Wanuskewin a restrictive experience

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Wanuskewin Heritage Park is situated about eight km north of Saskatoon and encompasses 120 hectares of creek valley and prairie where the Tipperary Creek flows into the South Saskatchewan River.

This protected little valley, open to the south and sunny most of the day, has been a gathering place for First Nations people for 6,000 years. Wanuskewin Park has 19 prehistoric sites, including a medicine wheel,. tipi rings and campsites, two bison jumps, kill sites and stone cairns. With continued archaeological work planned, it's expected to become a centre for the study of Northern Plains Indians.

From the parking lot, a sidewalk follows the buffalo drive lane that leads to the New Asiniak buffalo jump site. The drive lane is represented by sidewalk lights made in the shape of stone cairns of the type used by Native ancestors to direct the buffalo toward the jump.

Inside the interpretative centre, you are drawn toward the striking marble and bronze shaman who stands tall within a buffalo pound. This figure done by a sculptor Lloyd Pinay appears to be calling the buffalo and six of them can be seen approaching the pound from the west.

The building inside is high and constructed of mostly smooth cedar and glass, with four tall spires depicting the four cardinal directions. Practically the whole west wall is glass, overlooking the valley that flourishes in various shades of green and yellow from north to south below the jump. The interpretative areas within the building following the natural clockwise flow so important to First Nations people. The exhibits are very well-done and intriguing but the audio-visual and hands-on displays are overpowering.

Once outside, the trail leads down past a cluster of tipis to the Path of the People at the bottom near the creek, where the air is hot but smells of sage and grass, leaf and moisture. The path is cut out of the earth and liberally sprinkled with signs saying "Please stay on the trails" and "Fragile Environment." Interpretive signs and benches mark significant sites, each with a ceramic and concrete plaque describing its significance.

Every now and then, a fresh trail cuts through the grass and across the gravelled path. It's obvious somebody still gets to walk about out there and you secretly want to take off along one of them but you're constrained by the signs and the gravel. The path passes about 50 yards away from the Juniper Flats encampment, but the view is blocked by a pile of dead brush and the usual "Stay on the Path" sign. The kids complain that it's boring and they're thirsty. You want to sit down but the stone benches don't have any backs. The views along the valley and the scenery are pleasant but you feel they're out there and, well you're here and separated by that "interpretive park feeling."

Protecting the natural environment is an important consideration for the park management because up to 150,000 people are expected to visit each year. Wanuskewin, which is Cree for 'seeking peace of mind,' has already been designed a national historic site and organizers have begun the process of seeking recognition as a world heritage site. This means Wanuskewin will become an international tourist attraction, which is another tool for long-term protection, and it increases the urgency for sensitive preservation of the environment and cultural artifacts like the medicine wheel.

Besides making First Nations Plains culture a living thing for non-native people, Wanuskewin provides a living for many Natives in the form of long-term jobs and contracts. According to executive director Jeremy Morgan, 26 of 30 staff at the park

are Native, including the gift shop manager and restaurant manager Delbert Bear.

Profits from the gift shop and the restaurant will be plowed back into maintaining the park and providing services to local Indian bands.

After walking the paths and following the trails of the buffalo up the other side of the valley, a person needs to eat. What's better than te buffalo stew or burgers in the traditional restaurant?

Driving out, the last sign you see is the message: "See nature through the eyes of an eagle."

Ho!