MEDICINE WHEEL 
Preservation Group

American Indian Interpretive Ranger Program

2026 Season

Dave McKee

Medicine Wheel Preservation Group

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The fourth year of the American Indian Interpretive Ranger Program was successfully implemented and completed this summer by the Medicine Wheel Preservation Group (MWPG) a 501(C) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to further public education, interpretation, and preservation for the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark (MW-NHL) on the Bighorn National Forest and associated archaeological and American Indian cultural sites.

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The program is implemented under a 5-year non-funded Participating Agreement between the MWPG and the Bighorn National Forest which manages the MW-NHL. Grant funding for 2026 was provided by the Seidler Foundation, the National Forest Foundation, the Wyoming Community Foundation, The Homer & Mildred Scott Foundation, and private donations.

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This year Emaurice Flat Lip and Elannah Flat Lip were selected to serve as Interpretive Rangers in the program.  These sisters are members of the Crow and Salish Tribes, accomplished powwow dancers, and honor students at the University of Montana.   Emaurice will be a senior in Fall 2026, majoring in Public Health at the University of Montana with a minor in Native American Studies and a certificate in Global Leadership. She is a member of Davidson Honors College and a Dean’s Leadership Scholar. Elannah will be a junior in Fall 2026 working toward her bachelor’s degree in Human Biological and Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Native American Studies. She is also a member of Davidson Honors College and a Dean’s Leadership Scholar.

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American Indian students selected for the program each summer work for ten weeks work at the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark (MW-NHL) and present two evening public interpretive programs at the Fort Phil Kearny National Historic Landmark during their 10-week tour.  Grant funding also supports mentoring visits to the site by Native American traditional practitioners and historians who provide educational support and share cultural knowledge with the students.

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Recruitment for two program participants began in earnest in January 2026. We sent flyers and program information to faculty, staff, and student organizations at 14 universities and colleges in Colorado, Montanna, South Dakota, and Wyoming. We also contacted tribal Historic Preservation Offices and Native American community leaders who we work with in management of the Medicine Wheel National Historic: Landmark. On site visits were conducted at Little Big Horn College, Chief Dull Knife College, MSU-Billings, Rocky Mountain College, and Central Wyoming College.

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On June 1st Dave Mckee, president of the MWPG, provided an orientation program on the administrative history of the Medicine Wheel NHL including the current signed Historic Preservation Plan to our students, the Forest Service seasonal crew leader and four SCA students, who together comprise the interpretive staff for the site this summer.

 

From June 2nd through June 5th the interpretive staff completed a 32-hour Certified Interpretive Guide Class taught by Angelina Stancampiano of Wyoming State Parks, who is a certified instructor for the National Association of Interpretation.  The MWPG sponsored and paid for the class including tuition for all seven members of the interpretive staff.

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The interpretive staff spent the second week of June in Forest Service orientation sessions including 1st Aid and CPR certification, field radio training, MWNHL interpreter training by the Forest Service, and preparing the site for visitation.  The first day of public operations at MW-NHL was June 15th.

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During the remaining eight weeks the students worked four 10-hour days each week at the site.  Between June 15th and July 8th, the interpretive staff greeted 5,907 visitors from across the country and from around the world and hosted 43 Native American ceremonies by members of many tribes.    Emaurice and Elannah successfully completed their 10-week tour and received praise from visitors, ceremony participants, and fellow site interpreters for the quality of their work and welcoming demeanor.

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For our mentoring portion of the program the Flat Lips were visited at the MW-NHL by Amanda Hill, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Kiowa tribe, on July 13th. The Kiowa and Crow tribes share history, cultural traditions, and some language. The visit was enriching and valuable according to Ms. Hill and the students.  Tilton Old Bull, a Crow ceremonial leader, visited the students on July 19th, (photo attached). Tilton has worked with us in the mentoring program for four years and is well respected in tribal communities. 

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Emaurice and Elannah presented two evening public programs at the Fort Phil Kearny Wyoming State Historic Site. They presented a program entitled “Immersion in Crow Culture: Traditional Regalia, Dance, & Song” attended by 31 people (images attached). On August 6th they presented a program to 25 members of the public entitled “Echoes of the Apsáalooke: A Collection of Crow Oral Narratives”.  Advertising for these programs is conducted through media releases and social media outlets.

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The final day of work for Emaurice and Elannah was Saturday, August 8th.  Dave spent the day with them at the Medicine Wheel conducting exit interviews. Both students stated that participating in the program was a good and valuable experience. They strongly support our program goals of providing indigenous voices as part of the interpretive staff and providing job experience and employment for American Indian college students.  They believe the Interpreter certification class and the requirement to make two public programs enhanced their public speaking and communication skills.  They also felt the mentoring visits were equally valuable in their educational journey.

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Through the first four years of this program nine American Indian Colleges students from five different colleges, representing five different tribes have participated in this program, presenting 15 public programs at Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site. Recruiting for the 2027 season will begin this coming winter.  The Medicine Wheel Preservation Group and supporting grant funders look forward to providing American Indian college students with job experience and seasonal employment, while connecting our communities to American Indian culture and history through visits to the MW-NHL and evening interpretive.

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