The hoop dance is an example of the pan-Indian movement, a co-mingling of Native American song, dance, language and customs that give a collective voice to the country's smallest minority group. It provides a common thread for Native people, who have more than 500 different tribes with different cultures and languages.

Traditionally men only performed the hoop dance: however, today dancing is practiced by men and woman of all ages. Mr. Daniel tramper of Cherokee, a 40 year-old construction worker whose voice is tinged with the southern drawl of his North Carolina hills is a respected champion in performing the hoop dance. "I've been dancing 35 years," he said. "It's a part of my life. It's like breathing." He uses his hoops to form a globe, butterfly, eagle, tree and geometric designs. Many traditional dances are often tied to seasonal or life- cycle events. In addition to public dances, there are private and semipublic dances for curing, prayer, initiation, story telling, performing magic, playing games, courting, hunting and influencing nature.

I have created this design using a zinc plate etching. An etching is an intaglio printmaking method where the image is made by inking the incised lines and recessed textures of a plate, wiping the extra ink off the surface, placing a damp piece of paper over the plate, and running both paper and plate through the press to create an image.

Each butterfly embodies the hoop dancers who wear a bright and colorful dress with shawl to imitate the colors of a butterfly's wings. The star pattern created by the overlapping of wings suggests a mantra or prayer calling for peace and unity in the world. Leafs repeat to form a unifying outer circle reminiscent of the willow branched hoops a dancer would use with his performance. Each leaf is a foot step symbolizing the circle of life, without end.