These bears were reimagined in place through a collective belief and need. I do not know why they were sculpted into being, but their power is palpable. I may be blind to what has been buried here or held inside these effigy mounds for thousands of years, but I can read the landscape like Braille through the tips of my fingers translating the script of grasses into a narrative I can understand. The bears and birds and snakes written on the body of the Earth through the hands of humans who dwelled here in the Upper Mississippi River Valley are a reminder that we form the future by being caretakers of our past.
These bears were shaped in the landscape through a shared belief and necessity, their existence feeling powerful and almost tangible. Although it's unclear why they were created, their presence speaks to a deep connection between people and place, suggesting that these sculptures are more than mere art—they are a manifestation of history and spirit embedded in the land.
"The bears and birds and snakes written on the body of the Earth through the hands of humans who dwelled here in the Upper Mississippi River Valley are a reminder that we form the future by being caretakers of our past." This highlights how ancient effigies serve as a record of cultural memory, emphasizing our ongoing responsibility to honor and preserve the legacy of those who came before us.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
