The Horse (so'-qui-li)

Mighty horse...power to run
Across the open plains,
Or to bring the vision of the shields
Dancing in purple dream rain...

The horse was a marvel to the Indian and came
to be regarded as sacred. It had a mysterious or
sacred character. The Indian often times referred
to the horse as the big dog or the sacred dog.

The ceremonial importance of horses is strong in
many cultures. In the Navajo Enemy Way ceremony,
which is used to rid someone who has come in contact
with the enemy of the evil, horses transport the sacred
staff that carries the evil away from the person. Horses
are the focus of many Plains ceremonies as well.

 The Buffalo (ya'-n'-s-si' or yansi)

The buffalo or bison is considered by many tribes to
be a symbol of adundance for it was the meat of the
buffalo that fed the people, the hides that provided
clothing and shelter, the bones and sinew provided
tools of survival.

In the Legend of the Sacred Pipe, the White Buffalo
Calf Woman gave the Sacred Pipe to the Sioux as a
caretaker for the Red Nation. This pipe held the power
of the Great Spirit. She brought the people a message
of peace and said that they would have good hunting
and turn into a great nation. The appearance of a white
buffalo is a sign that prayers have been heard, and
signals a time of abundance plenty.

"Buffalo Medicine" means to bring a special honor,
or appreciation for all of the things that the Earth
provides for her children. To use buffalo medicine
is to smoke the pipe in a sacred manner, and to give
praise for the richness of life to be shared with all.

If a child's name included the word "buffalo" in it, the
Indians believed that the child would be especially
strong and would mature quickly. If a warrior was
renamed after a vision or great hunting or war
accomplishment, and his new name included the
word "buffalo," it meant that the buffalo was his
supernatural helper, or that he exhibited the strength
of a buffalo, or that he was an extraordinary hunter.
In other words, the name desribed the powers of the man.

Societies named after the buffalo had the animal as
their patron. Holy men who saw buffalo in the vision
during which they were called to the practice of
medicine would seek thereafter to commune with
the Great Spirit through the buffalo.

The Eagle (wo-ha'-li)

The Eagle is the great sacred bird of the Cherokee
Indians and of nearly all native tribes. Eagle figures
prominently in their ceremonial rituals. Each Tribal
group has its own stories and legends concerning
the Eagle. Only the greatest warriors and the
Medicine Man wore feathers of the eagle.

Eagle medicine is the power of the great spirit, the
connection to the Devine. It is the ability to live
in the realm of spirit, and yet remain connected and
balanced within the realm of earth.

If someone dreamed of an eagle or eagle feathers,
the town organized an Eagle Dance as soon as
possible. This could only be done in late fall or
winter as the songs sung during the dance angered
the rattlesnakes.

The eagle could only be killed by a proffessional
Eagle Killer who knew the proper ceremonies for
turning aside vengeance by the eagle's spirit. There
were only certain times when the eagle could be
killed, usually only when an Eagle Dance was held.

                 

As winter descends,
two kindred spirits-
Wolf and Raven prevail,
ever wise, sly, playful, hardy...
mythical creatures,
sacred to the native peoples...

The Wolf (wa-hya or wa-ya)

To Native Americans, the wolf is a powerful
spiritual symbol. They are considered to be
teachers or pathfinders. The wolf star was red,
an esteemed color, associated with the wolf by
all tribes. Also known as Sirius, it is the brightest
star in the Northern Sky. The milky way was the
wolf's trail-the route to heaven. In time, the wolf
also became associated among the four seasons
with summer, among the trees with the willow,
and among the great natural forces with the clouds.

The indians respected the wolf's prowess as
a hunter, his stamina, and the way he moved
silently across the landscape. They were moved
by his howling, which they sometimes regarded
as talking with the spirit world. The wolf appears in
many legends as a messenger, great long distance
travelor and a guide for anyone seeking the spirit
world. He was the forerunner of new ideas who
returned to the clan to teach and share medicine.

