Jasper National Park, besides having some of the most amazing scenic beauty in the Rockies, and great activities such as hiking, camping, skiing, sightseeing and fishing, also has an amazing history to discover on your vacation. Here, we have given just a glimpse into the history of the native peoples of the Jasper National Park region.

Jasper National Park's Pocahontas Mountain.

The Mountain of the Spiral Road, known as Yuh-hai-has-kun in the native tongue, and now known as Mt. Robson, was named for its interesting, spiral-like appearance, by the Texqakallt, the earliest known inhabitants of the upper reaches of the Fraser River of Alberta.

This almost completely nomadic tribe dressed only in marmot skins and slept on the open snow with their feet toward a central fire. Despite this, we highly recommend bringing a tent, and really, really warm clothes, especially socks, if you want to do some winter camping in Jasper.

The tribe constructed lodges and fish drying racks in prime salmon fishing territory at the confluence of the McLennan and Fraser Rivers in the vicinity of what is now Tete Jaune Cache. As well as salmon from the Fraser, they are believed to have caught trout from Yellowhead Lake. They hunted moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, marmots and other small mammals and birds, all inhabitants of the Canadian Rockies. They also relied on edible plants in the area, especially berries.

As this tribe expanded their hunting territory to the east through the Yellowhead Pass, the Cree, with the advance of the fur trade, began to extend theirs from the east towards the Jasper area. Eventually the two territories overlapped and and the tribes began to mix culturally.

You can learn much more about this culture, and it’s meaning in Jasper, by taking guided tours or visiting the many museums in Jasper on your vacation.

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