Central Alberta:
Aspenland
Central Alberta is a picturesque parkland region covering
over 50,000 square kilometres. The region’s historic
name, Aspenland, refers to the trembling aspen or poplar
(populous tremuloides) — the dominant tree of the region.
For biologists, the aspen parkland is a transitional zone
between the arid grasslands to the south, and the wetter,
cooler boreal forest to the north. It marks the zone between
foothills and prairie from west to east. It is a uniquely
Canadian landscape, also found in parts of Saskatchewan
and Manitoba, and is a natural region as well as an ecosystem
that has supported human life for up to 11,000 years.
Central Alberta is part of the North American Great
Plains and home to the Blackfoot and Cree peoples. Both
the Blackfoot and the Cree were hunter / gatherer nomadic
peoples who followed the migration of the buffalo (bison),
their main food source. Today, the museums of CARMN
are located on Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 territory.
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