Thirteen Moons in the Land of Sky and Wind

The Lakhota people have many names for the months of the year. The names of the moons are drawn from the resources available to them or are descriptions of natural events such as leaves unfolding, new green grass, frost, falling leaves, or even when the cold is so intense that trees crack. The Lakhota count the passage of days and months with counting sticks and articulate pictography of the moons with an inverted moon with the natural event above the image of the moon. In the traditional calendar, the last moon overlaps with the first moon symbolizing the return of the spring wind, what they call the Enlightening Breath Upon Which All Life Returns. This series of watercolors interprets the meaning of each moon, short narratives of the moon, and the moon’s enduring love for the sun and world.