Groups mapping shamanistic activity of the past

Posted 9/23/21

With September being Archaeology Awareness Month in Wyoming, the Shoshone National Forest, Meeteetse Museums, and National Bighorn Sheep Center are working together to map trees with bighorn sheep …

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Groups mapping shamanistic activity of the past

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With September being Archaeology Awareness Month in Wyoming, the Shoshone National Forest, Meeteetse Museums, and National Bighorn Sheep Center are working together to map trees with bighorn sheep skulls in them. 

Mature ram skulls were placed in trees throughout the area by the Tukudika, or Sheep Eaters, as a shamanistic activity. The Tukudika are a band of Shoshone named after their primary food source, the bighorn sheep. Not only were the trees important to the Tukudika, but other neighboring tribes would leave offerings as they passed through the area. 

In addition to the trees’ great age and natural decay, the increasing intensity of forest fires threatens the culturally important places. For example, the Little Venus Forest Fire of 2006 in the Greybull River Valley burned at least one such tree.

Maps can be found at the Cody Library, Meeteetse Library, Sunlight Sports in Cody, the Wyoming Game and Fish Office in Cody, Sylvan Sports in Red Lodge, Hot Springs County Library in Thermopolis, National Bighorn Sheep Center in Dubois, Pioneer Museum in Lander and more. Maps will be posted for a month at each location. An updated list can be found at meeteetsemuseums.org/event/mapping-trees-with-bighorn-sheep-ram-skulls/.

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