| The thunderbird has been one of the most
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| | are lightning snakes which the
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| dominant icons in Native American art and
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| | thunderbird uses as weapons. Lightning
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| legends. In fact, the concept of the
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| | is created when the thunderbird throws
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| thunderbird has been so popular that it
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| | these lighting snakes or when he blinks
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| has been used in the non-Native world to
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| | his eyes that glow like fire. Sometimes
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| name a classic automobile, liquor, a
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| | these lightning snakes are depicted in
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| 1960's children's adventure television
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| | Native American art as having wolf or
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| show (and subsequent recent movie), a US
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| | dog-like heads with serpent tongues.
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| Air Force squadron and is referenced in
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| | They are occasionally referred to as the
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| pop music (remember the word 't-bird' in
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| | thunderbird's dogs. Native American art
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| 1950's rock and roll?). The thunderbird
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| | portrays the thunderbird with a huge
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| is one of the few cross-cultural
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| | curving beak and prominent ears or horns.
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| characters in Native American mythology
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| | The thunderbird is large and strong
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| since it is found in legends of Pacific
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| | enough to hunt its favorite food which is
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| Northwest, Plains, and Northeastern
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| | the killer whale. The lightning snakes
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| tribes.
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| | of the thunderbird are used during hunts
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| The Native Indians of the Pacific
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| | out at sea for the killer whale. After
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| Northwest Coast always lived along the
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| | capture, the thunderbird carries the
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| shores and never ventured inland to the
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| | killer whale back to the mountain to eat.
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| mountains. Legend has it that the
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| | According to legend, the thunderbird and
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| thunderbird, a mighty God in the form of
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| | killer whale once battled so hard that
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| a giant, supernatural bird lives in the
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| | entire trees were uprooted. This was the
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| mountains. The Quileute tribe of
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| | explanation why there are treeless
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| Washington state considered a cave on
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| | prairie regions near the Pacific
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| Mount Olympus as the home of the
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| | Northwest Coast mountains. The
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| thunderbird while the Coast Salish
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| | thunderbird and killer whale are often
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| believed it is located on the Black Tusk
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| | depicted together in Northwest Native
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| peak in British Columbia. It is thought
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| | American art. A large example is at one
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| that the thunderbird never wants anyone
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| | by reknowned Northwest Native American
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| to come near its home. If Native hunters
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| | art carver Richard Hunt at one of the
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| get too close, the thunderbird will smell
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| | Northwest Native American art exhibits at
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| them and make a thunder sound by flapping
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| | the Vancouver International Airport.
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| its wings. It would also roll ice out of
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| | The Squamish Nation in British Columbia,
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| its cave and down the mountain with
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| | Canada has a thunderbird as their symbol.
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| chunks breaking up into many smaller
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| | Their thunderbird is portrayed as one of
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| pieces.
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| | the special messengers of the Creator.
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| Some tribes such as the Kwakwaka'wakw
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| | The Squamish thunderbird is a symbol for
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| believe that their people once made a
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| | strength as well as change with the three
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| deal with the thunderbird for its help
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| | tail feathers representing the past,
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| during a food crisis and in return, the
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| | present and future. In the talons of this
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| tribe agreed to honor the thunderbird for
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| | thunderbird is a face of a lizard which
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| all time by making its image prominent in
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| | represents spiritual protection for the
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| their Northwest Native American art.
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| | people of the Squamish Nation.
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| This is why West Coast art totem poles
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| | For many people, Natives and non-Natives
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| are often carved with thunderbirds with
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| | alike, the thunderbird has become a
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| outstretched wings at the top.
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| | symbol of power, strength and nobility.
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| The wingspan of the thunderbird was
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| | Even the classic automobile of the same
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| described to be twice as long as a Native
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| | name was reintroduced as a contemporary
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| Indian war canoe. Underneath its wings
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| | version.
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