The audience will include site visitors doing the Bison Trail to supplement both the self-guided and guided tours. It will highlight for visitors the traditional practices and heritage of the site utilizing modern technology. This could work with school group visits to complement curriculum materials, for example the “Step Back in Time Walk.” The experience will build community by including resources that connect Wanuskewin to other places in Canada and First Nations people, for example the Meewasin Trail on the Trans Canada Trail.
Bison conservation is important to the mission of Wanuskewin and connects this place to others across the North American plains. The current bison herd was introduced in 2019 with individuals from Yellowstone National Park through a partnership with Parks Canada.
The herd is part of a larger effort in bison conservation and reintroduction across Canada and the United States. Parks Canada has reintroduced plains and woods bison to six national parks and several other First Nations, like the Key First Nation.
The Bison Viewing Trail connects the visitor center to the open land, which is being returned to prairie. The visitor center sits on a cliff where an annual bison jump took place. Many of the statues and art pieces along the trail and in the center reference the practice. The trail and markers connect visitors to the Northern Plains First Nations, the land, and the histories.
To read more about the Parks Canada Projects, visit their website: Bison and the power of partnerships