Discovered in the fall of 1960, Wahkpa Chu’gn is the most studied Buffalo jump in the state of Montana and the only one in North America with archaeological materials exposed in place. Visitors are given the opportunity to view up close how Native American people lived 2000 years ago.
THE WAHKPA CHU'GN BUFFALO JUMP
Indian people have lived in this area for at least 11,000 years. Throughout
that time, buffalo were their primary source of food.The Indians devised
ingenious ways to hunt buffalo with the buffalo jump, or pishkun, the best known.
At pishkuns, hunters drove buffalo over steep bluffs or cliffs where the animals
were either killed outright by the fall or badly crippled. The hunters sometimes
constructed simple corral-like enclosures at the base of the bluffs to contain
the crippled animals until they could be killed using either the atlatl or bow and
arrow.
A series of buffalo jumps were once located along the steep bluffs overlooking
the Milk River west of Havre. The Great Northern Railway destroyed three of them
when it constructed its line through here in 1887. Today only the Wahkpa Chu'gn
Ipronounced walk-paw-chew-gun) buffalo jump remains.' For over 2,500 years, Indian
peoples used Wahkpa Chu'gn as a pishkun. It is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.You can visit the site and view extensive displays about the
buffalo jump and the materials discovered there by archaeologists.
Main site is open for touring during warmer weather, closed during non tourist season but cache container is outside fence and accessible year round even during snow cover. Cache has plenty of room for Travel bugs and other treasures. Summer visitors will need stealth. Winter seekers will have the place to your self but dress warmly.
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