Adjusting Our Perceptions: Historical And Archaeological Evidence Of Winter On The Plains Of Western Canada

Abstract

Historical accounts and the archaeological record are used to show that vast herds of bison wintering on the Plains were exploited by plains-dwelling peoples who formed their camps on the grasslands. Parkland- and forest-dwelling peoples left treed areas in winter to take advantage of bison on the northern edge of the grasslands. This differs from the consensus that the Western Canadian plains were largely abandoned by bison and hunter-gatherers in winter, in favor of the sheltered aspen parkland.