File:Tsalagi Creation Story.jpg

English: "This sculpture tells the story of creation of the Cherokee people and the things they considered sacred. The turtle represents Mother Earth and the continent where we live. The owls are messengers from the Great Spirit. They carry the message of death to remind people to get their lives in order before they die. The snake symbolizes Cherokee unity and power and is a reminder to tread softly in Cherokee territory. The dogwood flowers stand for the beauty in each day. The old chief on the top has died, and the medicine man wearing the owl mask prays for his spirit to go to the place of peace. Feathers hang from the rear of the sculpture, and they represent the Cherokee nation and its thousands of years on the land. Cherokee warriors always wore their feathers hanging down to show membership in the Tsalagi tribe. At the top of the feathers is a round medallion. The circle and lines mark the four directions from which the Creator is called in prayer. At the base of the sculpture are two circles containing drawings that represent the ancestors who have passed. The medallion drawings originated from gorgets that are thousands of years old. One drawing is of the rattlesnake, which represents unity among all clans of the ancient Cherokee, and the other is of a woodpecker. Woodpeckers symbolized the bird clan. In this design, they are pointing in the four directions. A salamander, carved on the left side of the turtle, stands for the little creatures in the world. They are also important to creation."