Symbolism is a key part of tribal culture and history, and I would like to incorporate this into my editorial look. I began by going back to my initial research of looking at the Navajo tribe of monument valley. Whilst visiting monument valley in 2011, i saw first hand the prehistoric rock carvings or 'Petroglyphs' a carved into the red stone. Symbolic image was also incorporated into costume and jewellery. The image below is a chart of different Navajo symbols and there meanings.
The photo below is one i took of the petroglyphs i saw on my trip to monument valley.
The tribal symbol that particularly interests me is the Hand print or hand symbol. The hand symbol was a common symbol seen on the face or body of native American Indians. It represented success in hand to hand combat and human life, spiritual power and domination.The term "war paint" originally derived from the application of the hand symbol applied to the body of Indians to intimidate the enemy. Below are some examples i have found of sketches of the hand symbol on Native Americans..
Black hand symbol applied to white horse before battle. The hand was fast and easy to apply requiring no artistic skill. Back paint was made using ground charcoal mixed with animal fat or spit.
Tribal hand marking found in Rio Pinturas dating back to over 9000 years ago
I really like the idea of using the handprint as a stamp of identity and strength. It has a really strong tribal reference and for me represents the theme of wild kingdom.
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