Long before a detested dictator commandeered the swastika as a symbol of hate and war, the ancient image had special meaning as a symbol of harmony in many cultures, including among Native Americans in New Mexico. This presentation will review the swastika’s meaning in Native American culture, including its use in arts and crafts, and as the name of the New Mexico State University yearbook from the early 20th century through World War II. It finally was abandoned in a storm of controversy in the early 1980s.
