Turtle Island
2019
SOLD

The turtle taught us patience and never to give up. Turtle is seen as strength and solidarity- old and wise and well respected. Turtle is one of the three clans of the Oneida Nation.

Every turtle has 13 main squares and 28 little squares around the outer edge…there are 13 full moons in a calendar year, one every 28 days…and so every turtle has the whole calendar on their shell. We planted, harvested, and celebrated our food with each full moon.

After the Great Flood, it was Turtle who offered his shell as a foundation in the Oneida creation story…and because of this, we call North America “Turtle Island”.

Dimensions: 25"H X 50"L X 1"D

Traditionally, stories were not told until the first snow fall. Iroquois oral culture sustains many traditions and ceremonies. In earlier times, when life was more agricultural and settled, young people had the opportunity and inclination to listen to the old stories. The oral tradition developed young people's capacity for remembering long, involved speeches and songs. Storytelling was a cultural contact between generations. Story-tellers used a variety of memory aids, including canes, staffs, wampum beads and belts, feather arrangements and stone construction. These devices helped to convey messages and strengthened memory of the customs and beliefs of a people.