Eagle Totem

 The wisdom of the Eagle totem would include:  

• Swiftness

• Strength

• Courage

• Wisdom

• Keen sight

• Illumination of Spirit

• Healing

• Creation

• Knowledge of magick and ancient ways 

• Ability to see hidden spiritual truths

• Rising above the material to see the spiritual

• Ability to see the overall pattern

• Connection to spirit guides and teachers

• Great power and balance

• Dignity with grace

• Ability to see the "big picture"

• Connection with higher truths

• Intuitive and creative spirit

• Respect for the boundaries of the regions

•  

• I do not have the eagle as my totem, but I admire those who do. It is an awesome responsibility.

Poem...I am Native

I am
Native American.

Within
me
walks the
wisdom
of a
thousand
ancestors.

Strong in
the way
of the
ancient.

Wise in
the way
of the
earth.

They discern
the way
of 
creation.

They mourn
 death
yet walk
in rebirth.

Reaching
inward
they
embrace
eternity.

Touching
heaven
walking
earth.

They
become
one.

As I
become one
with all
that have
walked
before me.

CheyFire

 

All About Eagles part 2 and links

 

 

The world's 59 species of eagles are found on every continent except Antarctica. There are four major groups of eagles: fish eagles, booted eagles, snake eagles and giant forest eagles. America's eagles are the Bald Eagle, which is a fish eagle, and the Golden Eagle, which is a booted eagle. Golden and Bald Eagles both reside in the United States.  

 

The Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos) is a large brown and golden colored booted eagle that can be found in mountainous areas of the U.S.A. This bird of prey can weigh up to 15 pounds and can have a wing span of up to eight feet. It ranges throughout the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia. It builds nests on mountain rocks and ledges, and feeds on small mammals and reptiles.

Other booted eagles that can be found outside the U.S. around the world include: Asian Black Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Imperial Eagle, Gurney's Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Verreaux's Eagle (African Black Eagle), Wahlberg's Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Booted Eagle, Little Eagle, Ayre's Hawk Eagle, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Martial Eagle, Black & White Hawk Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Cassin's Hawk Eagle, Crested Hawk Eagle (Changeable Hawk Eagle), Mountain Hawk Eagle, Java Hawk Eagle, Celebes Hawk Eagle, Phillipine Hawk Eagle, Blyth's Hawk Eagle, Wallace's Hawk Eagle, African Crowned Eagle, Ornate Hawk Eagle, Black Hawk Eagle (Tyrant Hawk Eagle), and Black & Chestnut Eagle.      

 

The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a splendid example of a Giant Forest Eagle. It is a lovely grey, black and white bird with a prominent crest. It is endowed with thick legs and massive feet. It is perhaps the largest eagle in the world, with some females weighing 20 lbs. or more. It lives in the rainforests of Central and South America, and preys primarily on birds and various mammals, including sloths andmonkeys. It builds a huge stick nest in the crotch of an emergent forest tree. It is currently a threatened species due to the destruction of the rainforests. Other Giant Forest Eagles that can be found around the world include: the highly endangered Philippine Eagle, the Guiana Crested Eagle, and the New Guinea Eagle. 
   

 

The Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus) is an abberrent, but well known member of the Serpent or Snake Eagle group. Like other members of the group, the Bateleur Eagle has a large head covered with long feathers and stocky legs with short stubby toes - ideal for grasping snakes. Unlike some Snake Eagles, the Bateleur, which is "acrobat" in French, spends a lot of time soaring. It may cover 100 miles or more a day in search of food, which includes carrion and animals such as antelope, mice, birds and various reptiles. The Bateleur is a large, handsome jet black eagle with white under the wings, rufous tail and back, gray on the shoulders, bright crimson face and legs, and a black beak. Females are around 24 inches in length, and males are slightly smaller. Wingspans range from 6 to 7 feet. The Bateleur is found in the tree and brush savanna throughout Africa, south of the Sahara. Other Snake Eagles that can be found around the world include: Short-toed Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, East African Snake Eagle (Southern Banded Snake Eagle), Banded Snake Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Kinabalu Serpent Eagle, Nicobar Serpent Eagle, Andaman Serpent Eagle, Congo Serpent Eagle (African Serpent Eagle) and Madagascar Serpent Eagle.

http://www.eagles.org/all.html  

 

The Eagle's Advocate: Eagle Images  

 

 Bald Eagle pictures, pictures of bale eagles, Bird pictures - bird photographs on TGR Solution by David andValerie Peters, p..    

