Turtle wears Friendship design

NC32

Gerald Dawavendewa (Hopi & Cherokee)

This design is woven under and over, forming an interwoven pattern. It is this interweaving that provides form and strength to a basket. The design also represents our journey, which is woven with family and friends to make our life experience

Turtles are a vital part of the Cherokee culture. In the world's creation, it is a turtle that brings soil that creates new land to a world with little. Turtle is also one of the important animals that once lived among the Cherokee and offered counsel. These animals eventually journeyed onward, but their smaller relatives stayed, and they are the animals we see today.