Traditionally, some Native Americans gave bald eagles feathers in rituals to mark achievements, such as graduation, and used them as a form of reverence for the sacred birds of the Creator’s messenger.
This year, many people have raised their pride and hope. Condor Now the official bird of the United States, nearly 250 years after it was initially used as a symbol of a newly formed country, the country is politically polarized.
“The Eagles finally get the respect they deserve. Maybe there may be less division when the country looks at the Eagles in this way,” said Jim Thunder Hawk. He is the Dakota Culture and Language Manager for the Indian Community of Prairie Island, a small Mdewanderon Suux Band on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
This wide, dense water is framed by a cliff of trees and is the main territory of the vultures. Minnesota’s majestic white-headed bird unique in North America is second only to Alaska.
legislation Make the eagle official From a member of the Minnesota Congressional Mission. The Federal Act recognizes the centrality of the eagle in the “spiritual life and divine belief system” of most indigenous peoples, and exhibits 40 miles (65 km) downstream from the National Eagle Center in Wabasa, Minnesota, which originates from the National Eagle Center in the Prairie Island community, which is linked to the Eagle Care Care Care Care Center Centry Center.
“If you grew up in the United States, the Eagles are part of your daily life.” Tifani Ploehn, the center’s director of avian care, oversees four of its residents, Condor. “Everyone has some kind of connection.”
Fierce strength and spiritual symbol
A bald eagle with extensive wings and claws has been in the United States since 1782 and appears on the passport cover, a dollar bill, a military badge and countless different images in popular culture.
However, prolific collectors of the Wabasa memorabilia recently realized that despite the official animals (bison) and flowers (rose), the hawks have no official credibility. Several Minnesota lawmakers sponsored bill To solve this problem, then-President Joe Biden’s signature made it official in December.
The Blue Eagles are widely used as symbols of strength and strength thanks to their huge wingspan and harsh curved beak. In fact, they spent 95% of their time perching on trees, although they could spot 3 miles (5 km) of rabbits when they hunted.
For many Native Americans, towering eagles represent much more. It prays to the Creator, and even intercedes on their behalf.
“My grandmother told me that we honor the Eagles because when the creators wanted to open them, they saved the Ojibwe people. Eagles, he could fly high, so he went to talk to the Creator to make things right,” Sadie Erickson was Ojibwe and Mdewakanton Sioux.
Mark life milestones with eagle feathers
Erickson and a dozen other high school graduates received vulture feathers during a celebration at Riverbank in early July.
Thunder Hawk said Dakota Language prayers urge high school graduates and graduates to earn a higher education degree to “always remember who you are and where you come from.”
Then they lined up, with a relative tied with a feather – traditionally, on the left, on the side of the heart – tribe members sang and drum Celebrate them.
“It feels like I’ve gone through a new step in life,” Jayvionna Buck said.
She grew up on the Prairie Island and she recalled her mother excitedly pointing out every eagle.
“She would really yell at me, ‘Hawk!’ but that’s just a special situation we’re seeing,” Buck said. “We love seeing it, and usually in doing so, we just provide tobacco to show our respect.”
Some Native Americans respected the eagle as their ritual name. Derek Walking Eagle’s Lakota is named “Eagle Thunder” to celebrate the graduate wearing a braided medal representing the bird.
To him, the Eagle is like a relative, connecting him to his future and afterlife.
“Being able to continue to enter the spiritual world…that is the person who guides you. This is the eagle,” said the Walking Eagle.
This deep respect is also related to feathers.
“This is the highest respect you can give to a person, family and people, tribes,” Rehawke said. “We teach those who receive the feathers must respect and respect the eagles. We tell them why.”
Continuous trouble, but new hope
He said that killing eagles is “blasphemy” in many local cultures. This is also a Federal crime.
Thunderhawk, who grew up in South Dakota, said that historically, Sue warriors would attract an eagle that uses rabbits or other food, pull out a few feathers and release it.
Today, there is a national program that legally distributes eagle feathers and parts specifically distributed to tribal members, although it is very backlog. U.S. wildlife and tribal officials worry Homicide and illegal trafficking Eagle feathers are rising, especially in the West.
In Minnesota, eagles are often hurt by road accidents and poisons, which reduces wildlife habitat, which makes them more in touch with humans, said Lori Arent, interim director of the University of Minnesota Raptor Center.
The center has about 200 injured vultures each year. Of those who they can save, most are eventually released back into the wild. Disabled birds that permanently lose their eyes or have wings too big to fly or are cared for in other educational institutions such as Wabasha Eagle Center.
Arendt said the official designation could help more Americans understand how their actions inadvertently hurt the Hawks. For example, littering on a highway attracts rodents that attract eagles and can then be hit by vehicles. Eagles that fish or hunt lead with tackles and ammunition and expose those fish or deer still have fatal metal poisoning.
Ray Hawk said humans have lost the ability to live in harmony with the natural world, Ray Hawk said, expressing concerns from the indigenous peoples. Chilean Andes arrive United States-Mexico border area.
He hopes that more people will approach the eagle now as the same reverence as they were taught. This is what leads him to provide sage or dried red willow bark every time he finds a person as “thank you for allowing me to see you and hear my prayers and thoughts.” ”
New graduate Erickson shared this optimism.
“I think that kind of performance we are a country, a country,” she said.
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Associated Press Religion Coverage Reaches Supported through Associated Press cooperate Through the conversation, the funds from Eli Lilly Enfu Company were used. The Associated Press is responsible for this content.
