Created under the direction of internationally renowned artist Marietta Dantonio-Fryer, Professor and Chairperson of the Humanities and Communications Arts Department of Cheyeny University of Pennsylvania, founder of Totem Rhythms , and outreach coordinator for Survivors Art Foundation worked in collaboration with Paul Boggia of the Main Street Counseling Center with six children from the Dominick A. Lockwood Child and Adolescent Treatment Center in Stroudsburg, Pa.

The children worked with seven volunteers, Professor Fryer and colleague Professor Keener in November 2008 to create a 6 foot plus by 6 foot plus sculptural turtle shaped mural. The Turtle mural entitled “You Are Not Alone” is covered with symbols and colors influenced by Native American, African and Western colors and symbols depicting the intense emotions of the children who expressed their deepest thoughts, fears and love which aided in their healing process.

A Native American hand crafted talking stick was used for communication and sharing while participants sat in a sacred circle. The Medicine wheel assisted youth to find placement for their chosen animals, shapes and colors which represented their personalities.

Main Street Counceling Center Business Card Uses The Turtle As Their Logo
Visit their website at Main Street Counseling Center

The turtle, a Native American symbol of the Americas and mother earth has 13 distinct shapes on it back which correlates to the 13 individuals who worked on the mural. Following in the mission of the Main Street Counseling Center, the “You Are Not Alone” mural project helped lead youth on their path to self esteem, self sufficiency and self love.

Totem Rhythms, Inc. mission is to recapture, restore and retell traditional Indigenous stories inclusive of Native Americans, onto wooden totem poles. Totem Rhythms has worked with various Indigenous groups creating 20 totem poles preserving traditional stories and has exhibited the finished totem poles at the United Nations for the Indigenous people’s exhibits in previous years.

The turtle was displayed at the counseling center until early 2010 when it was requested by the United Nations in New York as the centerpiece for an exibit that is running from May through July 2010. Approximately 350,000 people per month go through the exibit.

On June 7, Professor Dantonio-Fryer, counseling center Director Paul Boggia and participants in the making of the turlte visited the exibit to see and feel what it was like to have their artwork displayed in one of the most heavily visited places on earth. The experience was captured on film by Leslie Abby of Snowflake Video, the company currently creating a full length feature documentary on the turtle project.