American Indian Symbols Dictionary...Arrows... Arrows There are many different depictions of arrows. They usually connote direction, force, movement, power and direction of travel, also, as seen in the bear and deer images below, the pathway of the breath, the life-force of the animal spirit, called the "heartline" Feathers...Feathers , depicted in many, many ways, are symbols of prayers, marks of honor or sources ofideas. They represent the Creative Force, and are taken from birds connected with the attribute for which they might be utilized: goose flight feathers to fledge an arrow because of the long flights of the geese; Eagle feathers for honor or to connect the user with the Creator, Turkey feathers to decorate a kachina mask. As design elements, they mau appear plain, banded, barred, or decorated. Pahos or Prayer Sticks, are carefully notched and painted cottonwood or cedar sticks with specific feathers attached to catch the wind. They are planted in the ground at religious sites, and at springs to carry specific prayers to the Creator or to the Kachinas. Their forms are found in many Pueblo and Navajo designs.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Arrows There are many different depictions of arrows.
They usually connote direction, force, movement, power
and direction of travel, also, as seen in the bear and deer
images below, the pathway of the breath, the life-forceof the animal spirit, called the "heartline"
Feathers...
Feathers, depicted in many, many ways, are
symbols of prayers, marks of honor or sources of
ideas. They represent the Creative Force, and are
taken from birds connected with the attribute forwhich they might be utilized: goose flight feathers
to fledge an arrow because of the long flights of thegeese; Eagle feathers for honor or to connect theuser with the Creator, Turkey feathers to decorate a
kachina mask. As design elements, they mau
appear plain, banded, barred, or decorated.
Pahos or Prayer Sticks, are carefully notched and
painted cottonwood or cedar sticks with specific
feathers attached to catch the wind. They areplanted in the ground at religious sites, and at
springs to carry specific prayers to the Creator or to
the Kachinas. Their forms are found in manyPueblo and Navajo designs.
Turtle, water animal, strength, female power fetishanimal, fertility, long life, perseverance. Considered
to be able to defy death, and is also an annoyance to
Coyote.
Coyote, the trickster is also a powerful hunting prey
god and fetish. keen ability to find things, and isoften considered an omen that something unpleasant
might happen. This whimsical, new style, is an
outgrowth of the popularity of the Santa Fe style,during the early 1990's. This howling style with
bandana is a copy of a cottonwood folk-sculpture first
created by Santa Fe artist Ricardo Rodriguez and later
mass-produced ad nauseum by anyone who wanted tosell something to the tourists.
Birds...
Water Bird, symbol of renewal of life, wet seasons, rivers distanttravel, long vision, wisdom. often inaccurately called
"thunderbird", which is not a Southwestern tradition, but rather one
of the plains people. In that context, connected with lightning,thunder and visions. Those who dream of the thunderbeings must
become Heyokas -- those who live out their dreams backwards
(Lakota tradition) The image has also been modified and used as
the symbol of the Native American Church, founded byCommanche Quannah Parker around 1910.
Hummingbirds (paired), also sometimes waterbirds, or quail,
symbolized in mated pairs as symbol of devotion, permanence andeternity, life cycles. These are often modified in many, very simple
forms. Hummingbirds are particularly known to be ferocious
fighters and defenders of their territory -- many times stroger thantheir small size would indicate.
Parrot, connected with both the sun and with the coming of the
rains. Parrots were considered carriers of these specific prayersand would confer blessings. Kept for their feathers and color, bymany Pueblo people (secured through trade with people to the far
South), and also considered a very expensive posssesion thereby
the heroes of the past. Most other spirits are represented as stars
under some circumstances.
The Sun, giver of life, warmth, growth, all that is good. This is a
style of showing the sun as the face of a kachina mask. Similarstyles are seen throughout the Southwestern Indian cultures. Mayor may not also show "rays" signifying the four directions
The Zia, named for Zia Pueblo, who first used it, this is another
symbol of the sun, and also of the four directions and the circle of
life on earth. It also may be connected with the place of
emergence, the sipapu, in stories. When New Mexico became aState, in 1912, the Zia was adopted as the symbol for the State
Flag. It appears as the sun in red, to honor the Indian Nations, on a
yellow field (yellow was the royal color of the Spanish crowncarried by the conquistador Coronado in 1540, the date of his
entrance into New Mexico, at Zuni and the first recorded European
contact with North American Indian people) and flys outside ourgallery's front door
Life and Choice, depicted in this common symbol, "the-man-in-
the-maze" was originally created as an illustration of an emergencestory by the Tohono o'odham or Papago Indians of the Central
Valley in Arizona. TRhe little man is named "U'ki'ut'l" in their
language. It has been adopted by other people because it is
significant of life's cycles and eternal motion and also of the
choices we are confronted with. The right choices lead us to a pointof harmony with all things, no matter how hard or long the road
taken. This symbol is especially utilized by Hopi silversmiths as away to showcase the quality of their technique.