Austin

Native American Folklore

Native peoples throughout north America, consider Hawk as an important symbol of wisdom, courage, strength and freedom. Hawk appears in Native stories, dances, and ceremonies as a messenger from the spirit world, moving between the Creator and humankind, conveying wisdom and warnings from above. Like Hawk soaring overhead, the Creator watches over the world below and communicates through winged messengers.

Hawk’s most celebrated attribute among Native people is his mastery of flight. Seeing Hawk slowly circling overhead signals a time for reflection, to acknowledge the Creator’s presence and seek higher guidance. The hunting Hawk teaches that patience is the pathway to enlightenment.

Hawk’s incredibly sharp eyesight symbolizes the wisdom that allows Hawk the ability to foresee events and opportunities that others cannot. Hawk uses his powerful eyesight to gain perceptive knowledge.

Stories depicting Hawk’s sharp eyesight are common in Native folklore. In one Cherokee story, Hawk warns villagers of impending danger approaching from afar that no one else could see. Hawk’s vigilance and vision saved the tribe, emphasizing the values of foresight and preparedness.

Natives use Hawk in their religious rituals as he possesses the power and strength to carry prayers to the Creator. Elders smoke ceremonial pipes toward the sky to send tobacco smoke up to messengers like Hawk.

Hawk is a symbol of physical power and authority equivalent to chiefs and warriors. Hawk’s sharp talons and beak evolved for hunting. Braves wear hawk talons and feathers to invoke the bird’s swiftness and predatory capabilities. In ledger drawings, braves are often depicted with hawk talons and feathers to show their status as mighty warriors.

Navajo people believe that Hawk is the companion of the sun, and his flight patterns across the sky represent sunshine spreading across the earth.