Medicine Mountain

Medicine Mountain, formally recognized as the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark, is an ancient and sacred stone structure located within the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. Known to the Crow people as "Annáshisee" (Large campsite), this remarkable site is a focal point for both Indigenous spiritual practices and scientific study, embodying a holistic approach where these disciplines are not seen as separate, as is common in Western science.

The cultural history of the Bighorn Mountains, where Medicine Mountain resides, extends back over ten thousand years. The stone wheel itself is constructed from local white limestone and is a complex arrangement of a circular rim, approximately 80 feet in diameter, with 28 spokes extending to a central cairn and surrounded by seven smaller stone circles, or cairns. The exact origins of the Medicine Wheel are not publicly claimed by any specific Indigenous nation; however, oral traditions from various peoples indicate it was built by "ancient ancestors" or "people without iron." The Crow nation states the Wheel was present when they first inhabited the area and that it rests within their traditional homeland.

Astronomical Significance and Use

Beyond its spiritual importance, Medicine Mountain is renowned for its sophisticated astronomical alignments. Investigations by astronomers have revealed that the cairns and spokes are precisely oriented to track celestial events. Notably, specific cairn pairs align with the sunrise and sunset of the summer solstice. Furthermore, alignments with cairn pairs correspond to the rising points of significant stars such as Sirius, Aldebaran, and Rigel. These alignments would have enabled ancient peoples to accurately track the progress of the solar year and other cosmic cycles, including the precession of the equinoxes.

The structure is believed to be capable of tracking multiple celestial phenomena, serving as a celestial grid to monitor changes over millennia. Similar complex wheels found in the Rocky Mountain region have been dated to as early as 3200 BC, suggesting Medicine Mountain is of considerable antiquity, though a piece of wood found within a cairn dates to the mid-18th century, indicating at least a minimum age. An ancient, deeply cut trail, still passable by foot even in winter, leads to the Wheel, attesting to its long-standing significance and the effort undertaken by those who sought its wisdom.

Cultural and Historical Context

The Medicine Wheel has been a sacred site for many Indigenous nations, with traditions such as the Arapaho referring to it as "Hiieeinoonotii." Stories recount its ceremonial use and its connection to visionary experiences, including the Crow elder Tom Yellowtail's narrative of Burnt Face receiving aid from the "Little People" while building a medicine wheel. The Tukudeka people, a band of the Sheepeater Shoshone, chose to live high in the Bighorn Mountains, partly to escape the heat and conflicts of the lower elevations, further underscoring the mountain's role as a refuge and sacred space. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970, and renamed Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain in 2011, the site continues to be a place of profound cultural and historical importance.