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Historical
and Cultural Significance
Historical
For centuries,
humans have been fascinated by birds of prey, especially bald
eagles in no small part because eagles evoke diverse feelings. For
some, it’s strong sense of patriotic pride because the bald
eagle is our national symbol. Because they are so large, they
symbolize power, might, dominance and conquest in the animal world
and are looked up to as being invincible. Others condemn bald
eagles for their predatory powers and consider them an unworthy
symbol of the United States because of their scavenging nature.
On June 20,
1782 an Act of Congress officially adopted the bald eagle as a
symbol of the United States. The original seal of the United
States shows the eagle with wings spread, an olive branch in one
talon – symbolizing peace – and arrows in the other –
symbolizes might and a banner that states “E Pluribus Unum”
(from many are one). This and many other images of the bald eagle
pervade numerous aspects of life in the United States.
Cultural
Many Native
American cultures prize the bald eagle for its strength and power.
The Ojibwa believed that eagles served as intermediaries with the
creator. They were also thought to be reincarnations of people
that watched over the living and guided them in their day to day
activities and ceremonies. In the Northwest, Native Americans
reserved the top of totem poles for the likeness of the bald eagle
signifying its importance in their culture.
Many Native
Americans hunted eagles to obtain feathers and bones. The Plains
cultures held eagle feathers in the highest regard and sacred
items took on added importance when decorated with eagle feathers.
In some cultures only certain men could wear eagle feathers. Each
feather was decorated to tell of the owner’s daring activities.
For example, the Lakota used notches, dyes, and tufts of horsehair
to show whether the wearer had counted coup, been wounded in
battle or killed enemies. Quite often, during battles, warriors
would seek out enemies wearing many eagle feathers to prove their
bravery.
Even today Native Americans utilize parts of bald eagles in their
spiritual ceremonies. The use of eagle parts in this way is
strictly regulated by the Federal Government and carefully managed
to ensure that their use is not abused.
In the white settlers’ folklore, stories of eagles carrying off
small children were rampant and only incited them to shoot and
kill more eagles. A bald eagle is not able to lift and carry any
more than 1/3 of its weight, which might amount to 3 or 4 pounds
at the most. |
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