Earth Grasper

Earth Grasper. Commissioned by the Baird Creek Preservation Foundation. It consists of a gigantic common snapping turtle made of concrete, with a stainless steel green tree frog and stainless steel crayfish fabricated from cutlery sitting on its head. The stainless steel shell depicts the Oneida 13 Moon Calendar. In the Iroquois Creation story, the Earth was created on the back of a turtle. It was there that life began to grow. The turtle clan represents the shifting of the earth and the cycles of the moon. This calendar is a natural anomaly given to the native people of Turtle Island to remind them of their connection to Mother Earth and that we are not only connected as one people, but we are connected to the natural forces of above and below. An honor to present this during the week of the celebration of Oneidas bicentennial celebration. Yawʌʔkó.