Canada’s first national park, established in 1885 and now encompassing 6,641 km² of the Canadian Rockies. The park lies within the traditional territories of the Stoney Nakoda, Ktunaxa, Tsuut’ina, Kainai, Piikani, Siksika, and Plains Cree.

Indigenous stewardship. Human presence in the region extends over 10,000 years. Archaeological evidence at the Vermilion Lakes dates activity to 10,300–10,800 years before present. The Bow River valley and high-alpine basins around Lake Louise were used for hunting, fishing, trade, and ceremony. The Stoney Nakoda, who migrated into the foothills and mountains about 300 years ago, knew the lake as Ho-run-num-nay (Horâ Juthin Îmne); “Lake of the Little Fishes”; reflecting its glacial ecology. The area served as a “medicine chest” for medicinal plants and as a site of spiritual cleansing in the glacial waters. Tom Wilson was guided to the lake in 1882 by Edwin Hunter (Goldseeker), a Stoney Nakoda guide.

Early scientific exploration. The British North American Exploring Expedition (Palliser Expedition, 1857–1860) conducted the first scientific survey of the Bow Valley. Geologist Sir James Hector explored the region in 1858–1859, mapping Vermilion Pass, Howse Pass, Kicking Horse Pass, and the Bow River headwaters; his reports informed the CPR’s later route selection.

Cave and Basin and park creation. The CPR’s selection of Kicking Horse Pass ensured the Bow Valley would anchor westward expansion. In autumn 1883 three CPR workers; William and Tom McCardell and Frank McCabe; found thermal springs on Sulphur Mountain and claimed them. The federal government asserted public ownership; on 25 November 1885 an Order in Council established a 26 km² reserve around the Cave and Basin, the Banff Hot Springs Reserve; the birth of Canada’s first national park.

Statutory evolution. The Rocky Mountains Park Act (23 June 1887) expanded the reserve to 665 km² and renamed it Rocky Mountains Park of Canada. The Lake Louise area was included in 1892. James B. Harkin (Commissioner of Dominion Parks, 1911–1936) pushed for the National Parks Act of 1930, which formally separated parks from forest reserves and enshrined the dedication clause: parks dedicated to the people for “benefit, education and enjoyment” and to be “left unimpaired for future generations.” The Act renamed Rocky Mountains Park to Banff National Park. In 1984 the park was inscribed as part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. See Parks Canada for the agency’s broader evolution from pleasure ground to ecological integrity.

Displacement and exclusion. Treaty 7 (1877) was interpreted by the government as land surrender. The Pass System restricted Indigenous people to reserves. Between 1890 and 1920 the Stoney Nakoda were removed from the park; traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering were prohibited. Indigenous presence was limited to events such as Banff Indian Days, where Stoney Nakoda performed for tourists. The creation of the park as “pristine wilderness” required the erasure of millennia of Indigenous stewardship.

Modern management. The park mandate shifted toward ecological integrity in the late 20th century. The defeat of the proposed Village Lake Louise development (1972); a $30 million alpine village opposed by CPAWS and the public; led to the 1979 Parks Canada Policy prioritizing ecological integrity over development. Wildlife corridors (Fairview and Whitehorn) are bisected by Lake Louise Drive and Whitehorn Road; Parks Canada has built overpasses and underpasses, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions by over 80%. Moraine Lake Road closed to personal vehicles in 2023; access is by shuttle or commercial operators. Paid parking and regional shuttles manage visitation at Lake Louise. The Icefields Parkway (232 km to Jasper) traverses the park’s northern reaches; Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Saskatchewan River Crossing; linking to Jasper National Park.

Reconciliation. On 24 August 2020 the Stoney Nakoda First Nation held an inaugural “Discovery Day” ceremony at Lake Louise; a pipe ceremony and teepee on the lakeshore. The event reclaimed the narrative of the lake’s discovery, shifting focus from Wilson’s 1882 arrival to Edwin Hunter’s role as guide and steward. Parks Canada now works with the Stoney Nakoda on Indigenous-led cultural and interpretation initiatives at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.