 

ADW: Harpia harpyja: Information     http://home.bluemarble.net/%7Epqn/ch61-70/goleagle.html    

 

Other North American Birds of Prey

All About Eagles: The Bald Eagle

The world's 59 species of eagles are found on every continent except Antarctica. There are four major groups of eagles: fish eagles, booted eagles, snake eagles and giant forest eagles. America's eagles are the Bald Eagle, which is a fish eagle, and the Golden Eagle, which is a booted eagle. Golden and Bald Eagles both reside in the United States.

The Bald Eagle

NAME: Bald Eagle or American Eagle
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

(Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) is the only eagle species living strictly in North America. It is a fish eagle that has a presence in every state in the U.S.A. except Hawaii. The Bald Eagle can have a wing span of up to eight feet and can weigh up to 15 pounds. It inhabits areas near large bodies of water where there are plenty of fish to eat and tall trees in which to nest and roost. Bald Eagles are monogamous and remain faithful to their mate until death. Females lay one to three eggs annually in the spring time, and the incubation period is approximately 35 days.

Young (immature) Bald Eagles are dark brown in color when they fledge the nest at about 12 weeks of age, and the head and tail feathers turn predominantly white in their fourth or fifth year. Bald Eagles can live up to 40 years in the wild and longer in captivity. They are primarily fish eaters. Other fish eagles that can be found outside the United States around the world include: White-bellied Sea Eagle (White-breasted Sea Eagle), Solomon Sea Eagle (Sanford's Sea Eagle), African Fish Eagle, Madagascar Fish Eagle, Pallas' Fish Eagle (Band-tailed Fish Eagle), White-tailed (Sea) Eagle (Gray Sea Eagle), Lesser Fishing Eagle, Greater Fishing Eagle (Gray headed Fishing Eagle) and Steller's Sea Eagle.

U.S.A.'S NATIONAL EMBLEM: The Bald Eagle was officially declared the National Emblem of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1782. It was selected by the U.S.A.'s founding fathers because it is a species unique to North America. Ben Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird, because he thought the eagle was of bad moral character. The Bald Eagle has since become the living symbol of the U.S.A.'s freedoms, spirit and pursuit of excellence. Its image and symbolism have played a significant role in American art, folklore, music and architecture.

COLOR & SIZE: The feathers of newly hatched Bald Eaglets are light grey, and turn dark brown before they leave the nest at about 12 weeks of age. During their third and fourth years, Bald Eagles have mottled brown and white feathers under their wings and on their head, tail and breast. The distinctive white head and tail feathers do not appear until Bald Eagles are about 4 to 5 years old. Their beak and eyes turn yellow during the fourth and fifth year, and are dark brown prior to that time. Bald Eagles are about 29 to 42 inches long, can weigh 7 to 15 pounds, and have a wing span of 6 to 8 feet. This makes them one of the largest birds in North America. Females are larger than males. Bald Eagles residing in the northern U. S. are larger than those that reside in the south. They have a life span of up to 40 years in the wild, and longer in captivity.

VOCAL SOUNDS: Click here to listen to the voice of an eagle. (Download time is 15-20 seconds.)

 A much longer version of eagle cries can be heard if you have "RealPlayer". Click Here to hear the longer version.  If you would like to hear the longer version but do not have "RealPlayer", you can obtain it at no charge by Clicking Here to navigate to the site for downloading. Follow the directions given on the site.

HABITAT & RANGE: Bald Eagles live near large bodies of open water such as lakes, marshes, seacoasts and rivers, where there are plenty of fish to eat and tall trees for nesting and roosting. Bald Eagles have a presence in every U. S. state except Hawaii. Bald Eagles use a specific territory for nesting, winter feeding or a year-round residence. Its natural domain is from Alaska to Baja, California, and from Maine to Florida. Bald Eagles that reside in the northern U. S. and Canada migrate to the warmer southern climates of the U. S. during the winter to obtain easier access to food, especially fish. Some Bald Eagles that reside in the southern U. S. migrate slightly north during the hot summer months.

FOOD SOURCE & FLIGHT: Bald Eagles feed primarily on fish, but also eat small animals (ducks, coots, muskrats, turtles, rabbits, snakes, etc.) and occasional carrion (dead animals). They swoop down to seize fish in their powerful, long and sharp talons (approximately 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch in each foot). They can carry their food off in flight, but can only lift about half their weight. Bald Eagles can fly at speeds of about 65 miles per hour in level flight, and up to 150 or 200 miles per hour in a dive. They can fly to altitudes of 10,000 feet or more, and can soar aloft for hours using natural wind currents and thermal updrafts. Bald Eagles can swim to shore with a heavy fish using their strong wings as paddles. However, it is also possible that they can drown if the fish weighs too much.

