Once a hunter in the mountains heard a noise at night like a rushing wind outside the cabin, and on going out he found that an eagle had just alighted on the drying pole and was tearing at the body of a deer hanging there. Without thinking of the danger, he shot the eagle. In the morning he took the deer and started back to the settlement, where he told what he had done, and the chief sent out some men to bring in the eagle and arrange for an Eagle dance with it’s feathers. They brought back the dead eagle, everything was made ready, and that night they started the dance in the townhouse.

About midnight there was a whoop outside and a strange warrior came into the circle and began to recite his exploits. No one knew him, but they thought he had come from one of the farther Cherokee towns. He told how he had killed a man and at the end of the story he gave a hoarse yell, Heeeeeee! that startled the whole company, and one of the seven men with the rattles fell over dead. He sang of another deed, and at the end straightened up with another loud yell. A second rattler fell dead, and the people were so full of fear that they could not stir from their places. Still he kept on, and at every pause there came again that terrible scream, until the last of the seven rattlers fell dead, and then the stranger went out into the darkness.

Long afterward they learned from the eagle killer that it was the brother of the eagle shot by the hunter.

This is another Ngiyaampaa story and it’s about Eaglehawk and Crow.

Long, long time ago Eaglehawk, it was his turn to go hunting. So Eaglehawk had a little baby, and he asked Crow, he went over to his neighbor Crow and asked Crow if he’d look after his baby while he went hunting, because food was getting much scarcer now and they had to go much further and further away from the camp.

So Eaglehawk, he went to Crow and asked him. Crow didn’t want to look after the baby, he said “No, no I don’t want to look after the baby, he’s crying too much, he’ll cry all the time and disturb the camp”. But Eaglehawk said, “No, he’ll be right, Crow”. He said, “You take him away and you sit down there and talk to him, or sing to him and he’ll quieten down”. Crow was still reluctant to take the baby, he said, “No, I don’t want to look after the kid”.

So anyway, Eaglehawk just handed the baby to Crow and said, “Okay, when we come back, whatever meat we get we’ll bring it back and we’ll share it with you”. Crow had to be satisfied with that and Eaglehawk just went off with his young men and of course they had to go a long, long way from the camp.

But Crow, after he got the baby, he took it into his gunyah, his hut, and he sat down there with the baby and he was singing to it and talking to it, but the baby wouldn’t stop crying. Just kept on crying and crying and crying.

So Crow was getting really annoyed, no way he could stop the baby. So Crow went out and he got his boondie-his hitting stick-and banged the little fella with the hitting stick and killed him. Then he got the baby and he put it up the back of his camp, right in the back of the gunyah. He put all the leaves around it, and a bit of bark and a kangaroo skin. He had a kangaroo skin, a cloak, so he put that over the baby. And anyway, everything was quiet then so Crow went away from his camp and started doing what he wanted to do then.

So after, when Eaglehawk came back late in the afternoon, Crow ran back into the camp and he was sitting at the doorway and he was making out he was singing to the baby. Crow’s sitting there and Eaglehawk came up to him and said “I’ve come to pick my baby up now Crow. He’s very quiet, you must have sung him to sleep.

And Crow said, “Yeah, he’s right in the back of the gunyah there, he’s right in the back of the camp. He’s sound asleep. Don’t wake him, leave him there. Eaglehawk said, “No, I’ll take him home now and look after him”.

So when Eaglehawk walked into the camp, the gunyah, to get his baby, he noticed that everything was really still and too still around him. So once Eaglehawk walked into the back of the camp and picked the baby up, Crow took off and he ran out and hid in the mallee, the thick scrub.

So Eaglehawk he started yelling, “My baby, Crow killed my baby”, so all his other hunters came up to him with their spears and he said, “Go after him. Chase him into the thick mallee and get him. We’ll kill him”. So they ran after Crow, but he got right into the centre of the mallee and they couldn’t find him. So Eaglehawk said, “We’ll set a light to the mallee and we’ll burn him out. He’s got to be punished for what he did to my baby.”

