About Talking Stone-
For the past two years, it has been held, turned, and listened to, waiting until it was ready to tell its story. I do not force an image from the stone; I allow the story already living within it to reveal itself.
What emerged is a teaching about the sacred role of animals and their wisdom. Animals are not symbols to us—they are teachers. We do not place ourselves above them. We study them, honor them, and in our most sacred moments, we strive to become them.
In this carving, the bear, the eagle, the rattlesnake, and man merge as one within the Bear Dance. The Bear represents strength, healing, and introspection. The Eagle carries prayer and vision. The Rattlesnake holds the power of transformation and life force. Together, they form a unified ceremonial presence.
Man appears small and almost insignificant in this piece, and intentionally so. In ceremony, we humble ourselves. We acknowledge that while modern life often places humans above the natural world, our sacred traditions remind us that we are not greater than these beings. We are students of their wisdom.
Talking Stone is a reminder of relationship: between human, animal, spirit, and Earth, and of the Indigenous understanding that balance is found not through dominance, but through reverence, humility, and remembering who we truly are.
-Juan Villarreal
About the Artist:
Juan, Southern Lipan Apache, is a retired US Air Force musician and graphic designer. His love of learning has earned him numerous degrees and certifications and ultimately led him to make a phone call that would change the course of his life for the next 20 years. The phone rang at Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School, and a couple of months later Juan was on a plane headed to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey from Texas.
Whether he's helping lead 4EEE programs, teaching classes at Red Sun Ranch or creating art, Juan serves as a gentle guide, helping people develop relationships with land and life.
Juan's Red Sun Ranch is located around Alice, TX and is dedicated to helping groups and individuals learn, share, and teach ancestral ways of living.
