Deer-man or deer-woman (central figure on the bottom)

Spirit guides who act as intermediaries between the spirit and human worlds.

Sun (emanating from under the deer's body)

Father Sun rules the heavens, bringing warmth and life to all living things, and ensuring healthy and abundant crops

Peyote (round green disks on deer)

Hallucinogenic cactus used to induce spiritual visions. Represented by round circles with dots

Eagle (top of the painting, in the center)

wife of Father Sun, the mother of all living things and the sky

Birds (small birds on the eagle's body)

Messengers to the gods. Eagles and turkeys are especially important.

Candles (on either side of the eagle, they look like spaceships)

: embody the sacred gift of light from the Sun and Fire Gods, and symbolize the illumination of the human spirit

Fire (surrounding the candles)

The most valuable gift of the gods.

Serpents (upper left-hand corner)

Another intermediary between men and the spirit world, and a symbol of rain.

Arrows

Shamans use arrows with eagle or hawk feathers suspended from the shaft to speak to the gods

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