Native American symbols vary by tribe but often represent objects, animals, mythical creatures, and abstract concepts. They are used in art and design and are part of the culture, with real-life objects sharing the same meanings as their symbolic counterparts.
Native American symbols play an important role in the art and traditions of the culture. These symbols vary based on the tribe’s lineage, although tribes that developed closely together or from a common ancestor may share motifs. The manifestation of symbols for the Navajo, for example, is different from the representation used by the Sioux. Despite these differences, most Native American symbols consist of a standardized way of representing certain objects, designs that represent a concept rather than a tangible element, or, in some cases, a combination of these two types of symbols.
Among the many Native American symbols that depict objects in many tribes, there is usually a codified way of symbolizing both the environment and animals. Environmental symbols can include the sun, moon, and less concrete environmental features such as water or wind. The animals depicted are usually found in the area where the tribe lives and could include birds, bears, snakes, and other creatures. These symbols are almost never used solely to represent the existence of these objects, but to impress upon the viewer the significance of those objects to the tribe.
Additional physical symbols could include mythical creatures and spirits. The symbol representing Kokopelli, for example, represents a figure not usually found in the environment. The depiction of mythological and religious figures can be literal and depicting what those figures are thought to look like, or figurative, which represents the idea of those figures.
There are also Native American symbols that represent ideas rather than imitating the look of certain objects. Symbols that represent concepts, such as an emotion, season, or attitude may rely on the representation of a related object or may be completely arbitrary. If the tribe used a simplified language to communicate with other tribes of different languages, there may also be symbols that represent stocks and other trade needs.
In addition to the Native American symbols used in art and design, it’s also important to consider how these symbols are part of a culture. For example, if a bear is used as a symbol with a special meaning in artistic applications, a real-life bear also shares those meanings. Objects can also be used for exactly this purpose. If feathers are symbolic to a tribe, then the use of feathers in clothing refers to the meaning of the feathers. Native Americans often have richly symbolic cultures, and for members of those tribes, symbols exist everywhere and decorate their world with meaning.
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