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Native American Hawk Mythology

Hawks are often seen as a symbol of power in Native American cultures. Like eagles, they are symbols of courage and strength. In some tribes, such as the Cheyenne, hawks are associated with protection from enemies, and seeing or dreaming about a hawk can be seen as a warning of danger.

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Hawks are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Tribes with Hawk Clans include the Chippewa (whose Hawk Clan and its totem are called Gekek), the Hopi (whose Sparrow-Hawk Clan is called Kyelngyam), the Menominee, the Huron and Iroquois tribes, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico. Hawk is an important clan crest on the Northwest Coast and can often be found carved on totem poles.

Native American Hawk Gods and Spirits

Palakwayo (Hopi)

Native American Legends About Hawks

How the Buffalo Hunt Began:
    Cheyenne legend telling how Magpie and Hawk won the right to eat buffalo for humans.
*Waupee and the Star Maiden * White Hawk's Story * Meaning of the Corona Borealis * Algon and the Sky Girl:
    Shawnee and Algonquin legends about a couple who became the first falcons.
*The Girl Who Climbed to the Sky:
    Arapaho legend about Hawk helping a woman abducted by sky spirits return to her home on the earth.
*The Falcon and the Duck:
    Blackfoot folktale about a hawk punishing a duck for his boasting.
Hariwali And The Wonderful Tree:
    Arawak story including the origin of the first hawk.

Recommended Books of Hawk Stories from Native American Myth and Legend

Birds of Algonquin Legend:
    Interesting collection of legends about American Indian hawks and other birds in Algonquian tribes.
Native American Animal Stories:
    Great collection of American Indian tales about animals, told by Abenaki storyteller Joseph Bruchac.



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