United Tribes News
Giant UTTC Thunderbird sculpture takes shape17 August 2004
BISMARCK, ND - Jamie L. Ducheneaux has nothing to fear from the giant beak behind her. The larger-than-life image is that of a Thunderbird, a powerful American Indian spirit in the form of a bird.
Over the summer, Jamie and five other UTTC Art/Art Marketing students have been carving life into the image. It's made from large blocks of structural foam, similar to the stuff used as cushion in shipping boxes.
But it isn't ready to spring to life just yet.
When completed in October it will depict four Thunderbirds emerging from a thundercloud with head and talons thrust forward. It'll measure over 20 feet wide by 14 feet tall and be located at Keelboat Park off Bismarck's River Road near the Grant Marsh Bridge.
According to research by the students, the Thunderbird is a spiritual messenger in tribal cultures, representing the sacred power that produces thunder and lightening.
