Wednesday, August 15, 2001
THUNDERBIRD
On a hill top, a little boy plays. He looks around and sees his village down below. What a beautiful day it is, just a few clouds in the sky. The little boy enjoys playing on the hill watching his family tending the gardens of corn (mandamin), fixing their homes, children running and laughing. It is broad daylight and there is little smoke coming from some fires below, probably for cooking. What a calm pristine day that will be remembered for many hundreds and thousands of years.
His mom looking up at the usual spot her sons loves to hang around, that hill top. She smiles and waves to him. It is time for him to come down and have lunch. She does not have to speak for he knows that it is time for a meal.
Suddenly, in a flash of lightening. The mother looks up to the boy on the hill and sees a large black bird flying toward it. She starts running and screaming alerting the other Anishinabe of what is coming. People panic, running for cover everywhere. People crying, kids standing alone screaming, mothers yelling for thier children, women calling their husbands, hunters and warriors are called upon to assist. The warriors are gathering and wait for the black bird to approach. The have their spears, bows and arrows ready for battle.
The little boy on the hill is just watching his village and finds it funny and does not heed danger. He stands there and giggles at his people in a frenzy below. He sees his mom running towards the hill and screams for him. He cannot make out what she is screaming about. She is crying and running.
A few minutes passed.
The bird disappeared. The people calm down a little and many made it safely to their huts and hiding places in the forests and fields of corn. The mother is tired and still trying to get her only son to come down. What a exciting time this must have been for the boy. He never saw anything like it in his little life. He was amazed.
From the scattered clouds in the sky above the village, swoops down to earth a large black bird.
My people call him 'BINASEE', pronounced 'bii-nay-cee'. It is a large bird that comes in many solid colors of all blue, all red, all yellow, all black etc... He is the THUNDERBIRD. You can hear him coming in the clouds today. He comes with the sound of thunder, then he appears.
A very large bird, some say he is 100 feet long and 100 feet wide. Some are bigger and some are smaller.
This large bird has many feathers and he also has sparse hair on his body. His beak is strong and thick, his talons are powerful. The Thunderbird screams with the sound of thunder. He is a ravenous killer bird. He is no Pokemon.
Anyways, as this particular Thunderbird came down from the clouds, he already chose his victim. He flew around and noticed the boy on the top of the hill. He glided down at a tremendous speed and grabbed the boy by the shoulders and wisked him up into the air. His screams were heard in many villages in the area. The Thunderbird must be looking for a place to eat the boy.
Below his mother screams as she sees her only child being carried off by the large thunderbird. She falls to the ground and faints.
Everyone in the village and surrounding villages heard the Thunderbird and saw the boy in its talons. Blood dripping from his shoulders his body slowly stopped moving as he disappeared into the horizon.
I have heard this story many times and it is in many different Native American histories.
There is a place near by my home community on Lake of the Woods, Ontario Canada. It is a place where this a particular thunderbird would nest. He would have eggs and raise a family. His nest is made of a very, very large circle of rocks and boulders. Unfortunately, this place has been damaged, rocks have been moved, trees growing in and around the nest.
We believe these birds still exist. They found a more remote place to live. I am told to only show the location to my own people, they must be prepared through ceremonies and a certain level of spirituality must be attained before the place can be seen. It is a powerful place. The very elite of medicine people, a very small select number of Anishinabe pass this information down.
I had a vision when I was teenager. A little white bird flew from a door knob when I opened a door. I was shocked and I knew that type of bird was not from here. It was late at night and I also knew that certain birds were not to be seen at night. I took it as a bad sign.
I went to see an elder of an Ojibway community of Whitefish Bay, on Lake of the Woods. I offered him my tobacco and told him of the incident. He hit his hand drum and summoned the spirits to help me. After he was done, he tells me, that four thunderbird spirits have followed me in door and are sitting above the door. He is instructed to give me a name. I ask him what it was and why I am to have it. The old man tells me that those thunderbirds have chosen me and have been following me for some time. They want me and they care for me. They want to help me and they want to protect me.
He continues with the naming ceremony and calls me 'Mukataybinesee' , meaning the 'Black Thunderbird'.
I use this name in ceremonies alot. The old man tells me when I hear the Thunderbird coming, I am to offer my tobacco and say any prayer I want, as long as I say hello and say the name he gave me. So I have since I was a teen.
He told me that the Thunderbirds will know who I am by watching me with my tobacco and the prayers attached to it. When the Thunderbirds are above me, they will use the rain to bless my tobacco and prayers. My prayers are washed into Mother Earth for absolute protection. My words will be as I say.
He tells me that people close to me will try to frighten and even attempt to kill me through accidents. Those Thunderbirds will protect me and keep me alive. Those who attempt to hurt me, will end up hurting themselves or their own children.
I was going through a very hard time during my teenage years. I should have died then, but the spirits decided to spare me. They still walk with me. I would like to mention the name of the elder that helped me out many times during my life. I considered him one of my teachers along my earth walk. To the area Ojibway he was known as 'Nanagee', his English name was Dominique Paypompee. He left us a few years ago, at the time, the northern lights danced with many colors to welcome him into the spirit world.
May he rest in peace.
When the Thunderbirds are near. I teach others what I have learned about them. They are powerful thunder beings that must be respected and honoured. If one does not show respect and honour to these spirit birds, they may come down a take a person.
Respect and honour the Thunderbirds, offer your tobacco and prayers to the coming thunder, you will be protected and blessed.