1 Wyoming Goldback

Description

One Wyoming Goldback – Reverentia (Reverence)

For the first time in the Goldback series, we see the depiction of Reverentia, synonymous with Respect or Reverence. She’s represented as a Shoshone Native American woman, donning a traditional buckskin dress and gracing the Northeastern plains of Wyoming. Below her, the words “Revere what is Sacred” are inscribed.

The wind flows freely through her hair, echoing sentiments of liberty. This sense of freedom gains depth when one notices the bald eagle, a messenger from the Creator, resting on her arm with falconry equipment. The liberty enjoyed by all creations is intertwined with profound respect for the Creator. Reverentia is beautifully framed by sunflowers, which symbolize drawing energy and life from the sun and reflecting its light and beauty.

Devil’s Tower, known as Mato Tipila in Native tongues, meaning Bear Lodge or Bear Rock, forms the backdrop. For numerous Native Americans in the vicinity, this place is revered. Its depicted origin story revolves around seven girls, symbolized by the seven ladybugs on the sunflowers. Pursued by bears, they prayed to the Great Spirit for salvation.

Heeding their pleas, the Great Spirit elevated them skyward through the formation, putting them out of the bears’ reach. As the formation ascended, bears clawed at it, leading to the present-day markings. Eventually, the girls transformed into the Pleiades constellation.

A majestic American Bison stands behind Reverentia, and a bison skull is featured prominently in the foreground. The bison not only signifies Wyoming at a state level but also resonates with the Tribe Logos of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho. Historically pivotal to the region, this depiction symbolizes strength, prosperity, and steadiness derived from freedom, consistency, and balance. The deliberate positioning of the living bison and its skull stimulates reflections on life’s cyclical and interdependent nature. The central placement of Reverentia accentuates the significance of recognizing and respecting this eternal cycle in our present moments.