The quilts created by slave women were wisely used to interpret secret messages to other slaves, especially those who were escaping. Some scholars believe the quilting patterns also contained directions for navigating the Underground Railroad. According to the article “The Role of Slave Art in the Resistance” by Joellen ElBashir and Donna M. Wells, “The patterns, knots, stitching, and colors conveyed instructions on how to escape slavery and, when hung outside, conveyed directions to the North." Quilts would even be created to map the surrounding landscape to help escaping slaves become familiar with the land and its terrain. In addition to the quilts, homes and other structures built by slave laborers were laid out and designed so that they were familiar with the environment of homes in Africa (Rodriguez, Junius P. “Art.” Encyclopedia of Slave Resistance and Rebellion.) This bringing native culture to America showed how slaves resisted, even after being forced to follow American customs