor center was removed and reseeded with native grass. Trails about 2 miles (3.2 km) long were also constructed in 2001 between the visitor center and the jump cliff.
The park began to reach its present size in 2002. In August, the DFWP leased more than 1200 acres (485.6 ha) of DNRC land to the west of the park, doubling the size of the buffalo jump. Additionally, two privately leased portions of land next to the park were turned over to the DFWP as well. The ANPA leased a 360 acres (145.7 ha) site against the park's border for $2,500 a year, while ANPA secretary Brad Hamlett leased a 900 acres (364.2 ha) site to the park's south for $1,600 a year. The 900-acre section contained the last unprotected segment of the hill as it rose to the cliff face. Both leases were assigned to the DFWP for the term of the lease, which was 10 years (with an option to renew at the end).
Development of educational activities at the pishkun occurred in other ways, too. In June 2004, the ANPA, in cooperation with DFWP and DNRC, to house four Spanish Barb
Barb (horse)
Developed on the Barbary Coast of North Africa, the Barb horse is a desert breed with great hardiness and stamina. The Barb generally possesses a fiery temperament and an atypical sport-horse conformation, but nevertheless has influenced modern breeds....
horses at the park. The Barbs were obtained from the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
's Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range
Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range
The Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range is a refuge for a historically signifcant herd of free-roaming Mustangs, feral horses colloquially called "wild horses", located in the Pryor Mountains of Montana and Wyoming in the United States. The range has an area of and was established in 1968 along the...
, and are direct linear descendants of horses brought by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to North America in the 16th century.
Efforts to expand the park even further occurred in 2005. State officials began working on yet another land purchase that would permanently double the size of the park. In March 2005, the DFWP spent $96,500 to eliminate a hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
on Taft Hill Road, reduce the road grade, and lay new gravel on the road (which enters the park on its west side and provides vehicular access to the cliff face). Park officials also began to worry in 2005 about an infestation of black-tailed prairie dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
The black-tailed prairie dog , is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen aboveground in...
s. The prairie dogs, which were not native to the area, took over an area about 200 acres (80.9 ha) in size, denuding it of vegetation and altering the historic appearance of the summit of the buffalo jump. Park officials worried that arrowheads and other artifacts were being exposed by the activity of the prairie dogs, and that tourists were taking these artifacts from the park. The prairie dogs were also destroying the tipi
Tipi
A tipi is a Lakota name for a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins and wooden poles used by the nomadic tribes and sedentary tribal dwellers of the Great Plains...
rings and sweat lodges placed at the top of the pishkun. The existence of the prairie dogs was also worrisome because the site was so poorly explored. In the summer of 2005, as park officials relocated a portion of the hiking trail leading to the top of the cliffs, they discovered three "blood kettles" mere feet from the old trail.
The 2005 effort to expand the park culminated in 2006. In July, the Montana Land Board, the state agency which supervises management of the state's school trust lands, agreed to buy the 898 acres (363.4 ha) of private land adjacent to the park's northern border for $763,000 and turn over a third of the acreage to the Ulm Buffalo Jump State Park. Marilyn and Ron Eustace, whose family had owned the property since the 1940s, had originally proposed a 250 acres (101.2 ha) land swap so that the state park could own more land on top of the cliff. But the state offered to buy the cliff-top land instead, along with the rest of the Eustace family ranch. The property had been the top item on the DFWP acquisition list. The purchase included the portion of the cliff not already owned by DFWP, and a large portion of the cliff and bone bed which had never been mined, quarried, or disturbed. Stone and braided vine "drive lines" and some tipi rings also existed on the Eustace land. The purchase was made using funds from the Montana Land Banking program, a program established in 2003 that seeks to manage state lands more effectively, improve the value of state land, increase the earning potential for this land, and/or reduce the risk to school trust land. The Land Board funded the transaction by using a portion of $6.4 million earned from selling an isolated industrial parcel near Kalispell
Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell is a city in and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2010 census put Kalispell's population at 19,927 up 5,704 over 2000. At 40.1% this is the largest percentage of growth of any incorporated city in Montana. Kalispell is the largest city and commercial center...
