Movement on Turtle Island

The cosmological myths of several cultures around the world depict a “World Turtle” carrying the Earth on its back. In some Indigenous traditions in North America, the Earth is called Turtle Island. “This name stems from various Indigenous creation stories which describe the landmass as being formed on the back of a giant turtle. The concept of Turtle Island is deeply significant in many Native American cultures as it reflects our spiritual beliefs and relationship with Mother earth.”*

In this piece, “Movement on Turtle Island,” each seed becomes a world unto itself. Seeds become part of the turtles’ shells, microcosms of the cosmos carried on their backs. The seed-shells provide protective homes for the turtles and house the essence of the Earth’s botanical diversity. Carried by the ancient feet of the turtles, the seeds migrate en mass slowly but steadily towards survival, in response to global climate change.

Seeds are primal, extraordinary, mysterious, fascinating, and essential players in the Earth’s biosphere. Life as we know it depends on the biodiversity that sprouts from seeds. To protect fragile seed diversity we must recognize our deep dependence on it and change our collective behavior from destructive to regenerative. For me, as an artist and educator, creating seed-inspired artworks that reflect this ethos is an exciting way to contribute to this process and paradigm shift.

*quoted from: https://urbannativecollective.org/turtle-island