NESTING & BREEDING: Bald Eagles are monogamous and mate for life. A Bald Eagle will only select another mate if its faithful companion should die. They build large nests, called eyries, at the top of sturdy tall trees. The nests become larger as the eagles return to breed and add new nesting materials year after year. Bald Eagles make their new nests an average of2 feet deep and 5 feet across. Eventually, some nests reach sizes of more than 10 feet wide and can weigh several tons. When a nest is destroyed by natural causes it is often rebuilt nearby. Nests are lined with twigs, soft mosses, grasses and feathers. The female lays 1 to 3 eggs annually in the springtime, which hatch after about 35 days of incubation. Hunting, egg incubation, nest watch, eaglet feeding and eaglet brooding duties are shared by both parents until the young are strong enough to fly at about 12 weeks of age. Eaglets are full size at 12 weeks of age. Only about 50% of eaglets hatched survive the first year.

POPULATION SIZE & DECLINE: Bald Eagles were once very common throughout most of the United States. Their population numbers have been estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 birds in the early 1700s. Their population fell to threatened levels in the continental U.S. of less than 10,000 nesting pairs by the 1950s, and to endangered levels of less than 500 pairs by the early 1960s. This population decline was caused by humans. The mass shooting of eagles, use of pesticides on crops, destruction of habitat, and contamination of waterways and food sources by a wide range of poisons and pollutants all played a role in harming the Bald Eagle's livelihood and diminishing their numbers. For many years the use of DDT pesticide on crops caused thinning of eagle egg shells, which often broke during incubation.

RECOVERY & PROTECTION: Strong endangered species and environmental protection laws, as well as active private, state and federal conservation efforts, have brought back the U.S.A.'s Bald Eagle population from the edge of extinction. The use of DDT pesticide is now outlawed in the U.S., although still used on crops in South America. This action has contributed greatly to the return of the Bald Eagle to America's skies. There are now over 5,000 nesting pairs and 20,000 total birds in the lower 48 states. There are over 35,000 Bald Eagles in Alaska. The Bald Eagle is presently protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Lacey Act. It is listed as a "threatened" species in the lower 48 states. Although Bald Eagles have made an encouraging comeback throughout the U.S.A. since the early 60s, they continue to be harassed, injured and killed by guns, traps, power lines, windmills, poisons, contaminants and destruction of habitat. Public awareness about their plight, strict enforcement of protective laws, preservation of their habitat, and support for environmental conservation programs can assure a healthy and secure future for the U.S.A.'s majestic and symbolic national bird.

http://www.eagles.org/contents4.html#eaglefacts

Face Paint and masks and the anti-terrorism bill

Click here: t r u t h o u t - EDITORIAL - New anti-terrorism bill makes face paint and masks criminal offenses in public forum     New anti-terrorism bill makes face paint and masks criminal offenses in public forums
Civil rights and media latest casualties of our times

By Brenda Norrell
Lakota Journal Correspondent

RAPID CITY, S.D. -- American Indians say the new regulations aimed at fighting terrorism limit civil rights while giving the National Security Administration advanced powers to monitor e-mail and cell phone calls, places Indigenous peoples at risk of being detained on suspicion and makes it a criminal offense to wear face paint or bandanas in public forums.

The 125-clause anti-terrorism bill, expected to be in effect by Christmas, makes it a criminal offence to refuse a police officer's request to remove hand and face coverings, such as masks and face paint, in certain situations.

Native people involved in the human rights struggle of Zapatistas and other Indigenous peoples worldwide are equally alarmed by President Bush's plan to establish military tribunals to prosecute foreigners, in lieu of United States courts, on charges of terrorism. The military tribunal could hand down death sentences.

Eulynda Toledo-Benalli, Dine' founder of First Nations North and South, said the United States was founded on the terrorism and bioterrorism of Indigenous peoples.

Benalli said the most recent limitations on civil liberties are alarming in the context of history, including the genocidial spread of smallpox to Indian people.

"How can a nation state, like the United States, an imperialist state, take such actions when their very principles of 'democracy' were founded on terrorism and bioterrorism.

"As far as I'm concerned, they need to clean up their acts, face the truths, and realize their roots of terrorism committed against the first sufferers and survivors of their terrorist acts before they accuse anyone else -- maybe then I will believe their 'truths.'

"It's really ironic to hear the myth of 'freedom' perpetuated in the U.S."

Benalli said Indigenous peoples have become prisoners of democracy.

