Bison in Wanuskewin Heritage Park Unearth Historic Archeological Find

Wanuskewin Heritage Park (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) has announced a never-before-seen archeological find, four petroglyphs and the tool used to carve them, uncovered by bison who were reintroduced to their traditional lands in 2019. This discovery unlocks fascinating information about the Northern Plains Indigenous People who lived on the land millennia ago.

 
Finding four carved boulders together, and the carving tool from what is estimated to be 1,000 years ago is extremely rare. However, even more remarkable is that the bison uncovered the stones. Had the bison not been reintroduced to their traditional land – after being hunted nearly to extinction in the 1870s – this important scientific find would have remained hidden.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park recently underwent a $40-million revitalization and is open year-round for visitors. The park offers six kilometers of walking trails, a tipi village, a restaurant serving food inspired by the land, and programming that educates guests about the Indigenous Peoples who have called this area home for millennia. In Spring, 2022, along with being able to visit the site where the rocks were discovered, visitors will be able to see the baby bison, the first generation of a new herd of direct descendants from the original two herds - Grasslands National Park (Canada) and Yellowstone National Park (U.S.), which have not been seen in the area for over 150 years.

Destination Canada is currently producing a video series that profiles the diverse range of culinary talent in Canada. One episode features Wanuskewin Heritage Park’s Han Wi - Moon dinner; profiling chef Jenni Lessard — the first female and first Métis Executive Chef at Wanuskewin. The film discusses what Wanuskewin means to her, to Indigenous Peoples, and what it means to Saskatchewan as a whole.

To learn more about the park, visit wanuskewin.com.