Water imagery, and the use of turquoise to repeat and amplify it, continues to be important in the traditional cultures of the Southwest.

In this arid region, water means a fertile world of abundance. Frogs, fish, turtles, other sea creatures, clouds, and rain symbolize the wish for a rich and productive future.

Nambé Falls, north of Santa Fe.
Courtesy New Mexico State Records Center and Archives. Marjorie F. Lambert Photograph Collection, Image No. 29212.

Nambé Falls, north of Santa Fe (Courtesy New Mexico State Records Center and Archives. Marjorie F. Lambert Photograph Collection, Image No. 29212)