The Circle: The Hoop of Life
Wiconi Cangleska
The circle represents our role in this hoop of life in which we are related to everything. We are connected to the past and the future because all humanity has one great destiny together. We are ever-changing, ever-evolving and transforming through many cycles of growth and development. The circle symbolizes this process.

We live on a globe turning through space. It is constantly moving in a circular motion. The seasons and cycles of life are circular. Indian peoples use the symbol of the circle to describe the cycles of life in this world. Everything is connected. The four colors of the circle represent human diversity which includes people of all complexions. Indian traditions speak of the time when all the peoples of all colors will come together as One in Unity. Each of us is part of the circle of life. The colors also symbolize the four directions: East, South, West and North. The Sun rises in the east and travels through morning to noon, through afternoon to sunset, through evening to midnight, and through night to another sunrise. The colors tell us of the four powers or qualities in this world: renewal, growth, harvest, and rest. The colors also represent the four winds that blow over this world and cause the seasons to appear: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

The cycle seems to end only so that it can begin again. It is time to start fresh, rested and purified. Sunrise and Springtime begin this renewal.