Sacred Native American Spots in the US

Long before Europeans arrived on the wild shores of America, a diverse population of Native American people populated the land. Each of the tribes maintained a distinct and unique identity and one aspect of that identity was the tribe’s spiritual practices. While scholars have long since studied the spiritual beliefs of Native Americans, there are sites that remain sacred to Native Americans. However, many of these sacred sites are open to the public and provide spiritual inspiration for people of all cultural backgrounds.

Bighorn Medicine Wheel

Found high atop Medicine Mountain near Lovell, Wyoming, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel is a sprawling sacred site built more than 700 years ago. It is a circular rock formation with 28 spokes and a total circumference of 245 feet. The medicine wheel is precisely aligned so that four of the outer cairns (alter-like structures) perfectly aligns with the rising and setting sun during the winter and summer solstice. In the past, the medicine wheel was used by members of the Crow tribe and Nez Perce tribe as a place for prayer and sacred rituals. It is still a place of pilgrimage for people seeking to connect with the Earth’s energy.

Mt. Shasta

Situated in the Cascade Mountains in California, Mount Shasta is an extinct volcano with two peaks. It has long been the site of sacred rituals, vision quests by many different local tribes even though it was named after the Sastise Indians. Not only did the various tribes use it as a site for sacred rituals and healing, the abundant offerings of the forest provided food and ingredients for medicinal uses. Mount Shasta is still thought to be an important energy vortex to this day that radiates healing energy outward. It remains a place of spiritual significance to many people seeking a peaceful place for prayer.

White Sands of New Mexico

Imagine happening across a majestic vision of white sand dunes towering more than 60 feet into the desert landscape. Now plan a visit to White Sands, New Mexico, and you won’t have to rely on your imagination. Located in New Mexico, just west of the city of Alamagordo are the fabled White Sands, which are the world’s largest dune fields of pristine white gypsum sand that covers more than 230 square miles. In the past, the white sand dunes were a favorite site for Native American’s to embark on a vision quest. Their spiritual energy is still very much evident today and it is reportedly the site of hundreds of UFO sightings.

While many of these sacred sites are historic sites and protected by laws, your help is still needed to protect these important sites of spiritual significance and sacred rituals. Now that you understand the historical significance of these sites and their continued spiritual presence, you can do your part in helping protect the sacred sites of Native Americans. Whether you are exploring your Native American ancestry or are looking for new ways to connect with your spirituality, these sacred sites of the Native Americans provide a peaceful and inspiring place for you to connect with divine energies.