By Connie Constan
Please remember that the jump is protected by state law. Do not disturb anything or collect anything from the area.
The First Peoples Buffalo Jump was well known locally for most of the 20th century. In 1972, it became a small state park called Ulm Pishkun. The archaeological site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. During the 1980s, the Hi-Noon Optimists Club kept up the existing visitor facilities on a volunteer basis.
In 1988, a group of citizens formed the Ulm Pishkun Support Group. They lobbied the state to expand the park. The Cascade County Historical Society took the Ulm Pishkun Support Committee under its wing in 1990. The affiliation with the historical society provided additional credibility, nonprofit status, structure, and skilled personnel to prepare grant requests. By 1992, the support committee and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks had worked with Ted Turner, cable television pioneer, for a series of land exchanges and purchase agreements to expand the state park. Turner said he pursued the purchase because “an important historic site like this should be preserved for future generations” (Great Falls Tribune 3/7/92).
In 1992, 1993, and 1995 Montana State University archaeologists led excavations at the buffalo jump. They found that the deposits are deep, and it is estimated that over 10,000 bison were killed through time at the excavated portion of the site. However, the total number of bison killed is likely in the tens of thousands and evidence shows that the buffalo jump was used up to 6,000 years ago.
In 1994, a charrette was conducted to aid planning efforts for the visitor center. This led to the location of the visitor center below the jump, which allows for a visual connection but does not disrupt the site. Some money for the visitor center planning and construction was appropriated in the 1995 state legislature. More funds were raised with events like “Evening at the Pishkun” with a performance by singer and storyteller Jack Gladstone. Artist King Kuka also contributed a sculpture titled “Dawn of the Hunt…A Blessing” to assist in raising funds. The dedication of the visitor’s center location was in April 1998, and the visitor center itself opened in June 1999.
Over time, foot trails, new interpretation, and a new parking area on top of the jump were put in place. In 2007, the state park received a new name, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park. The site gained National Historic Landmark status in 2015. The State Parks staff have continued to be good stewards of this important place.