Visit Wyoming
Wyoming has two federally recognized tribes sharing one 2.2-million-acre reservation – the seventh largest in the country. Most visitors drive through on their way to Yellowstone and miss the deepest Indigenous story in the American West.
The Eastern Shoshone were guaranteed this land under the Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868, but in 1878 the federal government forced the Northern Arapaho onto Shoshone land over Chief Washakie’s explicit objection. Two nations, one reservation, sharing borders that were never supposed to exist.
Today you’ll find tribally-operated cultural centers in Fort Washakie and Riverton, the world-class Plains Indian Museum in Cody, and sacred sites like the Bighorn Medicine Wheel that has been used for nearly 7,000 years. Wyoming’s largest powwow runs every June at Fort Washakie.
This page covers four sections: museums where tribal history is preserved and interpreted, landmarks that have held ceremony for millennia, the nations and reservations themselves, and the annual events where culture is alive in motion. Give it more than a day.
Museums
Plains Indian Museum, Cody
At 720 Sheridan Ave., this Smithsonian-affiliated museum inside the Buffalo Bill Center of the West holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Plains Indian material culture in the world. Don’t let the Buffalo Bill branding put you off – the Plains Indian Museum operates with tribal consultation, and that distinction matters.
Plan two to three hours minimum and check buffalobillcenter.com for seasonal hours. Start in the warrior tradition gallery, then move to the contemporary arts section, because this is not only history.
Eastern Shoshone Tribal Cultural Center, Fort Washakie
At 90 Ethete Rd. in Fort Washakie, the Eastern Shoshone manage their own story here. You’ll find contemporary beadwork, historical photographs, and handmade regalia that no outside institution can replicate.
Call ahead before making the drive since hours vary seasonally. While you’re in Fort Washakie, walk the Path of Honor Wind River Veterans Memorial – the Shoshone have sent soldiers to every American war, and that wall of names says everything.
Northern Arapaho Experience Culture Room, Riverton
At 180 Red Wolf Pl. in Riverton, this cultural space was built by the Northern Arapaho to share their language, stories, and art directly from Elders. It’s not a curated exhibit – it’s a living record of a people who were told repeatedly they wouldn’t survive.
The Cee Nokuu Cafe next door is worth the stop on its own; eating at a tribally-run restaurant puts money directly into the community. Ask the staff what’s good.
Legend Rock Petroglyph Site, Thermopolis Region
Twenty-nine miles north of Thermopolis, a 1,312-foot sandstone cliff holds more than 92 petroglyphs that people have been marking for thousands of years. The visitor center runs summer months only, so plan accordingly.
This is one of the most significant rock art sites in North America, and most Wyoming visitors have never heard of it. The interpretive trails explain the archaeology, but the full spiritual meaning belongs to the nations who made these images, and some things are not for tourists.
Landmarks
Devils Tower National Monument (Bear Lodge), Crook County
The Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa, and Lakota all have names for this 867-foot volcanic column rising from the Belle Fourche River valley – Bear Lodge is one of them. The U.S. government renamed it in 1875, and the renaming is still contested.
June is the busiest ceremonial month, and tribal nations request that climbers voluntarily stay off the rock during Sun Dance season and solstice observances. The National Park Service supports that request, and how visitors respond says something about them.
Bighorn Medicine Wheel, Bighorn National Forest
At roughly 10,000 feet in the Bighorn Mountains, this circular stone formation – 75 feet in diameter with 28 spokes – has been used continuously for nearly 7,000 years. It’s open mid-June through mid-September, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting, with groups capped at 25 people.
This is an active ceremonial site; do not touch the prayer cloths, feathers, or sacred bundles tied to the fence around it. Give any ceremony in progress as much space as the site allows.
Sacajawea Cemetery and Gravesite, Fort Washakie
The Eastern Shoshone maintain that Sacajawea returned to her people and died at Fort Washakie in 1884, and her grave is here, marked and tended. She guided Lewis and Clark across 3,000 miles of territory, saved the expedition at least twice, and received no formal compensation.
The neighboring grave of Chief Washakie is also here – the leader who held the Fort Bridger Treaty together through decades of federal pressure and still couldn’t stop Washington from forcing the Northern Arapaho onto Shoshone land. The site is quiet and worth the respectful stop.
Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site, Hyattville
Six miles north of Hyattville, a 750-foot sandstone cliff shelters both petroglyphs and pictographs dating back approximately 2,000 years. Open May through October – call ahead for shoulder season access.
