I have been reading a lot about it lately. The turtle is a very important symbol. It does represent Mother Earth. I never knew there was so much symbolism for such an unassuming animal.
There are some native american doulas that take the Turtle as their spirit guide. Here is how one of them explains it:
The turtle is a totem animal in Native American culture. The grandmothers and grandfathers spoke of the turtle as a symbol of mother earth and female strength. The turtle was respected for its qualities of nurturance, protection, patience, perseverance, tenacity, self-reliance, groundedness, and wisdom. The turtle teaches us that we blossom in our own time and that we must go within to find the answers that we seek.