|First Posted: Oct 27, 2009|
Updated: Aug 9, 2013
Native American (Indian) Symbols
Apache Indian Symbols
"Apaches were among the first Native Americans to ride horses into battle. In
|First Posted: Oct 27, 2009|
Updated: Aug 9, 2013
Native American (Indian) Symbols
Apache Indian Symbols
"Apaches were among the first Native Americans to ride horses into battle. In preparation, a warrior would decorate his horse to reflect his personal honors such as enemies killed or horses stolen.
"A left hand drawn on the horse's right hip was one of the highest honors for a horse, earned by returning its rider from battle unharmed. Other symbols such as arrowheads and thunder stripes would augment the horse's natural ability and maximize its effectiveness against the enemy. The most sacred of all symbols in all Native American cultures is the circle, however, which for the Apache is most potently embodied in its chief symbol, the sacred hoop.
Called 'Dee' or 'Ndee,' the Apache hoop contains special powers that make it useful in a variety of ceremonies, although it is generally associated with healing and protection. The hoop is divided into four sections, traditionally by the tying of an eagle feather, symbolizing the four directions and the four seasons. Like most traditional Apache symbols, the hoop is usually one of the four sacred colors: black, green, yellow or white." About Apache Indian Symbols
We have all seen Indian symbols used decoratively and symbolically. Just what do these Indian symbols depict? The symbols were used for many purposes. Often they were used to depict the language of life, nature and the Indian spirit. The American Indian viewed all things as having a spirit whether it was animate or inanimate, could be touched and seen or not. They thought of the universe as being all encompassing--holding the powers and secrets of deeper meaning.
The symbols were used to evoke assistance from the spirits. The Native Americans had a great awareness of everything around them and they strived to live in harmony with their world and their universe.
The Indians used symbols for many purposes and among them were on their war horses. They cherished their horses and used symbolism for protection, courage, strength and honor. The symbols were painted on the horse's body and head. Given the varied number of tribes, it is understandable that many symbols were used by the different tribes. However, they were used in keeping with the same belief in spirit and universe. The symbols often represented power, safety and success. They also represented the rider's affection for his horse. They symbols used conveyed profound beliefs and perceptions.
Image courtesy of the Oregon State Library.
The following originally appeared in The Collector's Guide to Albuquerque Metro Area - Volume 8Collector's Guide - Follow this link to see the images and also some of the text quoted below:
Animals Used in Indian Symbolism
Alligator - Survival, strength and aggression.
Some Navajo Symbols
What Does this Indian Symbol Mean?
Decorative and symbolic, these designs are seen frequently
"Visitors to the Southwest are often intrigued by the variety and aesthetic appeal of the design elements used in Native American arts and crafts. The designs on Indian pottery, weavings, baskets and silver and stone jewelry are so intricate and carefully constructed, it is inconceivable they are not configurations holding some deeper meaning, shaped from a forgotten age, relics of an arcane language, or symbols of some old and secret religion.In all cultures, symbols borrow from experience, vision, and religion and become individualized through the creative process of the artist/symbol-maker. The designs used in the Southwest are from varied sources and they have been adapted and used by divergent tribes. Some have sifted in slowly as different groups arrived bringing their own inventory of designs; others have arrived with new technologies; still others have origins and, therefore, meanings, that will never be deciphered. The designs may be decorative, symbolic or combinations of both. Meanings may change from tribe to tribe. In one location a symbol may have meaning and in an adjacent tribe be used entirely as a decorative element. In short, every variation is possible.
If a symbol is produced by one culture and interpreted by another, its meaning is far more often obscured than clarified. So it is with the symbols and designs of the Indian people of the Southwest. Over the years, both Native American designs (merely decorative forms) and symbols (a sign representing an idea, a quality or an association) have been subject to "interpretation" by non-Indian dealers and traders. Often, these interpretations are explained in terms of Anglo-European concepts that were nonexistent to the Native American. The result frequently bears little or no relationship to the true meaning of the symbols.
Designs and symbols used in the Southwest actually have come from many places. Some design elements emerge out of the nature of the craft. The warp and weft of baskets or blankets produce a preponderance of geometrics, stars, swastikas and whirlwind