Winds & Currents ─ Native American Stories

Visual artist Joan Henrik has been profoundly inspired by the legends and stories that had their origins in native folklore. Native people come from an oral narrative tradition which has always been a sacred process, because it provided the people with social, cultural, and historical contexts. The oral narrative has acted as a social cohesive for the entire tribe and constitutes the cultural grounding of indigenous people for thousands of years.

Motivated by these stories, Henrik created fourteen animal icons for a terrazzo floor design now inlaid in the new Amsoil sports arena in the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Her award-winning "Winds & Currents" was selected by the Duluth Public Arts Commission in an open competition. These stories are cautionary tales demonstrating what we can learn from the natural world. They have their origins in tribal culture throughout North America. After the floor completion, the stories are now collected together in this volume. Based on these iconic images, Henrik has included fourteen of her "ready to color" line drawings with which readers can interact and create their own interpretations of the visual art.

Joan Henrik began her graphic design career in Duluth, Minnesota, where she attended the University of Minnesota. She has worked more than fifty years in advertising, including over twenty-five years with the Westmorland, Larson, and Hill agency. In 2011, the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association selected her floor design as one of the best terrazzo floors in the United States.