“Migrating Souls of Wisdom,” tells a colorful story about the monarch butterfly migration, pays homage to the wind as a major pollinator, and demonstrates the importance of generational wisdom. The Monarch butterfly migration route is one of the grandest on planet earth, which happens to pass through New Mexico. Monarchs use the tailwind to fly faster during their migration and it can take up to 4 generations of butterflies to complete their journey across North America.

Knowledge of navigating the journey is passed down through their DNA and we have connected that idea to the knowledge we as people, gain from our generations before us. In the mosaic, we pressed names of indigenous nations into clay that the butterflies travel through, as well as names of loved ones from past generations of the apprentices and lead artists.

This gesture is to honor the fact that we are on indigenous land and to remember that knowledge is passed down through generations. It is not only important to look to the future but also to look to the past and respect the balance of past, present, and future.