Majorville Cairn and Medicine Wheel site

Majorville Cairn and Medicine Wheel, or Iniskim Umaapi, is a Blackfoot archaeological and ceremonial site south of Bassano, Alberta, on a prairie hill near the Bow River. Centered on a stone cairn enclosed by a ring and twenty-eight spokes, it belongs to an exceptionally rare class of medicine wheels. Archaeological evidence indicates great antiquity and repeated use over roughly 4,500 years, though with a possible gap in activity. Layered construction suggests its form and purpose changed over time. Offerings of sweet grass, willow, cloth, tobacco, and iniskim stones show enduring ceremonial importance. It remains one of the oldest dated ceremonial sites on the northern Plains and is closely tied to Blackfoot tradition.

Alberta · Canada