A popular U.S. medical drama is turning heads toward southern Alberta, where staff at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump say the recent on-screen mention has ignited new curiosity about the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The site was brought up in an episode of The Pitt — surprising staff who say they weren’t expecting the attention.
“I, myself, haven’t watched [the show],” said Quinton Crow Shoe, head of marketing and events at the landmark. “Some of our staff here at the site are following it, and then, surprisingly, there’s a lot of local folks that are not aware of it, so I checked it out, and I thought, ‘Hey, cool, this looks like a pretty good show.’”
Crow Shoe said the mention wasn’t on his personal radar until a friend sent him a clip the day the episode aired.
“I said, ‘Wow, cool, this is awesome,’” he said. “And the next day when I came to work, some of our staff said, ‘Hey, we got a mention on The Pitt,’ and then it just snowballed from there.”
In the popular TV drama, the main character, Dr. Michael (Robby) Robinavitch, played by actor Noah Wyle, announces he’s going on sabbatical to the landmark in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
“I’ve never seen the badlands,” he says in the episode that aired Jan. 8.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is about 150 kilometres south of Calgary.
Will TV shoutout draw new visitors?
While it’s too early to say whether the mention will result in a significant rise in visitors, Crow Shoe said it has already made an impression.
“The next day after the mention, we had a couple come in from Calgary who had never heard of us,” he said. “Because they saw it on TV, they wanted to come and see it for themselves, and they were pleasantly surprised.”
Staff began to track visitors who said the show influenced their visit — and several of them did.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump preserves thousands of years of Plains Indigenous hunting practices, where communities worked together to guide bison over cliffs by using the expertise of the landscape.
For Crow Shoe, moments like this offer more than tourism potential — they open the door to deeper learning.
“I just hope that it triggers them to reach out and gain a better appreciation and understanding of the history,” he said. “Just about moving forward for our future generations as we all move forward in harmony, and better understanding and communication.”
Indigenous history throughout pop culture, closer to home
This isn’t the first time Indigenous stories and Alberta-connected histories have appeared in mainstream film and television.
Blood Tribe actor Eugene Brave Rock incorporated the Blackfoot language into his role in the Hollywood film Wonder Woman, bringing global attention to Indigenous representation from southern Alberta.
Other productions have explored Indigenous experiences across Canada, including Anne with an E, which addressed Mi’kmaq history, and Reservation Dogs, praised for its Indigenous-led storytelling.
Films such as The Revenant — which was partially filmed in Alberta — consulted Indigenous advisors to ensure cultural accuracy, while landmark Indigenous-made productions like Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner and Rhymes for Young Ghouls have spotlighted Indigenous voices behind the camera.
More recent series, including Little Bird, continue to explore identity, family and intergenerational resilience, helping to widen public understanding of Indigenous histories and cultures.
For Crow Shoe, even brief references like this can make a meaningful impact.
— With files from Canadian Press
