Jack Brink, “The Buffalo Jump”
in Imagining Head-Smashed-In: Aboriginal buffalo Hunting on the Northern Plains,
Edmonton: AU Press, 2008:1-26

During the reading of “ The Buffalo Jump” (p.1-26, of Imagining Head-Smashed-In: Aboriginal buffalo Hunting on the Northern Plains) I learned that Head-Smashed-In was considered one of the most perfect buffalo jumps to ever exist with hundreds of buffalo being run off the cliff, making buffalo jumps the only method of hunting that resulted in so many animals being killed at one time. I also learned about the Aboriginal people and how when hunting the buffalo they would have to be careful not to be killed by the wounded animals. Back then because life could be so difficult it was rare for people to live until their fifties.

Head-Smashed-In was considered one of the most perfectly designed jumps to exist. Aboriginal people would run hundreds of buffalo of the cliff in order to get food and hides for their families to eat and make clothing out of. They would have to be careful not to get killed themselves as the wounded buffalo would chase the people out of fear. No other way of hunting animals ever amounted into the biomass of carcasses as buffalo jumps did. “ It was surely one of the great dramatic stories in the course of human history” (p.3)

We never really look into our past and take a minute to think about how difficult life may have been. We have grown up in a world where although there might be struggles such as money and job security there is no where near the amount of struggles the aboriginals would have gone through. During the time of the Buffalo jumps, people had to hunt for their food and make their own clothes and shelters and I honestly think this is something we take for granted today because we don’t have to worry about dying if we don’t know how to hunt or build a shelter and it is because of the past that we don’t have these worries. During those times people were considered lucky to live to the age of fifty and would be looked up to for their knowledge, skill and luck that got them that far. Today life is easier and although you do need some knowledge, skill, and luck people live a lot longer and without nearly as much struggles and hardships.

I have always heard stories of Head-Smashed-In but never taken the chance to read into it and learn the background of it. I find it facilitating that the aboriginals would risk their lives in order to kill so many animals at one time. I always knew that not many lived to reach an old age back then but I always assumed it was due to illnesses or malnutrition which in some cases was the reasoning for dying young, however it was also their way of lives and the risks they took each and everyday to take care of their families and support a life style that was never simple.