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Man-In-The-Maze (by-the-freeway)
photograph by Alan Levine
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THE MAN IN THE MAZE appears here at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, near Phoenix. The Great Seal on the welcome sign is along a new stretch of freeway that was built on Indian land.

The design is found in the Pima and the Tohono 'O'odham cultures of southern Arizona. One version is told in a story told by Christine Manuel, in And It Is Still That Way: Legends told by Arizona Indian Children, edited by Byrd Baylor.

In ancient times, Se-eh-ha, who is also Elder Bromer, needed a safe place to live. He still had a lot of work to do getting the world ready for the Pima and Papago people but he could not do his work because his enemies were always following him.

Even when he went to live in a cave, his enemies followed him. They did not want him to be able to help his people.

Finally he decided to build a home underground in the center of a mountain. At the edge of the mountain anyone could see the opening that led into his house but getting there wasn't as easy as it looked.

Anyone who wanted to find Seeh-ha had to follow many narrowwinding paths that went around and around. His enemies did not know which path to take. If they chose the wrong one they got lost and ran out of air and died down there in the darkness.

While his enemies were searching for him, going around and around in all directions, Seeh-ha was sitting safely in his cave. The only trouble was that he wanted his friends to be able to come to him without getting lost. He made a map for them, and anyone who followed that map could make his way in without getting lost.

Even now the Pima and Papago Indians use that map. The women make a design of it and weave it into baskets so we never forget how to find the right path through life. It can lead you to a safe place.