What if...? Studios: Canada's February 1990 Millenium Quarter Trip to Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park

The Trip

November 11, 1998

Over the weekend I had time to pause and reflect on what it meant to be a winner of the millennium coin contest. It was then that I decided to drive down to Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park to take some photographs of the area.

I didn't want to go by myself so I phoned Ed Hergott, a long-time friend, and asked him if he wanted to take a jaunt down to the park on Tuesday, Memorial Day. Before I called, I had decided that if he said yes then I would tell him about winning the coin contest. If he declined, I would wait until it got closer to the coin launch date before breaking the news to him. I know what you are thinking … the Royal Mint had just asked me a few days earlier not to tell anyone outside my family about winning the contest. However, Ed was a very close trusted friend and if I asked him to keep something in strictest confidence then he would.

As always, Ed was ready for any adventure that I might suggest, no questions asked. He found nothing out of the ordinary with my suggesting that we travel 700 Kilometers to take some photos. He had been to Writing-On-Stone a few summers ago and was eager to return. For over twenty years Ed and I have enjoyed numerous outdoor ventures together including mountain climbing, back packing, cross-country skiing, and even snow caving. When I told Ed the real reason for the trip, he was as excited as I was and said this trip would take on even more significance than our usual ventures.

The day before we left, I called the Chinook Country Tourist Association to make sure that the park would be open. I didn't want to drive all the way down there only to find we couldn't get in. The receptionist assured me that the park was open year round.

We left my house at 6:00 a.m. in a snowstorm but it stopped immediately outside the Calgary city limits. By the time we arrived at Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park at 9:45 a.m. the sun had burned away the low cloud cover.

We made a quick tour of the small picturesque campground, which is situated within a fantastic landscape of eroded rocks and cottonwood trees. On the other side of the meandering Milk River were the three conical points of Montana's Sweetgrass Hills. As we stood silently within this powerful and dramatic landscape it was easy to see how this special place must have deeply affected the native peoples of the plains.

Awakened from our thoughts by the distant howl of a lone coyote and the squawk of a hawk circling high in the sky above us, we hiked down a narrow trail to the bottom of some sandstone cliffs to view the large battle field petroglyph. This is a fascinating petroglyph that is thought to date to the mid-1800s because of the number of horses and guns that are depicted. What I found interesting was the way that dots and dashes marked the paths of all the bullet trajectories. I took a series of close-up photos of the battle field petroglyph before we moved onto another part of the park, which contained the petroglyphs that would be on the millennium coin.

Unfortunately, we discovered that this section of the park was clearly marked with numerous large red signs that read "Restricted Area! $50,000.00 fine if you enter this area without permission." Our hearts sank. We couldn't believe that we had driven all this way only to return empty handed. It was then that I remembered that Louise, from the Royal Mint, told me that she had informed the park ranger that I had won the millennium coin contest and that petroglyphs from the park would be appearing on the February coin. When I told Ed this, he suggested that we talk to the ranger and see if he would allow us access.

As we drove up to the ranger's house his large playful dog greeted us. After I introduced myself and talked about the petroglyphs that would be on the millennium quarter, the park ranger graciously allowed us into the restricted area.

We encountered a small herd of white tail deer as we descended into this section of the park and rabbits along the trail scurried for protection. The petroglyphs in this area are incredible. Hundreds of figures cover the exposed cliff faces. These stories on stone bring today's park visitors closer to past realities, to changing times and changing peoples than any textbook on native culture.

As we started to walk along the bottom of the cliffs, we immediately encountered the first petroglyph that will appear on the coin. A human figure standing alone with out-stretched arms. This deeply etched image is situated 15 feet up from the cliff base and is especially inspiring. It seems to have its own soul that speaks of a spiritual world as seen through ancient eyes.

Next to this human figure are three horses and a tipi. The petroglyph horse that is immediately adjacent to the human figure will also be illustrated on the coin. I included this image because the arrival of the horse, around the early 1700's, had enormous and almost instantaneous impact upon native life on the plains. The horse improved existing hunting strategies and introduced new ones: it provided easier transportation and altered the nature of tribal warfare. More importantly, the horse helped to expand and open new trade routes. Before the horse, the natives on the western plains of Canada were a nomadic people who traveled by foot in small bands, using dogs to drag their travois. By the time the first Europeans met the Blackfoot tribes in late 1700's, they had become one of the greatest equestrian cultures of the world.

The final petroglyph to be illustrated on the coin, the shield-bearing warrior, can be seen further along the trail. This image is much older than the other two and dates around A. D. 1300. The shield is decorated with a traditional spoke pattern, which has often been used by many cultures to decorate utilitarian objects and works of art. In addition, this geometric pattern reminded me of native medicine wheels, which are among the most complex and intriguing relics to be discovered on the plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

After spending two hours taking photos of petroglyphs and being surrounded by silent voices from Canada's distant past, it was time to return to reality … Calgary, November 11, 1998.

Lonnie's Coin Journal