Evidence of centuries-old Native American life and culture can be found across the state, and one example that's part of the landscape itself are buffalo jumps.
These topographic features played a key role in the hunt for bison — an important aspect in the life of the first peoples of Montana. Today, there are buffalo jumps you can visit in Montana to learn about the lifestyles of these tribes.
Buffalo jumps are cliffs or high hills that tribes would use to hunt bison. A young male disguising himself as a calf would lead a herd of bison from their grazing field up toward a cliff. Once they reached the top, he would remove his hides and reveal himself in order to start a stampede. While the young male would run for his life in the opposite direction, the herd would stampede toward the cliff’s edge, realizing too late that they were about to run over the side. As the bison fell off the cliff, hunters were poised below — ready to kill any that survived the fall.
This hunting technique was used by many tribes in Montana in order to hunt bison. They would utilize every part of the bison after the hunt, from eating the meat, to tanning and wearing the hides, and crafting the bones into weapons. There would always be a prayer and ceremony following a big hunt to thank the animals for giving their lives in order to foster the prosperity of the tribe.
Three buffalo jumps across the state that allow visitors to come and learn about this sacred act that took place for thousands of years are:
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