Nose Hill Siksikaitsitapi Medicine Wheel – Calgary, Alberta - Atlas Obscura
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Nose Hill Siksikaitsitapi Medicine Wheel

Calgary, Alberta

This First Nations monument is a peaceful spot with vast views of the Calgary prairie. 

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The medicine wheel. Rosanne Tackaberry / Alamy
The medicine wheel. Rosanne Tackaberry / Alamy
The medicine wheel and city skyline. John Andersen (used with permission)
The medicine wheel. aduckchief (used with permission)
Nose Hill Park. naserke (cc by-sa 2.0)
The medicine wheel. k1ng_shit (used with permission)
Please do not move the stones! Wanderuss (Atlas Obscura User)
Medicine Wheel with downtown buildings in background. darren 6e1ec49d (Atlas Obscura User)
Sign for Nose Hill. Joshua Dawn (cc by-nd 2.0)
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Stand at this medicine wheel, and you’ll see sweeping views of prairieland interrupted by the Calgary skyline looming in the distance. The monument is a peaceful spot meant to make visitors stop and take a moment to appreciate their surroundings and the human history tied to the land.

Members of the Blood Tribe built the medicine wheel in 2015 as part of an annual Blackfoot Confederacy conference. The wheel takes the shape of the Siksikaitsitapi logo, which represents the Blood, Siksika, and Northern and Southern Peigan tribes, the four tribes that form the confederation.

Centuries ago, First Nations people used Nose Hill as a lookout spot to keep watch over the rolling land below. Old stone circles once used to hold down tipis are still scattered about the hillside.

This medicine wheel is a modern landmark, a tribute to the historical and spiritual connection between the people and the land. It also marks the hill as part of traditional Blackfoot territory. People are welcome to leave a small, appropriate offering at the center.

Know Before You Go

Closest access is from the Nose Hill Park 14th street parking lot (on east side of park). Take one of the trails up leading west from the parking lot. A better option if you have a bit more time is to park at the Nose Hill parking lot at the Calgary Winter Club. Walk up the trail with stairs heading north/west. Then follow the trail north and north/east to reach the medicine wheel. This route offers a good workout and offers a little more of a natural prairie setting with great views.

first nations indigenous parks sculptures art
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