The protected status here took decades of Indigenous advocacy to establish. Walk the interpretive trails slowly; the images on this cliff were not decoration – they were communication, ceremony, and record.
Reservations
Wyoming has one Indian reservation, but that single fact covers enormous complexity. The Wind River Indian Reservation spans 2.2 million acres across the Wind River Basin and is the seventh largest reservation in the United States.
Two nations share this land – the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho – and they do not share a government. Each nation has its own tribal council, its own laws, and its own relationship to the federal government; visiting as an outsider means navigating both.
Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Fort Washakie
The Eastern Shoshone call themselves Numa, meaning “the People.” Chief Washakie negotiated the Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868, securing this land, and lived to age 102; he’s buried in Fort Washakie.
Approximately 3,900 Eastern Shoshone are enrolled today. Visitors can access the Tribal Cultural Center, the veterans memorial, the tribal cemetery, and the Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary outside town, where more than 250 mustangs roam Shoshone-managed land.
Northern Arapaho Tribe, Ethete
The Northern Arapaho were promised their own reservation near the Bighorn Mountains under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, and Washington broke that promise. In 1878, federal agents moved them onto Shoshone land over Chief Washakie’s explicit objection.
Today roughly 8,600 Northern Arapaho members are enrolled, making them the larger population on the reservation. St. Stephens Mission Heritage Center and the St. Stephens Art Center in Ethete are both visitor-accessible, and the tribe’s language revitalization program is one of the most active in Wyoming.
Events
Eastern Shoshone Indian Days Powwow, Fort Washakie (June)
Wyoming’s largest powwow runs three days in late June at the Fort Washakie Fairgrounds, drawing competitive dancers, drum groups, and singers from across the country. Admission is free and the public is welcome.
Follow the master of ceremonies at all times, ask permission before photographing any dancer, do not touch regalia or pick up fallen feathers, and respect veteran and elder protocols during grand entry. No alcohol, no pets – arrive early for a good spot.
Ethete Celebration Powwow, Ethete (July)
Hosted by the Northern Arapaho in Ethete every July, this gathering carries the weight of a community celebration that goes deeper than competition. It’s one of the oldest regular gatherings on the reservation.
The atmosphere is community-focused and welcoming to respectful visitors who take time to learn what they’re watching. Follow the MC, ask before you photograph, and listen more than you speak.
Northern Arapaho Powwow, Wind River Reservation (August)
Billed as Wyoming’s oldest powwow, this late-summer gathering honors Northern Arapaho traditions that predate the reservation itself. Dates shift annually – check with the Wind River Tourism Authority for current scheduling.
Some editions include private ceremonial components not open to outside visitors. Pay attention to what the MC marks as public versus restricted, and do not push past where you’re invited.
Weekly Dance Exhibitions, Riverton and Lander (Summer)
Every Tuesday night in summer, the Wind River Hotel and Casino in Riverton hosts traditional dance demonstrations, and Wednesday nights bring similar programming to the Museum of the American West in Lander. These are curated introductions designed for outside visitors.
They’re a good primer before attending a full powwow. Photography policies vary by venue – ask before raising a camera.
Devils Tower Voluntary Climbing Moratorium, Crook County (June)
Every June, tribal nations formally request that climbers stay off Devils Tower during Sun Dance season and summer solstice observances. The National Park Service posts signage and supports the request.
The tower will still be there in July. The ceremonies happening in June have been happening on that mountain longer than the United States has existed.
Wyoming rewards more than one visit. The far northeast – Devils Tower, the Bighorn Basin, the Medicine Wheel – and the central Wind River Reservation exist in completely different geographic and cultural worlds.
Base yourself in Riverton or Lander to cover Wind River: Fort Washakie, Ethete, the Sacajawea gravesite, and the cultural centers are all within an hour of each other. Then drive to Cody for the Plains Indian Museum and north into the Bighorns for the Medicine Wheel, with Devils Tower as a dedicated detour.
When you’re on the reservation, spend money deliberately: buy beadwork directly from Native artists, eat at the Cee Nokuu Cafe or the Morning Star Restaurant in Ethete, and follow each nation’s specific guidance on photography because the rules differ between Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho spaces.
The Eastern Shoshone have held this basin for centuries, and the Northern Arapaho built a nation here against every federal promise that was broken. The museums hold artifacts, but the people hold the culture – come to listen, come to spend money in the community, and come back when you know more about what you’re seeing.