Traveling Jo

The mystery surrounding the Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming is layered—ancient, sacred, and largely unexplained. For centuries, Indigenous tribes have made pilgrimage to this high-mountain circle of stones, journeying hundreds of miles for ceremony. Each tradition unique, yet all carry a shared legend: "This was here before us. Older than our people. Built by the Scarface, the Burnface. Created by those who came before Iron." The Wheel points to the stars. How did so many tribes—separated by vast lands and languages—come to know of it? Why journey so far, again and again, just to stand in its presence and make offerings? What truths remain about this circle? And what truths have been hidden? The road trip from Utah to Lovell, Wyoming was meant to take eight hours. But with wildfire detours and winding backroads, it took ten. Still, when we arrived, the land met us in serenity. Our lodging was remote, pristine. A duck pond mirrored the open sky, where clouds unfurled in sha...