So they set a light to the mallee, and they went right back, away from the fire and they’re sitting right out there, waiting for all the smoke to go away. And then they saw this bird flying out of the smoke, at the end of the smoke this black bird came out. And Eaglehawk said, “That’s him. That’s Crow. He’s been punished now, his spirit turned into a black bird.”

And today, Eaglehawk and Crow still carry on the fight after that. They’re birds today and they still carry on the fight. Crow will still go up to Eaglehawk’s nest and try to pick at his babies, the eyes of his babies. And in the air when Eaglehawk’s circling for food, Crow will go after him again and try to pick at him. So they still carry on the fight after what happened when they were people years ago.

told by Aunty Beryl Carmichael

A long, long time ago the Cheyenne warriors had not learned yet how to use eagle for their war ornaments. One of their men climbed a high mountain; there he lay for five days, crying, without food. Some powerful being, he hoped, would see him and come to him, to teach him something great for his people.

He was glad when he heard a voice say, “Try to be brave, no matter what comes, even if it might kill you. If you remember these words, you will bring great news to your people, and help them.” After a time he heard voices, and seven eagles came down, as if to fly away with him. But he was brave, as he had been told, though he continued to cry and keep his eyes closed. Now the great eagles surrounded him. One said “Look at me. I am powerful, and I have wonderfully strong feathers. I am greater than all other animals and birds in the world.” This powerful eagle showed the man his wings and his tail, and he spread all his feathers as wide as possible. He shows him how to make war headdresses and ornaments out of eagle feathers.

“Your people must use only eagle feathers, and it would be a great help to them in war and bring them victories,” eagle said. Since no loose feathers were about, the seven eagles shook themselves, and plenty of feathers fell to the ground. The Cheyenne picked them up and gratefully took them home to his tribe.

On that day, eagle feathers were seen for the first time by the Cheyenne and they knew where they came from. The man showed his people how to make war ornaments from the eagle feathers, as he had been told. From that day onward, the man became a great warrior in his tribe, and their leader in war parties. He became so successful his people named him Chief Eagle Feather and he wore his Eagle Feather Warbonnet, as he led the Cheyenne’s with dignity and pride.

http://www.indigenouspeople.net/eaglewar.htm

Eagle Medicine is the power of the Great Spirit, the connection to the Divine. It is the ability to live in the realm of spirit, and yet remain connected and balanced within the realm of Earth. Eagle soars, and is quick to observe expansiveness within the overall pattern of life. From the heights of the clouds, Eagle is close to the heavens where the Great Spirit dwells.-Jamie Sams, Seneca/Choctaw, and David Carson, Choctaw

Eagle feathers are considered infinitely sacred to traditional Native American people who make use of the feathers for a variety of purposes including ceremonial healing and purification. Eagle Medicine represents a state of presence achieved through diligence, understanding, awareness, and completion of “test of initiation” such as the vision quest or other demanding life experiences. Elder status is associated with Eagle Medicine and the power of connectedness and truth, It is through the wisdom of experience that this Medicine is earned.

The Eagle feather, which represents duality, tells the story of life. It tells of the many duality’s that exist in life, such as light and dark, male and female, substance and shadow, summer and winter, peace and war, life and death. It reminds us of the teachings that Opposites are extensions of themselves like two opposing hands of the same body. Native American traditionalists look upon the Eagle feather as a sacred symbol of the balance necessary for the Circle of Life to continue. J. T. Garrett, as a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, describes how:

The Eagle feather teaches us about the Rule of Opposites, about everything being divided into two ways. The more one is caught up in the physical, or the West, then the more one has to go in the opposite direction, the East, or the spiritual, to get balance. And it works the other way too- you can’t just focus on the spiritual to the exclusion of the physical. You need harmony in all Four Directions.

The Lesson of Opposites is that of choice. Any two Opposites are often part of the same truth. If we consider the Eagle feather with its light and dark colors, we could argue that “the dark colors are far more beautiful and, therefore, naturally more valuable,” or vice versa. Regardless of which colors are said to be more beautiful, or necessary, or valuable, the truth is the bottom line: Both colors come from the same feather, both are true, they are connected, and it takes both to fly.

