Talking Stone - Original artwork by Juan Villarreal
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.
