Long before the arrival of horses to North America, native people hunted bison on foot, stampeding these massive animals over steep cliffs so they would fall to their deaths. This method of hunting was dangerous but the rewards could be enormous. A single jump could feed, clothe, and shelter the people for a whole year. Much planning went into this perilous endeavor. Noting how the Inuit peoples of Arctic regions stayed warm by reversing animal hide with the fur on the inside, Buffalo founder, Hamish Hamilton set about creating a range of sleeping bags using the same principle. The result was a thermal layer that maintained warmth by allowing moisture vapour to escape through the outer hide yet prevent rain moisture from getting in thus keeping the wearer warm and dry. With a Pertex shell fabric added to this design, Buffalo set about crafting a line of durable outdoor garments offering hikers and climbers superior wet weather protection with a rich, pile lining for unbeatable warmth.

Situated in Montana ’s Yellowstone Country, Madison Buffalo Jump State park was named for the ancient buffalo jump, an indigenous hunting tactic used by Native American tribes. After driving far from civilization and hiking through the historic land, visitors can take in the park’s wide-open vista from an observation platform. Here, it’s easy to picture the excited activity of a buffalo jump. The centre also offers educational public and school programs which can be booked throughout the year. Each year Head-Smashed-In hosts a number of special events and native festivals known throughout the world for their color, energy and authenticity, including Buffalo Harvest Days, which brings together First Nations artists and craftspeople who display a wide variety of jewelry, clothing, art and crafts. Visitors can witness traditional drumming and dancing demonstrations every Wednesday in July and August at 11a.m. and 1:30p.m. at the centre. About the Vore Buffalo Jump". Vore Buffalo Jump. Vore Buffalo Jump Association. 2007. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010 . Retrieved August 4, 2009. Camp Disappointment, the northernmost point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is among the best-preserved buffalo jumps in Montana, due to its relatively inaccessible location. The creek at the bottom of the cliff periodically exposes animal bones. [11]The facility was designed by Le Blond Partnership, an architectural firm in Calgary. The design was awarded the Governor General's gold medal for Architecture in 1990. [4] [5] See also [ edit ] When I first saw the place, there were at the foot of the cliffs tons and tons of buffalo horn tips, the most time-resisting of any portion of a buffalo’s anatomy. —James Willard Schultz, 1916 This grassy valley, framed on one side by the Madison River, was a perfect grazing land for herds of buffalo. The singular cliff jutting out of the plains made it an ideal hunting ground for the Native American tribes, for whom the buffalo was an indispensable resource, supplying food, clothing, and shelter. In one of his journals, Meriwether Lewis describes how a buffalo jump was practiced during the Lewis and Clark Expedition:

What Maria has found at Two Medicine River is unparalleled to my knowledge,” says Brink. “It’s great evidence for complexity that doesn’t exist elsewhere. But then again, no one has looked in one area with the same intensity as Maria. It’s as if she’s looking through a small window and has found this massive kill zone, but there could be others on this scale elsewhere in the northern Great Plains. We just don’t know.” The significance of the landscape of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump lies in its historical, archaeological and scientific interest. The deep, undisturbed layers of animal bones (largely American Bison) represent nearly 6,000 years of continuous occupation with one lengthy period of unexplained interrupted hunting. This landscape is an outstanding example of subsistence hunting that continued into the late 19th century and which still forms part of the ‘traditional knowledge base’ of the Plains nations. It throws valuable light on the way of life and practices of traditional hunting cultures elsewhere in the world. Method of the hunt [ edit ] Buffalo being chased off a cliff, painted by Alfred Jacob Miller in the late 19th century. A buffalo jump, or sometimes bison jump, is a cliff formation which Indigenous peoples of North America historically used to hunt and kill plains bison in mass quantities. The broader term game jump refers to a man-made jump or cliff used for hunting other game, such as reindeer.

Wednesday May 29, 1805. The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Volume 4). Gary E. Moulton, editor Horses allowed indigenous people to follow bison herds and hunt bison more easily than by using buffalo jumps.