Majorville Medicine Wheel in Alberta

On top of a grassy hill overlooking the Bow River in Alberta, the Majorville Medicine Wheel is an archaeological site of the Blackfoot Nation that dates back over 4500 years. I visited the site last summer while filming the Spirit of the Badlands campaign for the Canadian Badlands, and took part in a peace pipe ceremony with elders of the Piikani Nation.

The Majorville Medicine Wheel is located south of Bassano, but is quite literally in the middle of undisturbed prairie. Getting to the site requires some off-roading and unmarked navigation, but once you arrive you are rewarded with a view free of roads, power lines, buildings, or any other markings on the land besides the Medicine Wheel itself. The storied history, the ceremonial offerings of sweet grass and tobacco, and the notable company I was with, only further emphasized the spiritual significance of this unique landmark on the Alberta prairie.

Piikani elder and Tom Jackson speaking at the Majorville Medicine Wheel.