Eagle Dance

Native American cultures have always revered the eagle as a majestic and powerful animal for its intelligence and physical capabilities. This tempera painting by Tonita Quah ah Pena, one of the leading female watercolor artists in the Native American community, depicts an eagle dance, one of the many ways that people of the San Ildefonso Pueblo demonstrate their reverence for this animal's spirit. Traditional dances commonly incorporate eagle imagery in an attempt to capture some of the bird's noble characteristics like quickness, beauty, and accuracy. More specifically, the eagle dance is performed to ensure good hunting.