“Visit, Meet, and Walk the Land Together”: A History of US Forest Service and Tribal Nation Relationships in Sacred Sites Management & A Case Study on the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark

Abstract

The lands upon which the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Forest Service manages the national forests and grasslands are the traditional homelands of American Indian & Alaska Native peoples. Though many tribal nations retained certain rights within ceded lands through treaties with the federal government, access to and freedom to exercise those rights has been challenging. One of these challenges has been the ability to carry out traditional practices and ceremonies at sacred sites located within the National Forest System (NFS). Like the larger federal government, the Forest Service’s relationships with tribal nations have varied throughout its history as an agency. In my thesis I explore a history of federal laws and policies, their impacts on Forest Service and tribal nation relationships, and their role in sacred sites management within the NFS. Interwoven in this broader story I examine the management history of the Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark (MW/MM NHL) located in the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. Finally, using issues and recommendations raised in a sacred sites report prepared by the USDA Office of Tribal Relations and the Forest Service, I analyze and discuss how specific laws and policies have been applied in the management of the MW/MM NHL. Comprehension of this legal and political history is foundational in addressing present day relational and managerial issues when it comes to managing American Indian sacred sites within the NFS. My thesis serves as an entry point into understanding Forest Service and tribal nation relationships in sacred sites management.