The Man in the Maze life symbol depicts the path of life and all that it entails such as happiness, sadness, successes etc. The Man in the Maze design symbolizes experiences and choices we make in our journey through life. The center of the life symbol is your goal in life. There is a dream at the center and you reach the dream when you get to the middle of the maze. Upon reaching the center of the maze you have one final opportunity (the last turn in the symbol) to look back at your choices and path, before the Sun God greets you, blesses you and passes you into the next world. The “Man in the Maze,” is an emblem of the Tohono O’odham Nation of Southern Arizona.
The baskets pictured date from the late 1800s. There is lively debate over which way to present them...with the man upright or upside down.
