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Wichita in Sedgwick County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

Circle of Life

 
 
Circle of Life Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 4, 2011
1. Circle of Life Marker
Inscription.
For the Plains Indian, the sacred hoop was the all-encompassing symbol of the entire world, with one half of the circle representing the physical realm, the other the spiritual. Equally significant was the number four. The four quadrants of the hoop were symbolic of the four seasons, four directions, four times of the day, and the four elements.

At the center of the hoop, distinct from the four quadrants, is a smaller circle in the shape of a turtle. The Plains people believed we are all floating on a primordial sea on the back of the turtle.

Each quadrant, when placed to correlate with a specific direction, is represented by a unique color, animal, element and plant.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & ReligionNative Americans.
 
Location. 37° 41.482′ N, 97° 20.989′ W. Marker is in Wichita, Kansas, in Sedgwick County. The marker is on the Keeper of the Plains plaza, at the confluence of the Big and Little Arksansas Rivers, about 500 feet ESE of the Mid-America All-Indian Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 650 North Seneca Street, Wichita KS 67203, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Keeper of the Plains (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Keeper of the Plains
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(a few steps from this marker); Tribes (a few steps from this marker); Buffalo (a few steps from this marker); Stories (a few steps from this marker); Way of the Horse (a few steps from this marker); Eagles (a few steps from this marker); Women (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wichita.
 
Also see . . .
1. Keeper of the Plains. City of Wichita website entry (Submitted on June 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.) 

2. Mid-America All-Indian Museum. Museum website homepage (Submitted on June 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.) 
 
Circle of Life and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 4, 2011
2. Circle of Life and Marker
Circle of Life and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 4, 2011
3. Circle of Life and Marker
Keeper of the Plains in background
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on June 24, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 28, 2024