Sacred Feather

Feathers

Feathers mean a lot to Native American Tribes.  A feather isn’t just something that falls out of a bird, it means much more. 

The feather symbolizes trust, honor, strength, wisdom, power, freedom and many more things.

To be given one of these is to be hand picked out of the rest of the men in the tribe - it’s like getting a gift from a high official.

If any Indian is given Golden or Bald Eagle feathers it is one of the most rewarding items they can ever be handed.

The Indians believe that eagles have a special connection with the heavens since they fly so close.

Many Indians believe that if they are given this feather, it is a symbol from above.

They believe that the eagle is the leader of all birds, because it flies as high as it does and sees better than all the birds.

Once an Indian receives a feather he must take care of it, and many will hang it up in their homes. It is disrespectful to hide it away in a drawer or a closet.

An Indian will be given a feather to hold on to or to wear, and if they hold it they must put it out for everyone to see. This will be a constant reminder of how to behave.

An eagle feather is a lot like the American flag, it must be handled with care and can never be dropped on the ground.

The only way an Indian can actually get one of these feathers is by doing a brave deed, like fighting off a bear or going up against the enemy.

They were never allowed to wear the feather until they went in front of their tribal court and retold the story of their victory.

It was at this time that they were allowed to put it in their headpiece. Only chieftains, warriors, and braves have ever been awarded this special gift. 

The next time you see eagle feathers in a headdress, think about how they were earned.

THE TURKEY FEATHERS

"Turkeys are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Turkey feathers have been used in the traditional regalia of many tribes, particularly the feathered cloaks of eastern Woodland Indians like the Wampanoag.  

Several eastern tribes/clans have a Turkey Dance is an important social dances of associated with songs about war honors and tribal pride.

 Also a turkey is a symbol of the wildness of the Earth, the earth is a wildnerness that man can never control. A feather from a turkey symbolizes abundance, pride and fertility."

Did only Native Americans wear feathered Headdresses?

Click this site below to see how the feather was important in Africa, Europe and Asia.

http://avalon-medieval.blogspot.com/2013/07/did-only-native-americans-wear.html?m=1

Two Worlds - Native American Radio

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http://www.wmnf.org/programs/two-worlds-indigenous-radio

A talk with Sitting Bulls grand son

19:00 talks about Lakota, DNA & Genealogy

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Seminole massacre

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Past Injustice is Todays Injustice

http://nativeamericanhistory.about.com/od/nativeconceptsandperspectives/a/How-The-Injustices-Of-The-Past-Are-The-Injustices-Of-Today-In-Indian-Country.htm

Our spirit don't speak English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDshQTBh5d4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The Creator, Mother Earth & You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn1ym5r7pqg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The natural world was made by God.
Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.—Job 12:7–10 NIV

In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.—Psalm 95:4–5

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.—John 1:3

The power and wisdom of God can be seen in nature.
Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?—Job 37:14–16 NIV

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.—Psalm 19:1 NIV

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.—Isaiah 40:26 NIV

Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.—Romans 1:20 NIV

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small. —Psalm 104:24–25 NLT

God and nature have a living relationship.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.— Psalm 19:1 NLT

The earth is full of [God’s] unfailing love.—Psalm 33:5 NIV

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.—Psalm 65:9–10, 12–13 NIV

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.— Psalm 145:9 NIV

The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.—Isaiah 43:20

You have made heaven, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all.—Nehemiah 9:6

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.—Matthew 6:26

God expects us to take care of the natural world.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”—Genesis 1:26 NIV

The land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me.—Leviticus 25:23 NLT

A righteous man regards the life of his animal.—Proverbs 12:10

Lack of care for His creation displeases God.
They have made it an empty wasteland; I hear its mournful cry. The whole land is desolate, and no one even cares.—Jeremiah 12:11 NLT

Woe to you shepherds who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.—Ezekiel 34:2–3 NIV

Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?—Ezekiel 34:18 NIV

If we don’t take care of our planet, we will suffer the consequences.
The earth mourns and dries up, and the crops waste away and wither. Even the greatest people on earth waste away. The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth.—Isaiah 24:4–6 NLT

The time has come for rewarding your servants the prophets and people—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.—Revelation 11:18 NIV ■