There once was a boy
named Running Bear.
In his dreaming he saw
The eagles fly.
He wanted to fly like an eagle.
All thought he was a foolish boy.
Each day he would speak to the eagle
and watch it soar,
with arms stretched to the heavens.
All were surprised
when one day Running Bear
flew with the eagle.
He rose on the eagle's wings
and flew away forever.
Running Bear,
Now an eagle,
Flies in his visions.
(a story told in the oral tradition to Sbec by her Grandfather: source unknown.)
EAGLES FLIGHT
The world is his
With the majestic spread of his noble wings
Brother wind will lift him high
As he soars above Mother Earth
His eyes savor all the Great Spirit’s wondrous gifts
It is said that a man who is born with blue eyes sees
The world as does the eagle, with the blue sky behind him
My brother eagle has long been the ultimate symbol of freedom
But he is much more than that, he is the true essence of the spirit of living
His flight gives the world a picture to behold
The sounds of his scream is the song of the living
Carried by brother wind for all to hear
So if you are fortunate enough to see the eagle
Let your eyes drink of his wonder and give thanks
To the Great Spirit for this truly magnificent gift.
Sungmanitutanka Sape
April 2000
Symbolism of the American Bald Eagle
According to legend, the Bald Eagle soared from the heavens to guard the union of five Iroquois states, when the Iroquois nation was founded over 500 years ago. In 1782, the eagle symbol was chosen for use on the Great Seal of the United States.
The Bald Eagle, an important symbol in Native American legends, is used to symbolize the founding of the Iroquois Nation. An ancient Iroquois legend describes how one arrow, symbolizing one state, could be broken, but a bundle of five arrows, symbolizing the union, could not. The designer, Charles Thomson, was an adopted member of the Delaware tribe and an expert on Native American government and history. He conspicuously omitted an explanation of the eagle in his official report, and instead, explained the covert meaning of the seal in a non-public document. This document was kept secret and disappeared in the early 1800's.
The actual symbolism he described is lost to history.
Created in the Joy of Sharing April 2000 Redesigned August 2001 Design by Sbec Thank you for visiting Enjoy...and come again.
Thank you for respecting the original work found on the Woven Ones Sungmanitutanka Sape and Sbec
