Yellow – the third colour of the rainbow, is the colour often used in reference to the moon, and the gathering of food. In Aboriginal tradition, crops are planted and harvested according to the phases of the moon. Some Aboriginal cultures understand yellow to mean creativity. Yellow refers to the creative means by which Aboriginal Peoples had to learn to communicate with others who spoke another language or through other than the written word, by using symbols (pictographs, and in contemporary times, artwork, music) and/or sign language.

Since time immemorial, because of our different languages and linguistic groups, Aboriginal Peoples have had to be creative in the ways in which we communicated – about how to interact/trade with each other, about events that have transpired, and about prophecies. We developed a kind of sign language. We used various art forms for our clothing, lodgings, and surroundings. Pictures or images and colours convey ideas or meaning without the use of words or sounds, but in a much more powerful way. In fact, today we can often tell from a person’s regalia what nation they’re from.

One of our longest-standing and best-known art forms is the petroglyph, which dates back thousands of years. Petroglyphs record events, visions, and storytelling. The following comes from an article in Discovery Magazine in 1998 by Grant Keddie, Curator of Archaeology, Royal British Columbia Museum:

For up to thousands of years, figures have been carved in stone along the beaches and in forests stretching around the Pacific Rim from California to China. Some of the human face and animal design elements found in British Columbia show interesting parallels with those found along the coast of Siberia.

One of the most common questions I am asked in regard to these rock carvings or petroglyphs is what are they, and what do they mean? Were these designs pecked into the rock by a shaman for a special purpose?