Philosophy and Native American religious symbolism

Hartley Burr Alexander

1873 – 1939

Hartley Burr Alexander was an American philosopher, poet, and iconographer who became one of the first non-Native scholars to systematically study Native American mythology, art, and religious philosophy at an academic level, contributing the North American volume to the Mythology of All Races series (1916) — a landmark reference still consulted by scholars. He also designed the symbolic iconographic programs for several major American public buildings, embedding indigenous and universal mythological symbolism into civic architecture. His work bridges academic philosophy, comparative religion, and the practical application of symbolic systems in public art.