BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Native American Medicine Wheels

Tanglewood Park, host site for the Strong Sun Pow Wow is also home to a Medicine Wheel open to the public. There is so much meaning and symbolism in these simple, but sacred rock circles. This week's article covers the basics and has a link for a virtual tour of Bighorn Medicine Wheel. It's one of the largest and located in Wyoming.

I was so disappointed we didn't have time to drive to the one at Tanglewood this past weekend. But we'll make sure to include that next year. Have you ever visited a Medicine Wheel?

Ahhh! I was going to visit the Bighorn Medicine Wheel this month. We could not go because my sister had a bad accident and the whole family has been helping her and her family out with cooking, etc.

Do you have a link to your article, Jane? I would love to read it.

Great article, Jane. Medicine Wheels are one of the most intriguing sacred sites.

Maybe some day I will get to the Bighorn Medicine Wheel.

Thanks for adding the link Phyllis. I'm still nursing a "fried" brain and sunburn from this weekend. I have seen Creek women wear kerchiefs on their heads. I need to find out if that's appropriate for my regalia. I'd just have to figure out how to wear the hair feathers an Elder friend gifted me.

My forehead got the worst of it and the skin is already peeling. When we attend Strong Sun next year, it will be with our pop-up canopy and both battery operated fans!

I am so sorry your travel plans had to be postponed this summer. But I hope your Sister is doing well in her recovery. At least you can visit Bighorn Medicine Wheel by virtual tour. That was an awesome internet find. How they aligned spokes and cairns to significant stars was most interesting.

Due to thin hair I wear kerchiefs in the circle or my "Navy Wife" hat often. I have never had anyone say anything to me about doing so....but those that know me, know why I am wearing them.

I am unsure of your tribe, however, there are several types of head coverings for women of the northeast. The most noticeable are the hoods of the Micmaq.

I have also seen women wear fox (badger, skunk, raccoon, etc) faces in their hair, both forwards and back....I have a brown fox face in my stash that I will wear as well.

Back to the wheel, I set my fire pit on a wheel. It;'s not your classic round field stones, but the marker stones are in the four directions and I start the fire with sage and cedar every time.