                                        

Wolf is the Grand teacher. Wolf is the sage,
who after many winters upon the sacred path
and seeking the ways of wisdom, returns to share
new knowledge with the tribe. Wolf is both the
radical and the traditional in the same breath.
When the Wolf walks by you - you will remember.

The old ones tell us stories about our beginnings
and of a time when human kind first came to live
upon this Earth. It was Wolf who taught Humans
the ways of living in harmony. It was Wolf who
taught us how to form community upon this Earth,
for Wolves have an intuitive knowledge of order
through chaos and they possess the ability to
survive change, intact.

Wolf medicine is very ancient and born of living
experience. Wolf will look deep into your heart
and share the greatest of knowledge, but will
demand full participation, and absolute sincerity.
When Wolf has walked by you, the very presence of
the wolf will rekindle old memories within your soul.

Through the friction of experience you rekindle
the emotional fires of the inner soul and question
the manifestations of your own consciousness.
You can own a thing only when you have come to
own the emotional experience of it, and realize
the responsibility for its creation. then you are
free to continue. Wolf medicine can make you whole.

You will return to Wolf many times in your life as
you complete and begin your cycles of experience
and seek the inner truth.

The Raven

It was the raven who created the waters and the
salmon, which came to sacrifice themselves to the
people. The raven fashioned every creature that
walks or flies. It was the raven who helped the
worthy, but loved to trick the unsuspecting; and
as full of mischief as he was wonderful, who made
this world the way it is.

Raven is the messenger of magic from the great
void where all knowledge waits for us. His powerful
medicine can give us the courage to enter the
darkness of this void, called Great Mystery. He
is also the symbol of changes in consciousness,
of levels of awareness and of perception.

  Birds and The Native American Beliefs

The Native Americans all believed in the powers of the birds and many
cultures were saved because of the Bird.

Chickadee:
To the Cherokee Indians, the chickadee is the bird of truth. It helps us to
pinpoint truth and knowledge.. One tale speaks of a witch by the name of
Spearfinger who terrorized the entire tribe.. She would wait in hiding to
kill any passer-by. And after killing them, she would stab the liver of the
individual with her spearfinger and eat it.. Nothing seemed to be able to
stop the witch because she was made mostly of stone. Then one day a
chickadee landed on her, showing the warriors exactly where she was
vulnerable to attack.. After many tries they were able to send her away and
they were no longer terrorized by the Witch known as Spearfinger..

Bluebird:
The bluebird is a native bird of North America, although once common, they
are now rare. This often is a reminder that we are born to happiness and
fulfillment, but we sometimes get so lost and wrapped up in the everyday
events of our lives that our happiness and fulfillment seem rare. When a
bluebird shows up it should first remind you to take time to enjoy yourself.
Bluebirds are part of the thrush family. Males are entirely blue, while
females have blue only on the wings. Occasionally there will be some warm
reddish tones on the chest as well. Pay attention to the colors and where
they are located to provide you with insight. To the Cherokees, blue is the
color of the North, while in many magical traditions, it is the color of the
East. Blue is associated with the throat chakra and creative _expression.
Blue is symbolic, so ask yourself what blue means to you. It is unknown
whether or not the bluebird played a major role in Indian myths or tales.
The bluebird always has a plaintive song and a modest unassuming
appearance..

Eagle:
The feathers of the Eagle are sacred to the Native Americans, and the eagle
is now protected by the United States government. No one is allowed to
possess a Eagle alive or dead, or the feather from the Eagle unless they are
of Native American blood. The feathers are used in powerful healing
ceremonies (cleansing of the aura) and even for shape shifting. White and
black tipped feathers were often used on the masks of the Pueblo Indians to
give the appearance of white and black clouds. You can see the ancient
connection to the mysteries of the sky and all of its phenomena. Both the
bald and the golden eagle have come to symbolize heroic nobility and divine
spirit. The eagle is the messenger from heaven and are the embodiment of the
sun spirit..

