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The
Horse (so'-qui-li)
The horse was a marvel to the Native
American and came to be regarded as sacred. It had a mysterious or sacred
character. The Indian often times referred to the horse as the big dog or
the sacred dog. The ceremonial importance of horses is strong in many
cultures. In the Navajo Enemy Way ceremony, which is used to rid someone
who has come in contact with the enemy of the evil, horses transport the
sacred staff that carries the evil away from the person. Horses are the
focus of many Plains ceremonies as well.
The
Buffalo (ya'-n'-s-si' or yansi)
The buffalo or bison is considered by many
tribes to be a symbol of plenty, for it was the meat of the buffalo that
fed the people, the hides that provided clothing and shelter, the bones
and sinew provided tools of survival. In the Legend of the Sacred Pipe,
the White Buffalo Calf Woman gave the Sacred Pipe to the Sioux as a
caretaker for the Red Nation. This pipe held the power of the Great
Spirit. She brought the people a message of peace and said that they would
have good hunting and turn into a great nation. The appearance of a white
buffalo is a sign that prayers have been heard, and signals a time of
plenty.
"Buffalo Medicine" means to bring
a special honor, or appreciation for all of the things that the Earth
provides for her children. To use buffalo medicine is to smoke the pipe in
a sacred manner, and to give praise for the richness of life to be shared
with all. If a child's name included the word "buffalo" in it,
the Native Americans believed that the child would be especially strong
and would mature quickly. If a warrior was renamed after a vision or great
hunting or war accomplishment, and his new name included the word
"buffalo," it meant that the buffalo was his supernatural
helper, or that he exhibited the strength of a buffalo, or that he was an
extraordinary hunter. In other words, the name described the powers of the
man.
Societies named after the buffalo had the
animal as their patron. Holy men who saw buffalo in the vision during
which they were called to the practice of medicine would seek thereafter
to commune with the Great Spirit through the buffalo.
The
Eagle (wo-ha'-li)
The Eagle is the great sacred bird of the
Cherokee Indians and of nearly all native tribes. Eagle figures
prominently in their ceremonial rituals. Each Tribal group has its own
stories and legends concerning the Eagle. Only the greatest warriors and
the Medicine Man wore feathers of the eagle. Eagle medicine is the power
of the great spirit, the connection to the Devine. It is the ability to
live in the realm of spirit, and yet remain connected and
balanced within the realm of earth. If someone dreamed of an eagle or
eagle feathers, the village organized an Eagle Dance as soon as possible.
This could only be done in late fall or winter as the songs sung during
the dance angered the rattlesnakes.
The eagle could only be killed by a
professional Eagle Killer who knew the proper ceremonies for turning aside
vengeance by the eagle's spirit. There were only certain times when the
eagle could be killed, usually only when an Eagle Dance was held.
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