New evidence tells us more about an 11,000-year-old Indigenous settlement in Canada.

• An 11,000-year-old Indigenous settlement found in Saskatchewan reshapes the understanding of North American civilizations.
• Evidence of a long-term settlement, rather than a temporary hunting camp, pushes against previous ideas that Indigenous peoples were solely nomadic.
• The find also bumps against previously held beliefs on how long people groups have lived in North America.

The now-extinct but once-plentiful Bison antiquus—a bigger, taller cousin of the bison we know today, each weighing as much as 4,400 pounds—would make for quite a meal if you managed to bring one down. Their meat was apparently reason enough for a group of Indigenous peoples to make a home near what is now Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, according to a new discovery that flips our predisposition about early North Americans upside down.

In the new find, researchers discovered evidence of a long-term settlement near Sturgeon Lake in the Canadian province, dating the settlement to 11,000 years ago. It could rewrite what is known about Indigenous history in North America, providing evidence of a more sedentary life style taking hold much earlier than the nomadic way of living that experts have long believed was how those early people groups lived.

“This discovery challenges the outdated idea that early Indigenous peoples were solely nomadic,” said Glenn Stuart, archaeologist at the University of Saskatchewan, in a statement released by Sturgeon Lake First Nation via the university. “The evidence of long-term settlement and land stewardship suggest a deep-rooted presence. It also raises questions about the Bering Strait Theory, supporting oral histories that Indigenous communities have lived here for countless generations.”

The researchers said this find establishes the location as one of the oldest known Indigenous sites on the continent, a pre-contact settlement showing that organized societies existed in the region far earlier than previously believed.

Researcher and archaeologist Dave Rondeau initially discovered a host of artifacts revealed by erosion from the North Saskatchewan River. “The moment I saw the layers of history peeking through the soil, I felt the weight of generations staring back at me,” Rondeau said. “Now that the evidence has proven my first instincts, this site is shaking up everything we thought we knew and could change the narrative of early Indigenous civilizations in North America.”

The team located stone tools, fire pits, and lithic materials used in toolmaking. The Charcoal layers show inhabitants practiced fire management, and the site was used long-term, rather than as a temporary hunting camp.

Another key differentiator was the discovery of large bison remains. The landscape features a buffalo jump—a cliff that Indigenous people used to drive large groups of animals over for easier kills—and the team believes the site likely housed multiple bison pounds and other kill sites. The findings point to hunters strategically harvesting the now-extinct Bison antiquus.

Finding evidence of bison also could provide insight into early hunting techniques and the evolution of the species.

“This discovery is a powerful reminder that our ancestors were here, building, thriving, and shaping the land long before history books acknowledged us,” Chief Christine Longjohn said in a statement. “For too long our voices have been silenced, but this site speaks for us, proving that our roots run deep and unbroken.”