Thunderbirds, Oral Traditions & Secrets Not Meant for the Uninitiated

With a recent video - not sure if it's fake or real - that's going viral on socials of a massive, mythic bird - had to know more about thunderbirds. We called hydroplanes that raced on the Columbia River thunderbirds for their massive roar and crazy wake. There were hotels named Thunderbird Lodge in Washington state, too. And I grew up a Seahawks fan whose logo is a riff and a nod to the mighty thunderbird as depicted on Northwest tribe totems. 

The thunderbird means something different to each tribe, and tribe member. And some secrets aren't meant for uninitiated ears.

Show Sources

1898 Story of the Thunderbird from Oregon's Tillamook Tribe, Franz Boas, PNSN

Thunderbird (mythology), Daniel Horowitz, EBSCO

Rulers of the Upper Realm, Thunderbirds Are Powerful Native Spirits, Audubon Magazine

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