Photograph by Addison Doty. Copyright 2015 School for Advanced Research.
"Little Turtle's Journey"
Date: 2007
Artist or Maker: Dawn Dark Mountain (b. 1955)
Dimensions:
28.5 × 20 cm (11 1/4 × 7 7/8 in.)
Medium: paper | paint, watercolor
Credit Line: Gift of the artist, 2015.
Object Number: SAR.2015-4-1
Not on view
The painting consists of the cylinder, a top, and a bottom, all on the same type of heavy watercolor paper. The top and bottom are glued to the cylinder portion via tabs that are bent toward the center of the cylinder; they're visible, upon close inspection, through the cut out shapes in the cylinder. The clouds at the top edge of the work are also glued to the cylinder.
The scene illustrates a portion of a version of the Iroquois creation story in which Little Turtle collects lightning bolts to create the sun and moon. The four turtles depicted in the work are all representations of Little Turtle at different points in the story. The half-circle shapes at the bottom edge of the piece, with what looks like a plant sprout growing from the top of each one, are based on an Iroquois beadwork pattern. They represent the sky dome and the celestial tree that are explained in another part of the Iroquois creation story, in which Skywoman fell from her home in the sky through a hole at the roots of the celestial tree.
In Collection(s)
The Indian Arts Research Center, in collaboration with Native American community scholars, strives to present accurate collections records. Records may be updated as new information becomes available and is reviewed with the Native American community having cultural affinity to particular items. Please write to iarc@sarsf.org if you have questions or concerns related to the documentation.