Native American tribes traditionally used symbolism in their arts and crafts-jewelry, basketry, pottery, textiles-that had specific meaning to them and they also used symbols that were purely decorative. One such symbol often seen on pre-1930 Apache baskets, Navajo jewelry and rugs and, occasionally, Pueblo pottery, was the symbol internationally known as the swastika. It is a symbol that had been in use for several thousand years in cultures over the world. What meaning it had for Native Americans has only been thoroughly documented in its use on Navajo rugs. Dennis J. Aigner has studied the symbol for several decades and has published The Swastika Symbol in Navajo Textiles. Its use by the Navajo originated with a Navajo sandpainting used in The Nightway Chant, a nine-day ceremony for healing purposes. The symbol consisted of what may be called a plus mark, with The Twin War Gods, side by side, attached to the four lines, forming a swastika-looking symbol. Legend has the twins riding down the river on logs, rotating or whirling, thus the accepted name for the symbol being Whirling Logs. Unfortunately, there is no published documentation on the origin of its use by other tribes.
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