. The Ulm pishkun sale was the first purchase the Land Board had ever made. The 300 acres (121.4 ha) of land transferred to DFWP was non-productive; DNRC retained the remaining land, and said it intended to lease it for farming or grazing. The addition expanded the park to about 2043 acres (826.8 ha). In February 2007, the DFWP purchased a $334,000 permanent conservation easement
Conservation easement
In the United States, a conservation easement is an encumbrance — sometimes including a transfer of usage rights — which creates a legally enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a qualified land...
on 418 acres (169.2 ha) of the DRNC-owned land. DFWP would pay a lease fee for five years on the land, during which time it would seek funding to pay the easement from the state legislature. The easement was purchased in March 2010.
Additional expansion was explored in 2009. In early 2009, the ANPA and Hamlett began seeking a way to have the DNRC transfer the lands they leased to the DFWP, and take it out of production as farmland. On March 30, the DFWP agreed to take over the leases for a year. The ANPA and Hamlett suggested that the additional lands be used to house a small group of buffalo, or to provide camp sites for visitors. But no action had been taken as of April 2011.
Access, services, and wildlife
Entrance to the park can be obtained via Taft Hill Road at the north end (which approaches the base of the cliff) and through the east end via Ulm-Vaughn Road (which leads to the visitor's center, the slope up the hill, and the summit of the cliffs). A 2 miles (3.2 km) long trail leads from the visitor's center to the cliff summit and back again, and includes signage about the buffalo jump along the way as well as a tipi ring (a ring of stones which indicate that a tipiTipi
A tipi is a Lakota name for a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins and wooden poles used by the nomadic tribes and sedentary tribal dwellers of the Great Plains...
was once held in place there). There are drinking water facilities, garbage cans, and public restrooms throughout the park.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump is managed by Region Four of the Montana state park system, and as of 2005 the park was operated by a full-time park manager, one full-time and two seasonal park rangers, and a part-time maintenance worker. The 1481 acres (599.3 ha) park is open year-round. The park may is reached by road by traveling 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Great Falls on Interstate 15, taking the Ulm exit, and then traveling 3.5 miles (5.6 km) down the Ulm-Vaughn Road. During the summer (May–October) the park is open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; in the winter it is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Montana residents do not need to pay a fee to access the park, but non-residents must pay a $5.00 fee for automobiles or a $3.00 fee for accessing the park via foot or bicycle.
The visitor's center consists of a main hall describing Native American buffalo culture and how buffalo hunts were organized, a room displaying archeological finds from the site, a gift shop, and restrooms. A picnic area is adjacent to the visitor center. The fields nearby are also available for use by the public. Visitors can see a stuffed bison bull, cow, and calf; a life-size tipi made of buffalo hides; and a 160 feet (48.8 m) mural depicting the surrounding landscape. The importance of bison in modern culture is also emphasized, and visitors can view a rare buffalo nickel coin and a football helmet adorned with the image of a bison. The visitor center exhibits were updated in 2006 to improve even further their historical accuracy. In 2009, eight new murals were unveiled which updated and provided more information about Montana's Native American tribes.
Many artifacts such as arrowheads, piece of pottery, bone knives, and bone scrapers can be found exposed or only slightly buried at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park. However, it is illegal to disturb these items, dig them up, or remove them from the park. Park rangers should be alerted to the location of these items when they are discovered.
Plants and animals
A wide variety of plants and animals can be found at the pishkun. Among the plant species which grow there are blue gramaBlue grama
Blue Grama, Bouteloua gracilis, is a long-lived, warm season, C4 perennial grass native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Midwest states to Mexico...
, bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-thread grass
Hesperostipa comata
Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to North America, especially the western third. It has a wide distribution spanning from northern Canada to Mexico.-Description:...
