Municipal Heritage Property
Buffalo Effigy
Happy Valley RM 10, Saskatchewan
Also known as Big Beaver Buffalo Effigy, Archaeological Site DgNh-3
View of rock outline in form of a bison, 1992.
Photo: Government of Saskatchewan, Frank Korvemaker, 1992.
- Recognized
- 1999
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Buffalo Effigy site is a Municipal Heritage Property encompassing 64 hectares of land overlooking West Beaver Creek near the United States border and the Big Beaver Port of Entry. The property’s main features include a bison figure outlined in fieldstones, a rock cairn and at least eight stone rings.
Heritage value
The Buffalo Effigy speaks to the important role of bison in precontact First Nations culture. The site, believed to contain the only bison figure constructed of fieldstone in Canada, expresses the deep spiritual significance attached to the relationship between humans and the animals that provided so many of life's necessities. The site continues to be venerated and used as a ceremonial site by First Nations.
The site is also valued as an important expression of time and place for the local rural community. The area's residents strongly identify with an historic tableau that includes the buffalo effigy, other precontact sites, and sites related to the settlement era. The local people have a very strong sense of pride in these historic resources, which they see as giving their community its distinctive character.
Source:
Rural Municipality of Happy Valley No. 10 Bylaw No. 2-99.
Character‑defining elements
The heritage value of the Buffalo Effigy site resides in the following character-defining elements:
-the site in its defined boundaries on an undisturbed hilltop;
-the buffalo figure, stone rings and cairns or other archaeological features in their original locations;
-precontact artifacts, especially those in an undisturbed context;
-the site's unobstructed vistas of the surrounding countryside;
-use of the site by First Nations for traditional ceremonial purposes;
-use of the site by community residents for educational, leisure and tourism purposes.
End of the register’s text
Location
Happy Valley RM 10, Saskatchewan, S0H, Canada
49.01619° N, 105.18722° W
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.