Native American Hopi Carved Frog Spirit Being Shape Shifter

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Frog Spirit Being Shape Shifter by Dominic East

The Hopi tell stories to their young about animals and the fact that they have human characteristics. By doing this when the children are young, the children understand that animals deserve the same respect as people. These animals, in the stories, use their powers to "become" humans and do human things. This "magic" is used to teach the children respect for the animals and a life-long respect for "magic" that they might not understand, the power that magic has in the right hands and the damage it can cause in the wrong hands. This frog is just one example of this type of "magic." The shape-shifting animal can be anything. This is a great carving by Dominic and gives us a deeper glimpse into the belief system of the Hopi.