The Majorville Medicine Wheel, located south of Bassano, Alberta, Canada, is a significant archaeological and cultural site of the Blackfoot Nation. Known by its Blackfoot name, Iniskim Umaapi, which translates to "buffalo calling stones sacred site," this ancient monument holds deep spiritual and historical importance for the Blackfoot people14.
Blackfoot Name and Significance
The name Iniskim Umaapi reflects the site's connection to Iniskim, or buffalo calling stones, which are central to Blackfoot ceremonial practices. These stones, found in exposed bedrock formations below the medicine wheel and recovered from excavations at the central cairn, are believed to have spiritual power and are used in rituals to call buffalo or maintain cultural traditions136. The term Umaapi emphasizes the sacred nature of the site, linking it to the broader spiritual landscape of the Blackfoot people7.
Traditions and Cultural Practices
The Majorville Medicine Wheel serves as a record of Blackfoot ritual activity, connecting the present with the past and future. Archaeological evidence indicates continuous use of the site for over 4,500 years, making it one of the oldest religious monuments in the world136. The structure itself consists of a central cairn, 9 meters in diameter, connected to a 27-meter-wide cobble circle by 28 radiating stone spokes, representing a complex design unique among medicine wheels in North America14.
Blackfoot traditions at the site include leaving offerings such as sweetgrass, sage, willow, cloth, tobacco, and engaging in prayer and song. These practices symbolically maintain a connection between contemporary Blackfoot individuals and their ancestors136. The site is also associated with vision quests and healing, as exemplified by Blackfoot Elder Laura Sitting Eagle, who visited Iniskim Umaapi during the COVID-19 pandemic to find emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental balance through prayer and offerings.
The medicine wheel is often interpreted through the lens of the number four, a significant figure in Blackfoot culture representing the four cardinal directions, the four sacred medicines, and the four human needs. For many, the wheel's quadrants symbolize emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, making it a place to seek balance and strength.
Ongoing Cultural Importance
The surrounding landscape, including undisturbed prairie and nearby tipi ring sites, further ties the medicine wheel to historical Blackfoot community settlements and ritual activities. Outcroppings of fossil ammonites in the Bow River valley below the site provide a source for Iniskim stones, supporting cultural retention and renewal among First Nations people. Oral histories and legends preserved by local Blackfoot communities continue to narrate the significance and use of Iniskim Umaapi, ensuring its role as a living cultural monument1.
Citations:
- https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=15835
- https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/e327fb33-dee0-4c8d-918f-73f557b989ad/resource/14b69136-789c-4b8a-8b5f-bd60d42657af/download/blackfoot-medicine-wheel.pdf
- http://wakinguponturtleisland.blogspot.com/2013/03/iniskim-buffalo-calling-stones.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majorville_Cairn_and_Medicine_Wheel_site
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiL_OdnlA9s
- https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/iniskim-umaapi-majorville-medicine-wheel
- https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220109-iniskim-umaapi-is-this-canadas-stonehenge
- https://tourismlethbridge.com/stories/the-importance-of-medicine-wheels-in-indigenous-culture
- https://ucalgary.scholaris.ca/items/452963d2-54a2-44d8-a1bc-d27cdc68909d
- https://www.reddit.com/r/alberta/comments/s5e9oz/iniskim_umaapi_one_of_the_oldest_religious/
- https://open.alberta.ca/publications/majorville-medicine-wheel-motorized-access
- https://emberarchaeology.ca/the-9-types-of-medicine-wheels-in-alberta/
- https://canadianarchaeology.com/caa/publications/majorville-medicine-wheel-complex-marking-1200-hour-day-not-true-solar-equinox
- https://albertawilderness.ca/issues/wildlands/areas-of-concern/majorville/
- https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/medicine-wheel
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