The Matapiiksi Interpretive Trail, Alberta - 360 | National Geographic

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to one of the most significant collections of Indigenous rock art in North America. So this is my first time hiking the Matapiiksi Trail, and it’s different from the trails I normally hike because it’s not mountainous; it’s amongst the prairies, and I’m really excited to learn about the significant cultural history here. Joining me on the trail today is Blackfoot Elder Saakokoto, who's kindly allowed me to walk with him and learn about his knowledge of the trail.

Oki, welcome to Writing on Stone / Áísínai’pi. We are right in the heart of traditional Blackfoot territory. It is important to acknowledge that Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi lies within Blackfoot territory and is situated within Treaty 7. A site of significant Indigenous tradition, we thank these Nations for their continuous stewardship and for sharing the land with us.

Walking down into the hoodoos felt like walking into a whole other planet. Each one is unique and almost feels like it has its own personality. Saakokoto’s knowledge of the trail is really humbling and something that I really appreciate being able to learn more about. This is where they say there is the highest concentration of markings made by our ancestors.

And that’s what Áísínai’pi means: to mark, to picture, or to draw on the stone. It’s a completely unexpected landscape and a little bit mind-bending as you walk down the trail. The Milk River runs adjacent to the hoodoos and kind of provides a backdrop the whole time you’re walking along the trail. That’s the beauty of this river because it flows; it starts and kind of ends right on Blackfoot territory.

Because I’m exploring this trail with Saakokoto, I now get to go to the archaeological preserve to learn about the rock art and the petroglyphs. All of the markings that had been left behind were a way to record certain events and experiences. We all have different experiences in what we see and what we understand about these sacred gifts that have been left there for us—and how we take those stories back about the experience that we have here.

As I learned about the rock art and the stories behind the pictures, I realized that that’s kind of similar to what I’m trying to do with my photos—to tell more of a story by using an image. What’s special about being in the hoodoos for golden hour is because the sun’s lower; it hits the hoodoos at a certain angle that creates more depth and makes them feel even more dynamic than they already are.

Following this trail today has been really fascinating. Learning about the cultural significance has given me a whole new understanding and appreciation for the landscape. The best part is now I understand the story of the land that I'm photographing.