The balance of which the traditional way speaks is not recognition of two separate phenomena, nor a decision as to which is best and which is worst. The balance of which the traditional way speaks is worst. The balance of which the traditional way speaks is recognition of the “oneness” of two differing phenomena, and a decision to honor both through harmony and balance. Traditionally, a person earns the Eagle feather through enormous acts of courage, understanding, or generosity. Very often, it is through such acts that this recognition “oneness” to truth occurs, and it is here that universal learning takes place.

The Lesson of the Eagle

There are certain animals, birds, and water beings that are referred to in Native American stories. Probably none of them have been as honored as the bald eagle. To Native Americans, it is considered as possibly the most sacred bird. The turtles of the sea and land also seem to have special significance in stories. Cherokee stories relate to the turtle as having a special purpose since the beginning of time. The turtle shells were worn by the Cherokee female dancers in earlier Green Corn ceremonies and today also by Stomp Dancers and at POW-wows. The importance of the Eagle Dancers among the Cherokee and the use of eagle feathers by other Native Americans today attest to the honor given to the Eagle.

The Eagle Dance among the Cherokee represents a strength and power to be honored. Unfortunately, while tens of thousands of eagles were once in North America, they now are rarely seen. In 1782 – the year the bald eagle was formally adopted as our national emblem – bald eagles were probably flourishing, with as many as 20,000 nesting pairs in what is now the United States.

In the 200 years since the bald eagle became our symbol of strength and freedom, its numbers have suffered a great decline. By the late 1800′s bald eagles were already restricted to their current breeding stronghold: Alaska, Canada, the Great Lakes States and the Pacific Northwest. At one time there were only 3,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states.

Since then, the bald eagle has recovered dramatically from the lower numbers of the 1960′s and 1970′s. Today there are more than 10,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. In 1995, the bald eagle’s status was downgraded from endangered to threatened throughout this range.

To the surprise of most people Missouri is one of the leading bald eagle states. Each fall, thousands of these great birds migrate south from their nesting range in Canada and the Great Lakes States to hunt around the open waters of our rivers and lakes.

Many take up residence wherever they find open water and plentiful food. Missouri, because of its big rivers, many lakes and wetland areas, is especially attractive to these huge, magnificent birds.

More than 2,200 bald eagles were reported in Missouri during a recent winter, making our state the leader in the lower 48 states.

This information is taken from Medicine of the Cherokee by J. T. and Michael Garrett and The Missouri Department of Conservation.

Long ago, a boy was out walking one day when he found a young eagle that had fallen from its nest. He picked that eagle up and brought it home and began to care for it. He made a place for it to stay, and each day he went out and hunted for rabbits and other small game to feed it. His mother asked him why he no longer came to work in the fields and help his family. “I must hunt for this eagle,” the boy said. So it went on for a long time and the eagle grew large and strong as the boy hunted and fed it. Now it was large and strong enough to fly away if it wished to. But the eagle, stayed with the boy who had cared for it so well. The boy’s brothers criticized him for not doing his share of work in the corn and melon fields, but Eagle boy as they now called him did not hear them. He cared only for his bird. Even the boy’s father, who was an important man in the village, began to scold him for not helping. But still the boy did not listen. So it was that the boy’s brothers and his older male relatives in his family came together and decided that they must kill the eagle. They decided to do so when they returned from the fields the following day. When Eagle Boy came to his bird’s cage, he saw that the bird sat there with its head hanging down. He placed a rabbit he had caught in the cage, but the eagle did not move or eat it. “What is wrong, my eagle friend?” asked the boy. Then the eagle spoke, he had never spoken to the boy before. He said, “My friend, I cannot eat for I am filled with sadness and sorrow.” “But why are you so troubled?” asked the boy. “It is because of you,” said the eagle. You have not done your work in the fields. Instead, you have spent all of your time caring for me. Now your brothers and family have decided to kill me so that you again will return to your duties in the village. I have stayed here all of this time because I have learned to love you. But now I must leave. When the sun rises tomorrow, I will fly away and never come back.” “My eagle,” said the boy, “I do not want to stay here without you. You must take me with you.” “My friend, I cannot take you with me,” You would not be able to find your way through the sky. You would not be able to eat raw food.” said the eagle. “If you are certain, then you may come with me. But you must do as I say. Come to me at dawn, after the people have gone down to their fields. Bring food to eat on our long journey across the sky. Put food in pouches so you can sling them over your shoulders. You must also bring two strings of bells and tie them to my feet.”

