Surrounded by Beauty

Beauty

before me, I walk with.

Beauty behind me, I walk with.

Beauty above me, I walk with.

Beauty below me, I walk with.

Beauty all around me, I walk with.

             Navajo

Night Chant

The Art of Daily Life
There is no equivalent in the many Native American languages for the word art. Yet the objects here suggest that Native Americans are a highly

spiritual people who create objects of extraordinary beauty. In Native

American thought there is also no distinction between what is beautiful

or functional, and what is sacred or secular. Design goes far beyond concerns

of function, and beauty is much more than simple appearances. For many

native peoples, beauty arises from living in harmony with the order of

the universe.The concerns and aspirations of a vital contemporary American

Indian population changes as the world changes. Today some Native American

artists continue traditions of their ancestors, while others transform

those traditions in new and innovative ways.

More Native American History and Culture