MEDICINE WHEEL
Preservation Group
Medicine Wheel Preservation Group
Medicine Wheel Preservation Group (MWPG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to further public education, interpretation, and preservation of the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark on the Bighorn National Forest and associated archaeological and American Indian cultural sites. A key component of the MWPG is to continue to provide employment and career development opportunities for American Indian college students while providing American Indian voices and perspectives at the MW-NHL. The Bighorn National Forest and consulting parties voiced support for the program at the August 2025 Medicine Wheel consultation meeting. Dave McKee serves as President of the MWPG, along with fellow board members JoAnne Puckett, Katie Curtiss, and Bill Yellowtail.
About Dave McKee
Dave is president of the Medicine Wheel Preservation Group. He completed a 31-year career with the U.S. Forest Service as an archaeologist, tribal liaison, and recreation program manager. While with the Black Hills National Forest, Dave established a Tribal Youth Conservation Corps program under a cost share agreement with the Cheyenne River, Rosebud, Standing Rock, and Yankton Sioux Tribes. For six years high school students from the partnering tribes were housed and employed by the Black Hills National Forest to perform trail maintenance and other resource protection projects.
Upon transferring to the Bighorn National Forest in 2007, Dave served as liaison between tribal representatives, the U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service to complete the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark nomination. Dave continues to attend and participate in the annual Medicine Wheel consultation meetings at the invitation of consulting parties. Dave developed and implemented the first three years of the American Indian Interpretive Ranger program during his 5-year tenure as President of the Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association. Dave and his wife Suesan live in Sheridan, Wyoming.