Together We Are More

Artist Statement: "When we as Myaamia speak about and understand life, it is often in terms of the colors and the circle. In the east is yellow. It is the color of new beginnings, sunrises, new life in the womb, a yolk, babies, a fresh start. Inside the red basket, is a yellow and white orb, for the east. In the south is icha (blue/green); the color of water and plants, growing things, children stretching out. The knob to lift the lid of the blue/green basket is made of a squash stem which has tendrils exploring, reaching out in many directions. In the west is red; the warriors and the women who bleed: the adults. There are two red baskets one in the west, tall and strong; one in the east that is rounded, shorter and full of and surrounds and protects another, smaller yellow basket. In the north is black; a coming together of color and a coming together of knowledge. This is where we think about our elders. The small basket on top is a turtle for the slow steadiness of age. Myaamia have a fifth color, white; representing our spiritual understandings, God. This is represented in the white basket surrounding, and supporting all the stages of life."  - Dani Tippmann.