Native American Art Thunderbird

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