"First of all, as an Indigenous person, having been colonized and in the colonizer's minds 'conquered,' we continue to be what one of my friends calls 'prisoners of democracy.'

"We cannot make our decisions towards self-determination without negotiating and getting a seal or stamp, or an okay by the great white father in Washington."

Meanwhile, critics say the media is the latest casualty of the times. They charge the mainstream media produces parrot-like repetitions of federal press releases, bows to government-imposed censorship and reports the war in Afghanistan as cheerleaders for the Bush administration.

In Albuquerque, Benalli said the effect of corporate takeovers of the media are obvious in the layoff of a longtime investigative television reporter from Acoma Pueblo, Conroy Chino, by KOB-TV.

"Rather than seeing Conroy as necessary to our rightful place as Indigenous peoples in media as a first and foremost reason to keep him in the media, the corporation decides 'they cannot afford him.'"

Benalli, founder of First Nations North and South uniting the struggles of Indian people in the Americas, has organized Navajo and Lakota support for Indians in Chiapas, offering exchanges for culture, agriculture and weaving. She said Indigenous peoples in other countries face the same restrictions on their voices and human rights as in the United States.

"The imperialist nations, especially the European nations continue to silence and marginalize the voices of Indigenous peoples."

In an open letter to President Bush, Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu Tum of Guatemala, said it is time for Indian people to stop dying in other peoples' wars.

Menchu Tum said President Bush, in summoning the peoples of the world to war, voiced fear in a nation which fails to recognize the genocide of Indigenous peoples.

"In the name of progress, pluralism, tolerance and liberty, you leave no choice to those of us who are not fortunate enough to share this sense of liberty and the benefits of the civilization you wish to defend for your people, we who never had sympathy for terrorism since we were its victims.

"We, who are proud expressions of other civilizations; who live day to day with the hope of turning discrimination and plunder into recognition and respect; who carry in our souls the pain of the genocide perpetrated against our peoples; finally, we who are fed up with providing the dead for wars that are not ours: we cannot share the arrogance of your infallibility nor the single road onto which you want to push us when you declare that 'Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.'"

Benalli said an ironic excuse for reducing civil liberties in the United States is the attacks by terrorists.

"The first terrorists that entered our homelands were the Europeans. Never forget that in 1637, 700 men, women and children of the Pequot Tribe gathered for their annual Green Corn Dance in an area now known as Groton, Connecticut."

There, English and Dutch terrorists massacred the 700 Pequots. The next day the Governor of Massachusetts Bay colony declared a day of Thanksgiving, thanking God that they eliminated over 700 Pequots, she said.

"For the next 100 years, every Thanksgiving Day, ordained by a Governor or President, was to honor that victory, thanking God that the battle had been won.

"There after, genocide continued to the extent of bio-terrorism in the form of smallpox blankets to wipe out another group of Indigenous peoples."

Meanwhile, the monitoring of e-mail messages and cell phone conversations by the federal government has many Indian people alarmed and suspicious of the motives.

Time magazine reports the National Security Administration now has advanced measures to monitor e-mail and cell phone calls. The article, "When Terror Hides Online," says investigators are searching for hidden images of terrorists plots, but the broad search powers alarm those concerned with the protection of civil rights.

"Law enforcement is increasingly targeting terrorists' technology," Time reports. "After the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI reportedly installed additional Carnivores, devices it has been using to surreptitiously read e-mail, on Internet service providers.

"The National Security Agency uses Echelon, a top-secret wiretapping device, to monitor e-mail, cell phones and faxes worldwide. And the antiterrorism law passed last month broadened law enforcement's powers to grab Internet communications," Adam Cohen writes in Time's edition on Nov. 14.

Now, the anti-terrorism bills includes a provision for Internet providers to maintain billing records for criminal investigations.

The anti-mask and face paint law is especially troubling to American Indians and peace demonstrators who could face one month in jail under the new law for wearing face paint, bandanas or masks.

They say Congress passed the anti-terrorism law and Bush signed it into law while America and the media were not paying attention.

In November, demonstrators outside CNN in Atlanta, protesting the lack of coverage of Afghanistans facing starvation, were arrested on charges of violating an anti-mask law for wearing bandanas. The law dates back to times of arrests of members of the Ku Klux Klan.

The three arrested on anti-mask law violations and other charges occurred while about 200 protesters chanted, "CNN, half the story, all the time," at CNN Center Nov. 11.

Meanwhile, on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-WI, tried to repel the anti-terrorism legislation as an attack on the Constitution.

"It is crucial that civil liberties in this country be preserved. Otherwise, I'm afraid terror will win this battle without firing a shot."