Havre in Hill County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 14, 2019
1. Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump Marker
Inscription.
Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump. . Immense herds of bison once roamed the great North American prairies. As many as 30 million of the great shaggy beasts moved seasonally in herds of 25 to 300, following the same patterns year after year. Bison, or buffalo, were the lifeblood of the native peoples who shared this vast domain. For at least 11,000 years, the grassy plains along the Milk River were seasonally home to native groups. Knowing the habits of these animals allowed communal hunting, and they gathered at this place where the rolling prairie suddenly gives way to steep river valley walls. The land features were well suited for use as a buffalo jump, one method of communal hunting. Hunters systematically drove hundreds of bison over the slope. Waiting hunters at the bottom dispatched injured animals and butchering began at once. Archaeology at Wahkpa Chu’gn reveals that native peoples used this site extensively for at least 2,000 years. Wahkpa Chu’gn, pronounced walk-paw-chew-gun, is the Assiniboine term for Milk River. Discovered in the 1950s, the site has been under the protection of Hill County since 1964. Although more buffalo jumps have been found in Montana than in any other plains area, most are very poorly preserved. The exceptional preservation of faunal layers at Wahkpa Chu’gn provides a unique and visually stunning chronology of use over time. The site is of national significance for its superb archaeological record and as the first buffalo jump to be interpreted for the public.
Immense herds of bison once roamed the great North American prairies. As many as 30 million of the great shaggy beasts moved seasonally in herds of 25 to 300, following the same patterns year after year. Bison, or buffalo, were the lifeblood of the native peoples who shared this vast domain. For at least 11,000 years, the grassy plains along the Milk River were seasonally home to native groups. Knowing the habits of these animals allowed communal hunting, and they gathered at this place where the rolling prairie suddenly gives way to steep river valley walls. The land features were well suited for use as a buffalo jump, one method of communal hunting. Hunters systematically drove hundreds of bison over the slope. Waiting hunters at the bottom dispatched injured animals and butchering began at once. Archaeology at Wahkpa Chu’gn reveals that native peoples used this site extensively for at least 2,000 years. Wahkpa Chu’gn, pronounced walk-paw-chew-gun, is the Assiniboine term for Milk River. Discovered in the 1950s, the site has been under the protection of Hill County since 1964. Although more buffalo jumps have been found in Montana than in any other plains area, most are very poorly preserved. The exceptional preservation of faunal layers at Wahkpa Chu’gn provides a unique and visually stunning chronology of use over time. The site is
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of national significance for its superb archaeological record and as the first buffalo jump to be interpreted for the public.
Location. 48° 33.435′ N, 109° 42.825′ W. Marker is in Havre, Montana, in Hill County. Marker is on U.S. 2 near 19th Avenue West, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: #14 Meadowlark Estates, Havre MT 59501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
of the Bear Paw Mountains, on the road to everywhere in north central Montana, Wahkpa Chu'gn is the most extensive and best preserved buffalo bone deposit in the northern Great Plains. Overlooking the scenic Milk River on the western edge of Havre, Montana, Wahkpa Chu'gn offers visitors a chance to journey back in time.(Submitted on November 14, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 14, 2019
3. Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 14, 2019
4. Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump Visitors Center
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 14, 2019
5. Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump
Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 446 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 14, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.