R
North America



Canada's Wanuskewin Heritage Park:

Saskatoon City's Wanuskewin Heritage Park, located in Canada's central province of Saskatchewan, celebrates the indigenous cultures of North America's great plains. It is "Dances With Wolves" country.

by Habeeb Salloum


At the conclusion of the film "Dances With Wolves", fictional Lieutenant John Dunbar and his wife, Stands With A Fist, move forlornly into the forested north country to escape the coming avalanche of settlers to North America's great plains. Many real nineteenth century Native Americans retreating from the likes of General George Armstrong Custer followed the same trail, passing through the area that is now Saskatoon, the commercial heart and the largest city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. For centuries before the coming of white settlers, the vast grasslands of the great plains were home to the Cree and to many other indigenous peoples. In fact, the city of Saskatoon derives its name from the word misaskwatomin, a Cree name for the succulent bluish-red berries that grow wild and are found in profusion in the surrounding countryside.



Founded in 1882, Saskatoon has evolved from a tiny outpost into a booming urban center, known today as Canada's "Paris of the Prairies". It is a charming, cosmopolitan city of imposing buildings, modern shopping malls, museums and parks and landscaped suburbs. One of the sunniest cities in Canada, it is known as the "city of bridges" due to the seven bridges that span its river. A jewel set in the heart of Canada's prairies it is one of Canada's most beautiful cities, especially during the summer months.



Since it opened its doors in September 1989, Wanuskewin Heritage Park has become one of the most interesting tourist sites in Saskatoon. It is considered by many to be the ultimate showplace of the thousands-of-years-old culture and history of the Plains Indians and one of Canada's most important historic sites.

Derived from the Cree word, wah-nus-kay-win, Wanuskewin, meaning 'seeking peace of mind'. It has been a sacred place for the First Nations Peoples for thousands of years. Located on the west bank of the South Saskatchewan River, some three miles north of the city, it is a place where, on a 300-acre plot of land, the descendants of the Northern Plains Indians have attempted to re-established a sense of harmony with nature, revolving around the buffalo.

Visitors arriving at Wanuskewin, will find not only a unique theme park but also the First Nations Center commemorating the heritage of the native people of the plains. The initial sights that catch the eyes are the striking spires of the visitor center, headquarters of the park. Perched on a valley edge overlooking Opimihaw Creek, its four tepee-like peaks tower above the surrounding prairie land. Symbolically, they represent the four seasons, the four directions, the four stages of human life and the four elements of the cycle of life,



Designed under guidelines established by a group of 12 directors, all native representatives of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the park invites entering visitors to walk a path where men once drove bison to a buffalo compound. From within this replica of a former corral, a shaman sculpture invites the visitor to enter the Center. The reproductions of bison in front of the entrance and inside the doors brings alive an age when 70 million buffalo roamed North America's western plains. Romanticizing a bit, one can feel and hear the thunder of a great bison herd as it was being stampeded to its death over a cliff, a natural slaughterhouse now actually contained within the boundaries of the park.

The Northern Plains Indians, consisting of the Blackfoot, Cree, Dene, Lakotah, Nakoda and Saulteaux, for many centuries camped on this site to escape the winter winds, meet each other in worship and celebrations, gather food and herbs but, above all, to hunt the bison, the basis of their lives and culture. This spot was the holy of holies to the Indians of the western plains, the place where buffalo culture reached its peak.




As Wanuskewin Heritage Park's visitors enter, the 6000-year span of buffalo culture comes to life. By computer-activated displays, multi-media shows and exhibits, visitors can explore the archaeology in progress, the natural beauty of the landscape, the history and the spirituality of the Plains Indian peoples.




Walking into the exhibit hall, one is struck by the inscribed excerpts from the religion of the western native peoples. The sayings: "The eagle saved one girl from the great flood and set her back on earth to found a great nation" and "Napi told the mud forms of woman and child 'Rise and walk for you must be people'" have interesting biblical parallels.


In the natural amphitheatre and outdoor activity area, all summer long, dances, songs, storytelling, and a variety of demonstrations and celebrations take place. Here, a visitor can also learn how to bake bannock (a kind of bread), build a tepee and tan a hide.

Besides the more than 140 species of birds and 35 types of mammals that call Wanuskewin home, including the beaver, coyote and whitetail deer, the Park is an archaeological treasure trove. It is the scene of one of the largest archaeological research projects in Canada. So far, 20 historic locales have been discovered, including bison jump and pound sites, a buffalo rubbing stone, habitation spots, tepee rings and a medicine wheel.



