A notable 1915 survey marker is associated with the Majorville Medicine Wheel site in Alberta, documenting one of the earliest instances of official mapping and recognition by European settlers of this important Indigenous ceremonial complex.[1]
Historical 1915 Survey at Majorville
- The Majorville Medicine Wheel (Iniskim Umaapi) was formally recorded and sketched by a Saskatchewan Township Inspector named Begg in 1915, marking a key moment when settler authorities officially acknowledged the existence and layout of this ancient Blackfoot site.[1]
- The 1915 survey sketch likely documented the prominent stone structures—including the central cairn, surrounding stone circle, and the unique spokes—and helped secure the site's status in later archaeological and heritage records.[1]
- This survey marked a transition in the site's history, embedding it into provincial and federal maps and beginning an era of academic and government monitoring of the location.[1]
Significance of the Survey Marker
- The 1915 documentation brought wider recognition to the Majorville Medicine Wheel, supporting further research and eventual cultural protection initiatives.[2][1]
- While the site itself predates colonial surveys by thousands of years, the act of marking and recording by officials signified the early cross-cultural encounter between settler authorities and Indigenous sacred landscapes.[2][1]
- The survey marker and its records now provide important context for current archaeological, Indigenous heritage, and preservation efforts at the site.[2][1]
This early 20th-century survey marker remains an intriguing piece of the Majorville Medicine Wheel's modern history, bridging Indigenous spiritual resilience with the evolving documentation and safeguarding of such sites in Alberta.[2][1]
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- https://thesas.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Reeves-and-Kennedy-2017.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majorville_Cairn_and_Medicine_Wheel_site
- https://arctic.ucalgary.ca/news/university-calgary-partnership-first-nations-goes-back-more-50-years
- https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/300/ont_archaeol_soc/annual_meeting_caa/33rd/freeman2.pdf
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EYrBf7Ne5s
- https://archive.org/details/majorvillecairnm0000cald
- https://ematerials.ulethbridge.ca/collections/fec0b0b7-4b5b-4d78-a6d2-534aa0d7fe05?spc.page=1&f.dateIssued.min=1915&f.subject=Alberta+--+Maps%2Cequals&f.author=Canada.+Surveys+and+Mapping+Branch%2Cequals
- https://everydaytourist.ca/wandering-canada/majorville-medicine-wheel-a-fun-road-trip
- https://natural-resources.canada.ca/science-data/science-research/geomatics/geodetic-reference-systems/100-years-geodetic-surveys-canada
- https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220109-iniskim-umaapi-is-this-canadas-stonehenge
- https://canadianarchaeology.com/caa/publications/observational-archaeoastronomy-majorville-medicine-wheel-complex-winter-and-summer
- https://hermis.alberta.ca/ARHP/Details.aspx?DeptID=2&ObjectID=HS+14412
- https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=15835
- https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/iniskim-umaapi-majorville-medicine-wheel
- https://canehdianstories.com/tag/majorville-medicine-wheel/
- https://canadianarchaeology.com/caa/publications/majorville-medicine-wheel-complex-marking-1200-hour-day-not-true-solar-equinox
- https://canadaehx.substack.com/p/the-majorville-medicine-wheel-site
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