Old Women's Buffalo Jump
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| Old Women's Buffalo Jump | |
|---|---|
| Native name Aakíípisskan (Blackfoot) | |
 A photo of Old Woman's Buffalo Jump, an aboriginal bison drive near Cayley, Alberta. It is a National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Location | near Cayley, Alberta |
| Designated | May 30, 1960 |
| Designated | October 15, 1979 |
  Location of Old Women's Buffalo Jump in Alberta | |
Old Women's Buffalo Jump is a historic site and former aboriginal buffalo jump near present-day Cayley, Alberta.[1] It is known by the Blackfoot name Aakíípisskan.[2]
The cliff is believed to have been in use as a buffalo jump for approximately 2000 years, up to the late 1790s. It was used repeatedly as a site for hunting buffalo by stampeding them over a cliff. Archeological remains at the site show a build up of evidence at least six metres deep at the base of the cliff.[1] The jump itself consists of Paskapoo sandstone cliffs.[3]
The site is significant in Blackfoot mythology as the origin location for the story of the first marriage between men and women, with the deity Napi as a key figure.[4]