The top visitor's drawing card, the Medicine Wheel, is situated on high land in the southwest corner of the park. Said to be approximately 1,500 years old, the wheel has a cairn in the middle and an outer ring of lichen-encrusted limestone boulders. Archaeologists believe that it marks the spot where sacred ceremonies were once conducted. First Nations elders believe that it is one of the most sacred sites of the Plains' tribes that are still intact.

The Wheel and all the other sites can be seen via an elaborate five-mile trail system, which meanders through the park, along the windswept prairie and through a sheltered valley, or as it is locally called, coulee. One square mile of the coulee remains in pristine condition, never having been touched by the plough. It presents, today, a priceless picture of the past.

When visitors walk down to the coulee they are soon strolling through the shrub edging the main trail called the, "Path of the People". It provides the base for three other marked trails circulating off its sides: "Circle of Harmony", "Trail of the Buffalo" and "Trail of Discovery". Here and there, during a usual two-hour walk, visitors can stop at archaeological digs, historic spots and, at times, sample chokecherries and Saskatoon berries.



Back at the visitor center, visitors can watch an indigenous peoples' folkloric performance then enjoy a panoramic view of the Opimihaw Valley below. Traditional foods of the Plains Indians are offered in the center's restaurant along with less-than-traditional buffalo burgers. Late in the day, before leaving, trails lead to the inevitable gift shop, featuring the best in native handicrafts.

The administrators of the park successfully have brought history alive in a positive form, exposing the general public to the different Indian cultures and the rich heritage they offer in a spirit of sharing and hospitality. The Park has become a major tourist attraction in the Saskatoon city area and is contributing much to public awareness and understanding of the Northern Plains Indians' cultural legacy which embraces the ageless harmony between humans and the natural world. Some 150 thousand annual visitors come to see this historic spot, a model of cross cultural partnership of which the Saskatchewan First Nations peoples are a vital partner and driving force.

Lieutenant John Dunbar and his wife, Stands With A Fist and real life individuals on which their fictional characters were patterned would not be displeased with this notable effort to bridge the gap between cultures that historically have been at odds.

If You Go:

As well as having excellent connecting highways, Saskatoon can be reached by air through three major airlines: Northwest Airlines flies from Minneapolis direct to Saskatoon; and Air Canada and West Jet Airlines fly to Saskatoon from a number of Canadian points such as Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary. Also, Saskatoon is served by the Transcontinental, the VIA Train, but it is not a daily service.

Other Saskatoon Attractions:

Canadian Light Source Synchrotron is a unique research facility that promises to light the way to a new era of science and innovations.

Meewasin Valley Center is a place to learn Saskatchewan history and the South Saskatchewan River through fun and interactive displays.

Musee Ukraina exhibits the cultural heritage of Ukraine until the Ukrainian emigration to Canada.

Saskatoon Zoo Forestry Farm Park exhibits its flower gardens, heritage landmarks and 350 animals.

Western Development Museum features the longest indoor museum street; 1910 Boomtown.

Saskatchewan's National Parks:

Saskatchewan has set aside close to five million acres of national and provincial parkland to preserve its natural resources for generations to come. The province's two principal national parks are both located less than three hours by auto from Sasketoon.

First of these is Prince Albert National Park of Canada, a four-season destination that mixes northern wilderness with resort accommodations. Wildlife in the park include moose, wolves, caribou, elk, deer, badgers and, of course a protected herd of bison. In addition to accommodations in the town of Waskesiu, campgrounds are available and backcountry hiking, canoeing and camping are offered.

Second of these is Grasslands National Park of Canada, located in southwest Saskatchewan. It is a prairie sanctuary protecting some of the last remaining untouched prairie left in North America. Still being developed, accommodations and visitor services are limited. Its greatest attractions include rolling grasslands and a rugged landscape of weathered cliffs, its badlands and its wildlife which includes white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse and golden eagles. Many visitors come just to experience the landscape as it would have been at the end of the nineteenth century.

For Further Information, Contact:

Tourism Saskatoon, #6-305 Idylwyld Drive, North Saskatoon, SK S7L 0Z1. Tel: (306) 242-1206 or 1-800-567-2444. Website: www.tourismsaskatoon.ca; or E-mail: wanuskewin@wanuskewin.com Website: www.wanuskewin.com

Tourism Saskatchewan, # 1922 Park Street; Regina, SK Canada S4N 7M4; Tel: (306) 787-9600 or (877)-237-2273; Website: http://www.sasktourism.com

Saskatchewan Interactive, (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon)
http://interactive.usask.ca/ski/index.html

Photo Credits:

Habeeb Salloum,
Saskatchewan Tourism,
Tourism Saskatoon,
Special Images: (as indicated under photo blocks) By permission of Saskatchewan Interactive. http://interactive.usask.ca/ski/index.html


© 2006 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES