Feathers…
Feathers, depicted in many, many ways, are symbols of prayers, marks of honor or sources of ideas. They represent the Creative Force, and are taken from birds connected with the attribute for which they might be utilized: goose flight feathers to fledge an arrow because of the long flights of the geese; Eagle feathers for honor or to connect the user with the Creator, Turkey feathers to decorate a kachina mask. As design elements, they mau appear plain, banded, barred, or decorated.

Pahos or Prayer Sticks, are carefully notched and painted cottonwood or cedar sticks with specific feathers attached to catch the wind. They are planted in the ground at religious sites, and at springs to carry specific prayers to the Creator or to the Kachinas. Their forms are found in many Pueblo and Navajo designs.

Circular Feather Arrangements are found on pottery, in masks, prayer fans, dance costumes and on Plains “war bonnets” They are also used in decoration on buffalo hide “counts”, or story depictions in paint recounting war honors, times of historic contact and other important periods of time. In a circular arrangement, they are related to the sun, and therefore, to the Creator.

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