"Cherokee Tale"

Shop Now! Now Available at MyAmericanCrafts this evocative wall art  "Cherokee Tale" by Tree of Life ArtWorks.

Taken from the Native American Cherokee tale "Two Wolves".

An elder Cherokee was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.” The children thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied,” The one you feed.”

Historically, scrimshaw is a nautical engraving art indigenous to America. Sailors on board whaling ships "scrimmed" designs on whale teeth and bones using a sharp tool (It actually was coined a thrifty waste of time). Ink or oil and soot were then rubbed into the cuts and wiped away to reveal the incised image. Tree of Life incorporates this basic process but instead of ivory, hand-cast resin is used, insuring sharp, detailed images from an eco-friendly resource.