, and prickly pear cactus
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
. Wildlife which can be seen there include American badger
American Badger
The American badger is a North American badger, somewhat similar in appearance to the European badger. It is found in the western and central United States, northern Mexico and central Canada, as well as in certain areas of southwestern British Columbia.Their habitat is typified by open...
s, black-tailed prairie dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
The black-tailed prairie dog , is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen aboveground in...
s, burrowing owl
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
s, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s, curlew
Curlew
The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...
s, ferruginous hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
The Ferruginous Hawk , Buteo regalis , is a large bird of prey. It is not a true hawk like sparrowhawks or goshawks, but rather belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks, known as "buzzards" in Europe...
s, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s, gopher snake
Pituophis catenifer
Pituophis catenifer is a harmless colubrid species found in North America. Six subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. The specific name catenifer is Latin for 'chain bearing', referring to the dorsal color pattern.-Description:Adults specimens are...
s, gray partridge
Grey Partridge
The Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge, or Hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds...
, great horned owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
s, lark
Lark
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
s, mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
, mountain cottontail
Mountain Cottontail
The Mountain Cottontail or Nuttall's Cottontail is a species of mammal in the Leporidae family. It is found in Canada and the United States.- Description :...
s, mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
s, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
s, pronghorn antelope
Pronghorn
The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...
, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, racer snakes
Coluber
Coluber is a genus of thin bodied, fast moving, colubrid snakes commonly known as racers. They are widespread around the world and vary greatly in habitat and behaviour. In the past, Coluber was a catch-all genus which included almost all snake species known at the time...
, red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
s, Richardson's ground squirrel
Richardson's Ground Squirrel
Richardson's ground squirrel , or the flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus...
s, sharp-tailed grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
The Sharp-tailed Grouse, Tympanuchus phasianellus , is a medium-sized prairie grouse. It is also known as the sharptail, and is known as "fire grouse" or "fire bird" by Native American Indians due to their reliance on brush fires to keep their habitat open.-Taxonomy:The Greater Prairie-chicken,...
, striped skunk
Striped Skunk
The striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Found over most of the North American continent north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States.-Description:...
s, Swainson's hawk
Swainson's Hawk
The Swainson's Hawk , is a large buteo hawk of the Falconiformes, sometimes separated in the Accipitriformes like its relatives. This species was named after William Swainson, a British naturalist...
s, Western rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis
Crotalus viridis is a venomous pitviper species native to the western United States, southwestern Canada, and northern Mexico. Currently, nine subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:...
s, and yellow-bellied marmot
Yellow-bellied Marmot
The yellow-bellied marmot , also known as the rock chuck, is a ground squirrel in the marmot genus.-Description:...
s.
Hunting with bow and arrow
Bowhunting
Bowhunting is the practice of killing game animals by archery. It has been a normal use of archery in every culture that had bows.- Technique :...
is available on a limited basis within the park (although hunting with firearms is not). Bow hunting is limited to those areas furthest away from the trails and other visitor areas. Hunters primarily stalk antelope and mule deer within the park. Hunting in the park boundaries is not common; only 25 hunting permits were issued by the park in 2008.
Visitors are cautioned to be on the lookout for prairie rattlesnakes, which frequent the site. Visitors are asked to wear heavy hiking boots, watch small children closely, and keep pets on a leash.
Events
The Native American Cultural Fair is held in the park in late September of each year. The event features an art show (which often features hand-made Native American decorative art and fancy dress), traditional Native American games, songs, demonstrations of buffalo hide tanning, and lectures and demonstrations of traditional Native American culture, stories, and culture.Since 2000, the park has also held an atlatl
Atlatl
An atlatl or spear-thrower is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart-throwing.It consists of a shaft with a cup or a spur at the end that supports and propels the butt of the dart. The atlatl is held in one hand, gripped near the end farthest from the cup...
contest each September. The event, which draws participants from throughout the American West, features both accuracy and distance contests as well as atlatl-making courses.
In 2008, the University of Great Falls
University of Great Falls
The University of Great Falls , a private Roman Catholic university located in Great Falls, Montana, is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges...
began hosting an annual Buffalo Jump Fun Run each Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend. The event includes a 3 miles (4.8 km) walk, a 6.25 miles (10.1 km) run, and a half-marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
.