Stone Hoop and Ethnobotanical Garden

The design is based on ancient stone circles scattered throughout the Americas. The stone spokes laid out in the garden and extending from a center rock cairn will point in the direction of Tribally significant locations in the Black Hills of South Dakota and beyond. Spokes will also reflect the cardinal directions, alignment with solstices and equinoxes, and will incorporate celestial connections and alignments for a Star Knowledge component. The stone garden will house a variety of native plants of cultural significance, as well as interpretive wayside signage on climate change, cultural plant use, and descriptions of locations signified by the stone spokes within.

The sculpture before you is inspired by the Bighorn Medicine Wheel located in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.

Ancient stone circles can be found across the landscapes of North America. Often the “spokes” are aligned with the cardinal directions, significant locations, or constellations. These structures act as astronomical clocks, denoting significant times of the year such as the location of the sunrise during the summer and winter solstices.

By understanding these landmarks, we can learn much about significant events, places, and values developed by communities over millennia of celestial observation.

More information can be found below.