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Native American Mockingbird Mythology

Mockingbirds are mythologically important birds in many Native American cultures. In the creation myths of the Hopi and other Pueblo tribes, it was Mockingbird who first taught the people to speak. In Shasta Indian mythology, Mockingbird is the guardian of the dead. To Southeast Indian tribes, the mockingbird is a symbol of intelligence; the Cherokees used to give children mockingbird heads to eat out of the belief that it would make them clever. The Maricopa considered the mockingbird a medicine animal, and dreaming of a mockingbird was a sign that a person had been given special powers. In O'odham (Papago and Pima) folklore, Mockingbird plays the role of a mediator.

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Native American Mockingbird Gods and Spirits

Yaupa Kachina (Hopi)

Native American Legends About Mockingbirds

*The Bird Tribes:
    Cherokee legend about the creation and symbolism of the mockingbird and other birds.
How Mockingbird Became The Best Singer:
    Maya legend about how the mockingbirds learned to sing.

Recommended Books of Mockingbird Stories from Native American Myth and Legend
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How Mockingbirds Are:
    A fascinating book comparing mockingbird imagery and storytelling techniques in the Pima and Papago tribes.
Flights of Fancy: Birds in Myth, Legend, and Superstition:
    A good book on the meaning of birds in world mythology, including North and South America.



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