Turtle wears Noon Day Sun design

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Gerald Dawavendewa (Hopi & Cherokee)

This symbol may refer to traditional Cherokee land in what is now known as the state of North Carolina. For the Eastern Band of Cherokee (Tsaligiyi Detsadanilvgi), The land is named Nantahala, "Land of the Noon Day Sun."

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.