In the Beginning (1800's - 1910)
Long before the arrival of the first settlers the Regina area was known by First Nations people as a place where buffalo grazed. The Cree Indians who came to the area used buffalo as their main source of food,clothing and shelter. The unused buffalo bones were gathered into huge round piles that were about 2 metres high and 12 metres in diameter at the base. Shinbones and other long bones were placed at the bottom of the pile, radiating out like the spokes of a wheel. The Cree name for this special place was Oskana-Ka-asateki -"the bones that are piled together." The first settlement at the site was called "Pile O' Bones." Over the years, the spot was a refuge for many. The Metis hunted there. Explorers, fur-traders, surveyors and settlers who crossed the plains also had special names for the area, including "Many Bones," "Bone Creek" and "The Old Crossing."