Eagle Feather

This story, from the Walla Walla,... concerns the two identical wing feathers found close to the breast on each wing.

Eagle feathers, like finger prints, look alike. Under close inspection, however, their differences can be found.

This holds true for even the feathers of a single bird, except for the two feathers which are called THE TWINS.

Not only are these feathers TWINS, but aerodynamically speaking, they act as the Eagle's 'trim tabs'. In layman's terms, the two feathers are able to be twisted by the bird to give a smooth, level, effortless flight when riding thermal currents.

Indians, in their exquisite wisdom, learned much from observation. They had discovered not only the 'likeness' of the two feathers, but they had observed, too, that (with the loss of either feather) the Eagle - in spite of great skill - was capable of only erratic flight.

These two feathers were never platted into clothing, but became valued for their symbolism in marriage and in personal relationships.

As the modern wedding ring has become a symbol of joining together two people, so these feathers had meaning in the Indian community.

The owner of the two feathers (whether man or woman) retained both until such a time as he or she found the one person to whom he wished to be wedded. Once given, the donor is telling the receiver, "I need you. I am unable to fly on my own. Only when we join hands and hearts can either of us enjoy the soaring love of the Eagle. Being physically together is not a necessity. When this is impossible, our spiritual union supplies, for a time."

In this way, the man is telling the woman: "wherever I am, whatever I am doing, I will always be with you. As long as you have this feather in your possession, it will protect you from harm and will comfort you in loneliness. My spirit has been transferred from my body to this feather. As long as either of us lives, we pledge ourselves to one another in time of need. Only burning the feather will break the bonds between us."

These are not marriage vows in any sense of modern meaning. Rather they are like the Hebrew 'betrothal'. More often than not, husband and wife who were united in the Indian way exchanged the Eagle feathers.

On the other hand, very often men and women who were not 'married', but who wished to be bound to one another under the above conditions, exchanged the two feathers.

The exchanges were made without the knowledge of others.

Many a brave was seen riding out to war games or to the hunt with a single feather tied to his horse's mane --many a young girl had a single feather tied to her cradle board or attached to the wall of her home.

Who held the TWIN was always left to the imagination of the curious beholder.

by Wambdi Wicasa