Flicker:
To Native Americans, the feathers were considered religious articles. A red
feather on a prayer stick usually reflected war against some enemy either
physical or spiritual. When the feathers were worn in the hair, it indicated
the individual was a member of the medicine society. The same energy that
can be used for war, can also be used for healing. This is what flicker
teaches..

Owls:
the owl has a heart shaped face, which is unique among owls. This reflects
the ability to link the heart and the mind as one. And is part of what the
owl teaches. It also has darker eyes. It has a golden buff feathering on
top, and white feathering beneath. When seen at night from below it has a
ghostly appearance due to its white feathering. It is this appearance which
has earned it the name of ghost owl. It is an owl, whose medicine can
connect you to the Spirits of properties and homes that are still be
lingering about. Its medicine can also be used to help contact the spirits.
The owl is the master hunter. Many farmers have killed owls and tried to
replace them with cats. Unfortunately, the farmers often do not realize that
one pair of nesting owls can eliminate more mice in a night than ten cats
put together..

Swallows:
The swallow has its own legends and tales that are unique to it. One Indian
legend tells how the swallow stole fire from the sun and brought it to the
earth, carrying it on its tail feathers. It is because of this, that its
tail feathers are now forked and spine like. Because of this myth and
because the swallow comes with warm weather, it is associated with the sun
and fire. The southeastern Indians hung hollow gourds for purple martins, a
member of the swallow family..

Turkey:
Sometimes called the earth eagle. It has a long history of association with
spirituality and the honoring of the Earth Mother. It is a symbol of all the
blessings that the Earth contains, along with the ability to use them to
their greatest advantage. The turkey can live to be twelve years old. Twelve
is a significant number, because the earth revolves around the sun in twelve
months. Showing the tie between the turkey and the honoring life cycle of
the Earth. Turkeys are native birds to this continent, and they were even
raised by the Aztecs and Mayans. Nearly every part of the turkey has
usefulness. They were used as food, and Their feathers were used for
decorations, and even their bones were used to make whistles. Turkeys have
an intricate mythology among Native Americans. Turkeys helped create the
world, showing the Indians how to raise corn and fight off evil spirits.
Some stories tell how Indian shamans would turn themselves into turkeys and
prowl around other villages..

Woodpeckers:
In the Native American tradition it is the Woodpecker that is connected to
the heartbeat of the Earth itself. The drumming has many mystical
connections, from new life rhythms to applications of shape shifting. Many
shamans learned how to ride drumbeats into other dimensions..

Wren:
There are more than a dozen species of wren. It is a small, stocky bird. It
is usually brownish in color, and it will often cock its tail feathers up in
the air. It seldom shows itself in the open. Its feathers were magical and
were suppose to guard against drowning. It was considered unlucky to kill
one. In pagan traditions, wrens were considered sacred to the earth gods and
goddesses. It has been thought a bird that stole fire from the sun and
brought it to earth was magical also giving it, its short, cocked tail
feathers. In medieval Europe it was considered the pet bird of the Virgin
Mary, especially among the lower classes. This is probably due to the fact
that most often the ruling classes were depicted in story and legend as
eagles, hawks, bears and the birds and animals of prey. The wren is a most
resourceful and adaptable bird. It will build its nest in any convenient
home. Usually their homes are built close to the ground or even upon the
ground, especially in marshy areas. The male wrens do most of the building,
and they will build several false nests before building a true nest. this
was for protection, although some believe it was also a way to charm the
female. The wren is a bold and resourceful bird. One Native American story,
tells us about how the wren tricked a boasting eagle into carrying it far
into the heavens, until the eagle could go no higher. At that point the wren
hopped off eagle's back and flew beyond the clouds, laughing at how much
higher it was flying than the eagle. The wren has the vocal power of a bird
much larger. It will sing from daylight to dark, as if overflowing with
confidence. It is also known to be quite brave, and it will not hesitate to
confront any threatening bird or animal..