Larry Aitken's "Thunderbird Story" full

A lot of people say that Wenabuja is living on an island in Boyce Fort Reservation. And whenever we need him, if worse comes to worse and the end of the world is about to happen, like Armageddon, and we don't want it to happen, we go into ceremony and Wenabuja will appear and help us out again. He's going to give us our language, our medicines, our directions. Good question, is he a man? He's a half incorporeal being and half man. So he has the power of transformation. He didn't change to be a rabbit, he could be some swamp tea, he could be a tree, he could be an eagle. But come back to give you a message of some kind. And so whenever we wanted him, we'd call Wenabuja. He'd always come in the form of something, maybe a rabbit, maybe a bear. And then when they left, they'd say, wow, I think that was Wenabuja. And it was. But he didn't come back as a man like I am, dressed in leather or breech cloth or anything. He just came back. And so we all were always waiting for Wenabuja to reappear. And I think he sends his messengers out. Punarili and Dire Straits. Like number one health problem in native country is diabetes. So here we are picking swamp tea. And this will help relegate the idea of suppressing some of the diabetic people in the country. Alcoholism, same thing. That's number two killer. Diabetes number one and alcohol number two. And so we summon Wenabuja spiritually. And he appears or sends us a messenger or sends us some kind of a helping mechanism. So we either invent it or develop it or see it or imagine it or dream about it. And all of a sudden, it's here. And you say, wow, where did this come from? Wenabuja helped us out. He sent us something. And so always we're considered invisible forces sending us messages. And they come in various symbolic forms. There was a peril among Indian people. And the creator said, I'm going to destroy the world again. He already destroyed the world once with a flood. And decided that we were in such negative treatment of each other and all the things on the earth that the creator decided, I think I'll destroy the earth again and start over. And everybody said, wow, we know what that is. So I don't know what's going to happen. So everybody started praying. The eagle heard the summon prayers of Ojibwe and came to them and said, in your behalf, I'm going to fly to creator's world and ask him to spare you. And they said, Migizi, eagle, you're a fool. You know you have to fly to the sun and around and beyond to get to creator's world. And if you get close to the sun, you'll burn up. And of course, we all know something else in our native teaching. And that is, if you do something greater than yourself, you're protected. And so the good idea, the good deed that Migizi was going to do, protect it. So he took off one day, way, way, way high in the sky. And until he was just a speck. And cheers and cheers and roars of accolades and appreciation echoed throughout the land. And then finally, just a speck in the sky and out of sight. And pretty soon, the cheers and accolades subsided. And they thought, poor Migizi gave his life for us. But he's going to die because you can't fly to the sun. Too close, you're going to burn up. And so they thought, well, too bad. And they waited and waited and waited. But you know, as the story goes, he did make it past the sun and beyond. And he one day landed in creator's world. And of course, the creator knew he was there. He landed in the creator's world. And the creator bellowed a voice, who is walking in my world? And Migizi, all afraid, said, it is I, it is I, Migizi. He said, what is it you wish? He said, I know your plan to destroy the earth again. And I'm here on behalf of Anishinaabe, which are human beings. That's the Ojibwe word for humans. I'm here on behalf of Anishinaabe, summoning you and pleading with you to not destroy them. Because they're not all bad. He said, what would you have me do, Migizi? Well, perhaps, he said, you could send them teachers to teach them to live right. And to understand all the things on earth. If they live together, there will be survivors. They will survive each other's perils. They'll survive floods and rains. And they'll survive all these things together. So maybe they ought to pool their resources together and live together. And the creator said, you're very wise, Migizi. Flying here, you risked your life to come here. And that's a very wise thing you say, he said. And so he said, from now on, everything about you, Migizi, your feathers, your claws, your eyes, your image, will be the strength that comes to me in message. And from now on, for the rest of time, it'll be a great honor because you will go back as my first messenger to the people. And when they see you, they know they can talk to you and pray to you, and that you'll take your message to me, and I'll hear you, and I'll hear them. So fly back, and you will be my first messenger. Now go back and tell the people that one day, messengers, teachers will come to them. So he flew back, and he came back, and finally one day, they said, Migizi's back, Migizi's back. And he said, he couldn't be. And here he comes, flying again, and he lands, and he tells the people, I spoke to creator, and the creator said, we must learn the teachings to live harmoniously in this world, that we must learn the life and the respect of the plant life. We must learn to respect the stars. We must learn to respect all the planets. We must learn to respect everything that grows on this earth, the four orders of the earth. We must learn to respect them, and communicate with them, and help them grow, and they'll help us grow. So he said, I'm the first messenger of creator. And everybody, again, started shouting, and hollering, and yelling, and yay, Migizi, you know. So that's how the eagle came to prominence. And he risked his life for Anishinaabe, and from then on, for all time, he's the most respected and the first messenger to creator. And when the eagle is transformed, it's transformed into the giant thunderbird, who is really the messenger to the creator. And so the eagle that flies here, the bald eagle, the golden eagle, the spotted eagle, they're all eagles that we can see. But the incarnate, the invisible force of those eagles, transformed them to giant thunderbirds, which really take the message to the creator. And so that's how it is for all of us. And that's the respect we show for the eagle and the eagle feather. And so everyone that knows the eagle story, knows the eagle is the most powerful bird of all times, and there's a reason for it, and that's the story behind it. And so one of these days, all of us in Indian country and non-Indian country, will know the true reason that we respect and honor the eagle. And then the eagle feather and all the things it stands for will be made in highest regard and respect again, as once it was. Oh, look at that. Good. It's a good day. We got swamp tea. Miigwetch. Thank you. We can't take too much. We take just enough. And we thank all the plants that are growing here. We thank the moss that grows this, and we thank the earth. We thank the creator for showing us this. And thank you for coming along, Daniel. Thank you for showing me. Aho! All right.