Local Attractions
Tete De Bouef (Buffalo Head, Calf Mountain) was built by natives as a ritual Meeting Place, and was used to bury great men of their time. Indications are that their rituals were based on proximity to the highly advanced Mayan and Aztec culture of Mexico.
It is known that there are thousands of similar mounds in North America, many of which have been investigated. A great many of these are in the Ohio River area. There are also clusters of mounds in several places on the western and central plains areas of the United Stated. On the basis of investigations in these several situations it is estimated that the Mound culture was some centuries before 1500 A. D. and declined gradually towards 1500 A. D. as did other civilizations throughout the world.
Ritualistic practices were followed at Tete de Bouef which centered on the Solar system. The native culture has shown intellectual capacities only recently discovered by intensive research. The explorers naturally used these trails which led in all directions as well as the four cardinal points, (east, west, north and south). La Verendrye was the first, (on record), to use one of these trails while on his way to the Mandans (who lived on the banks of the Missouri River).
Tete de Bouef is French Canadian for Buffalo Head. The name was later corrupted to Calf Mountain. It was called Buffalo Head because one of the religious practices was that anyone who passed the Mound left a buffalo head, painted with red ochre on the forehead of the skull. The skulls were placed reverently at the front and sides of the Mound much the same as we today place wreaths or flowers at the base of a Cenotaph, in memory of the dead.
A view towards the Beautiful Pembina Valley
