Mandala, a Sanskrit word which has become the universal term for sacred circle, appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles of the earth, sun and moon that are part of the solar system, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family and community. The “circle with a center” is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy. It is the basic structure of creation that is reflected in both the microcosmic and the macrocosmic world. Throughout history, sacred traditions around the world have used mandalas as images that direct individuals to the center of their being and to their relationship with the universe. Mandalas are found everywhere in human cultures where awareness of unity is understood and celebrated.

Historically American Indians did not use the Sanskrit word mandala. The concept of a mandala, however, was and is a part of the American Indian’s universe. As evidenced in the powerful symbolism seen in American Indian dream-catchers, shields, Medicine Wheels, lodges (tepees and Navajo hogans) and in sand paintings that Navajo people (Diné) use in their healing rituals. The Lakota shaman, Black Elk, called the circle the “Sacred Hoop.” Recognizing that the circle is a powerful form, Black Elk said, “The power of the world always works in circles and everything tries to be round.” Much of the symbolic geometry of American Indian art and ritual is rooted in the balance of the circle and the four cardinal directions: East, South, West and North. American Indians embrace the circle and understand that the underlying theme in American Indian spirituality is to honor the sacredness of the great circle of life.

The creation of an American Indian Mandala is an artistic endeavor that begins with a salient starting point, a dot that symbolizes the birthplace of all existence in space and time. Navajos call such a point Hajíínéíí (a spiritual place of emergence). The circle and other geometric shapes are born of it and radiate from it. From the American Indian lens, the circle beautifully simple and unchanging, is much more than just a circular shape. It is a metaphysical concept of an all-inclusive Oneness. Accordingly, the completed Mandala symbolizes wholeness—all that is important to the wellbeing of our physical and spiritual self.