An Article by Ward Cameron

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Writing On Stone

Hidden along the Alberta-Montana border, the Milk River meanders to the east as it has done for thousands of years. Along this sluggish, brown river, is an area known, not only for its incredible collection of hoodoos and coulees, but for its artwork. It was along its banks that the ancestors of today's Blackfoot traveled, hunted and died. They left a record of this life carved into the rocks at Writing on Stone Provincial Park.

The badlands along the Milk River are both beautiful and unnerving. Like the badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park, they appears suddenly; as if a giant had scooped out a vast area of prairie and left behind a gaping scar. In reality, this area has been under construction for millennia. As vast amounts of water were released during the melting of the glaciers, the soft sandstones were quickly eroded into a series of narrow channels around more resistant sections of rock. As the constant winds scoured these now dry channels, the rocks were no match for the persistent winds.

The soft sandstone was scoured and sculpted until the landscape took on an otherworldly appearance. In some cases, soft sections of rock were removed leaving windows through the stone pillars. Where hard cap rocks exist, they protect the softer material beneath them until a stone mushroom called a hoodoo remains. Eventually the soft material will disappear and the cap will tumble.

The climate today is very dry—almost desert like. Along the river is a fertile area with cottonwood and aspen; a stark contrast to the conditions only a few hundred metres from this life-giving water. Cottontail rabbits hop carelessly past you as they worry more about owls and coyotes than campers. Mule deer browse along the river bank as they congregate within this tiny oasis. Leaving the river, the ground becomes increasingly dry until it cracks. Quickly the diversity of life drops off until the prickly pear and pincushion cactus show their lonely blooms. Despite its arid nature, the area surrounding the campground is an explorers dream.

It was into this scene that the early native cultures walked. This area seemed magical to them. It was a place where powerful spirits lived and would reward those who came to pray. People were visiting this site as long as 3,000 years ago—some of the parks rock art may be as old as 1,800 years. To these people, the vision quest was an important part of the journey into manhood. Young braves would set out, sit on top of one of the large hoodoos along the river, and fast until they had a vision. Often that vision would be of an animal, and that animal would become their spiritual protector throughout life. As they fulfilled this quest, they may have scrawled the story of their visions into the rocks. These carvings would be witnessed hundreds of years after they had joined their vision in the nether world. Others believe the carvings were made by the spirits and that they predicted the future.

Today, park interpreters take you into an archaeological preserve to witness the highest concentration of rock art on the North American plains. Unlike pictographs, which are rock paintings, petroglyphs are carved into the rock itself. The rocks tell stories of birth and battle. They tell of the hunt, and of the connection of these people with the land. The intricacies of the stories have long been lost as even their ancestors, the Blackfoot, cannot understand their full meaning. Eventually, the constant blasting of the wind will remove these historic etchings. As you look up, you may see a giant face, carved by the hand of nature, out of the rock itself. This face, which is only visible from certain angles, is complete with tongue sticking out. Perhaps it represents the spirits way of laughing at our feeble attempts to understand these long vanished people.

Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park maintains a campground with 75 sites along the river. Recently, a new shower building has opened. There is an interpretive trail which provides access to a few petroglyphs and is a great way to explore the surrounding area. Walks into the archaeological preserve occur daily, during the summer months, and require tickets to participate. The nearest supplies can be found at the town of Milk River 42 km to the northwest. For more information contact the park directly at (403) 647-2364.

For further information, contact:

Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation
4th Floor, City Centre Building
10155-102 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5J-4L6

or call toll free:
From Canada or Continental USA: 1-800-661-8888
From Edmonton Only: 427-4321