Blackfoot Crossing
Encyclopedia
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park is a complex of historic site
s on the Siksika 146
Indian reserve
in Alberta
, Canada
. This crossing of the Bow River
was traditionally a bison
-hunting and gathering place for the Siksika people and their allies in the Blackfoot Confederacy. Nearby are the remains
of an ancient earthlodge village, believed to have been built by people from the Upper Mississippi
valley in what is now the United States. It is unique in being an example of a permanent village on the plains: an area associated with nomadic hunting. The crossing became an important place in Canadian history when Treaty 7
was signed here between the native nations of what is now southern Alberta and the Canadian government on behalf of the Crown in 1877. It was also here that Crowfoot
, chief of the Siksika, is believed to have died and been buried. As well, Poundmaker
, a chief of the Cree
who had been ceremonially adopted by Crowfoot in order to create peace between the Blackfoot and the Cree, was also buried here until being moved in 1967. In 1925 the traditional gathering site and the treaty signing site were declared National Historic Sites of Canada by the federal government's Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. In 1972, the earthlodge village was also declared a national historic site.
In 1977, Prince Charles visited the site to help commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the treaty. After the success of this event the Siksika council wanted to build the site into a historical and tourist attraction and began fundraising and planning. In 2007 the historical park opened, which includes an interpretive centre, monuments to Poundmaker, Crowfoot, and Treaty 7, tipi
remains, and hiking trails, and the earthlodge village site believed to have been built by Mandan people in the mid-18th century.
The nearest towns are Cluny and Gleichen
, in Wheatland County
.
Historic site
A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military or social history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have recognized with the official national historic site status...
s on the Siksika 146
Siksika 146
Siksika 146 is an Indian reserve in Alberta. It is located southeast of Calgary. It is at an elevation of . The reserve is home to the Blackfoot Crossing historical park.-References:...
Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This crossing of the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
was traditionally a bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
-hunting and gathering place for the Siksika people and their allies in the Blackfoot Confederacy. Nearby are the remains
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of an ancient earthlodge village, believed to have been built by people from the Upper Mississippi
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
valley in what is now the United States. It is unique in being an example of a permanent village on the plains: an area associated with nomadic hunting. The crossing became an important place in Canadian history when Treaty 7
Treaty 7
Treaty 7 was an agreement between Queen Victoria and several mainly Blackfoot First Nations tribes in what is today the southern portion of Alberta. It was concluded on September 22, 1877. The agreement was signed at the Blackfoot Crossing of the Bow River, at the present-day Siksika Nation...
was signed here between the native nations of what is now southern Alberta and the Canadian government on behalf of the Crown in 1877. It was also here that Crowfoot
Crowfoot
Crowfoot or Isapo-Muxika was a chief of the Siksika First Nation. His parents, Istowun-eh'pata and Axkahp-say-pi , were Kainai. His brother Iron Shield became Chief Bull...
, chief of the Siksika, is believed to have died and been buried. As well, Poundmaker
Pitikwahanapiwiyin
Pitikwahanapiwiyin , commonly known as Poundmaker, was a Plains Cree chief known as a peacemaker and defender of his people.-Name:...
, a chief of the 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...
who had been ceremonially adopted by Crowfoot in order to create peace between the Blackfoot and the Cree, was also buried here until being moved in 1967. In 1925 the traditional gathering site and the treaty signing site were declared National Historic Sites of Canada by the federal government's Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. In 1972, the earthlodge village was also declared a national historic site.
In 1977, Prince Charles visited the site to help commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the treaty. After the success of this event the Siksika council wanted to build the site into a historical and tourist attraction and began fundraising and planning. In 2007 the historical park opened, which includes an interpretive centre, monuments to Poundmaker, Crowfoot, and Treaty 7, 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...
remains, and hiking trails, and the earthlodge village site believed to have been built by Mandan people in the mid-18th century.
The nearest towns are Cluny and Gleichen
Gleichen, Alberta
Gleichen is a hamlet in southeast Alberta, Canada within Wheatland County. It is located adjacent to the Siksika Nation at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 547, approximately southeast of Strathmore.- History :...
, in Wheatland County
Wheatland County, Alberta
Wheatland County is a municipal district in south-central Alberta, Canada, east of Calgary.It is located in Census Division 5. The municipal seat is the Town of Strathmore.-Demographics:...
.