That night the boy filled the pouches with blue corn wafer bread, dried meats and fruits. He made up two strings of bells, tying them with strong rawhide. The next morning, after the people had gone down to the fields, he went to the eagle’s cage and opened it. The eagle spread its wings wide. “Now,” he said to Eagle Boy, “tie the bells to my feet and then climb onto my back and hold onto the base of my wings.” Eagle Boy climbed on and the eagle began to fly. It rose higher and higher in slow circles above the village and above the fields. The bells on the eagle’s feet jingled and the eagle sang and the boy sang with it:

Huli-i-i, hu-li-i-i-
Pa shish lakwa-a-a-a-a………

So they sang and the people in the fields below heard them singing, and they heard the sound of the bells Eagle Boy had tied to the eagle’s feet. They all looked up. “They are leaving,” the people called out in the village. “They are leaving.” Eagle Boy’s parents yelled up to him, but he could not hear them. The eagle and boy went higher and higher in the sky until they were only a tiny speck and they disappeared from the sight of the village people. The eagle and the boy flew higher and higher until they came to an opening in the clouds. They passed through and came out into the Sky Land. They landed there on Turquoise Mountain where the Eagle People lived. Eagle Boy looked around the sky world. Everything was smooth and white and clean clouds. “Here is my home,” the eagle said. He took the boy into the city in the sky, and there were eagles all around them. They looked like people, for they took off their wings and their clothing of feathers when they were in their homes. The Eagle People made a coat of feathers for the boy and taught him to wear it and to fly. It took him a long time to learn, but soon he was able to circle high above the land just like the Eagle People and he was an eagle himself. “You may fly anywhere,” the old eagles told him, ” anywhere except to the South. Never fly to the South Land.” All went well for Eagle Boy in his new life. One day, though, as he flew alone, he wondered what it was that was so terrible about the South. His curiosity grew, and he flew further and further toward the South. Lower and lower he flew and now he saw a beautiful city below with people dancing around red fires. “There is nothing to fear here,” he said to himself, and flew lower still. Closer and closer he came, drawn by the red fires, until he landed. The people greeted him and drew him into the circle. He danced with them all night and then, when he grew tired, they gave him a place to sleep. When he woke the next morning and looked around, he saw the fires were gone. The houses no longer seemed bright and beautiful All around him there was dust, and in the dust there were bones. He looked for his cloak of eagle feathers, wanting to fly away from this city of the dead., but it was nowhere to be found. Then the bones rose up from the dust and came together. There were people made of bones all around him! He stood up and began to ran away from them. The people made of bones chased him. Just as they were about to catch him, he saw a badger.

“Grandson,” the badger said, “I will save you.” Then the badger carried the boy down into his hole and the bone people could not follow. “You have been foolish,” the badger scolded. “You did not listen to the warnings the eagles gave you. Now that you have been in this land in the South, they will not allow you to live with them anymore.”

Then the badger took pity on Eagle Boy and showed him the way back to the city of the eagles. It was a long hard journey and when the boy reached the eagle city, he stood outside the high white walls. The eagles would not let him enter. “You have been to the South Land,” they said. You can no longer live with us.” At last, the eagle the boy had raised below took pity on him. After all this boy had feed and cared for him. He brought the boy an old and ragged feather cloak. “With this cloak you may reach the home of your own people,” he said. “But you can never return to our place in the sky.” He gratefully accepted the gift of the tattered feather cloak. His flight back down to his people was a hard one, more difficult than any flights in Sky Land. He almost fell through the sky many times. His eagle friend circled and circled in the clouds watching over him. When he finally reached the village of his people on earth, the eagle flew down and carried off the feather cloak they had given him. From that time on, Eagle Boy lived among his people. Though he lifted his eyes in joy whenever eagles soared overhead, he shared in the work in the fields, and his people were honored and happy to him among them. He could fly away if it wished to, but he the eagle stayed with the people who loved him.