On a dry, windy day in August 2020, archeologist Ernie Walker stood at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatchewan, gazing at the park’s newly acquired bison herd. The region was once home to many herds of bison. But they were wiped out due to excessive hunting, particularly in the late 19th century by white settlers.
Now back to their ancestral lands in Saskatchewan, the very creatures that had once been central to Indigenous culture uncovered something extraordinary.
As the bison rolled in the dust, their hooves wore away the vegetation, revealing something long hidden beneath the surface. Their hooves unearthed ancient petroglyphs — rock carvings that honored the bison themselves.
Finding themselves
Walker couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the first carving peeking through the dirt. What started as a casual observation turned into the discovery of a lifetime, revealing ancient rock art that hadn’t been seen for nearly 1,000 years.
“When I realized that it was a ribstone,” Walker recalls, “I tried not to have a stroke.”
The very bison the petroglyphs celebrated had now helped bring them back into view.
What came next would tie the land, its animals, and its people back together in profound ways.
Walker’s initial thought was that the grooves he saw on the rock were due to tool damage. But as he brushed the dirt away, more grooves appeared, neatly aligned, symmetrical. Over the following weeks, three more petroglyphs and even the tool used to carve them were uncovered, all thanks to the bison.
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The bison archaeologists
Wanuskewin, meaning “sanctuary” in the Plains Cree language, had been an important gathering place for Indigenous peoples of the Northern Plains for thousands of years. The area served as a meeting ground for migratory groups, with the bison herds central to their way of life. For decades, archeologists found traces of these ancient cultures — potsherds, bone fragments, and projectile points. Yet something crucial had been missing: evidence of the spiritual and ceremonial life that had once flourished here.
That changed with the discovery of the petroglyphs, rock carvings etched with symbolic motifs. Created between 300 and 1,800 years ago, they offered a glimpse into the spiritual beliefs of the people who once lived and hunted in the area.
“We had everything: teepee rings, buffalo jumps, the northernmost medicine wheel,” Walker told Canadian Geographic. “But we didn’t have rock art. And lo and behold, what happens? The bison show them to us.”
One of the most significant finds was the “ribstone”, a 250-kilogram boulder bearing grooves representing the ribs of a bison, a metaphorical motif from the hoofprint tradition. This style was prevalent across the Great Plains, from southern Alberta to Wyoming, and offered a simpler, symbolic way to depict animals central to Indigenous life. Instead of carving an entire bison, carvers etched out distinct features, like ribs or hooves.
Speaking of carving, Walker also found the very stone knife used to etch the ribstone. He measured the width of the cutting edge against the rock’s grooves — they were a perfect match. “It’s an incredibly rare find,” he added.
“We’d found the detritus of everyday living: broken stone tools and debris from the manufacture of stone tools, bones, charcoal, potsherds, seeds and things like that,” Walker told Smithsonian Magazine. “But [we] didn’t find ideas. [We] didn’t find emotions. The petroglyphs brought that. They’re that other dimension. … They’re a glimpse into somebody’s hopes and dreams.”
A bison recovery success story
The return of bison to Wanuskewin is both an ecological success and a spiritual revival. After being hunted to near extinction in the late 19th century, the animals disappeared from these lands. So, the Indigenous communities that had depended on the herds were forced onto reserves and cut off from their ancestral migration routes.
Then, in December 2019, with the help of Parks Canada, a small herd was reintroduced to the park. Within eight months, their hooves uncovered the petroglyphs, which some among the Wahpeton Dakota Nation view as a confirmation of long-held prophecies.
“The elders used to tell us when the bison come back, that’s when there’ll be a good change in our history,” says Cy Standing, a Dakota knowledge keeper. “We’ve been down a long time. But it feels like we are starting the way up.”
The discovery of the petroglyphs has bolstered efforts to preserve and promote Wanuskewin as a cultural site. The park is undergoing a $40-million expansion and is preparing a bid to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For the Indigenous peoples of the region, the petroglyphs represent more than an archaeological find — they are a connection to their ancestors. The rocks, referred to as “grandfathers,” are sacred. Elders from the Dakota Nation, Cree, Blackfoot, and others have come to see them, offering spiritual guidance. Although moving sacred rocks is generally discouraged, the Elders agreed that in this case, moving the boulders to protect them and share their story with the world was acceptable. So, the ribstone now sits on display at the park’s visitor center.
“We think it’s important that we have access to our history, for our children and grandchildren,” says Standing. “Hopefully, knowing who we are gives them a foundation, and they’ll have a good life.”
The return of the bison to Wanuskewin has not only restored an ecological balance but has also reawakened a long-lost cultural legacy. As the park prepares for its future, the petroglyphs serve as a reminder of the deep connection between the land, its animals, and its people — an enduring legacy of resilience, spirituality, and survival.
