Thunderbird

Besides the belief in supernatural powers, Native American groups also believe in mythical creatures. One of these is the thunderbird.

The thunderbird appears in almost all legends as the most powerful of all (mythical) creatures (Looking at Totem Poles by Hilary Stewart 1993: page 34). According to the Kwakiutl tribe, the thunderbird can create thunder by fluttering its wings and creates lightning by blinking its eyes.

But be aware: just because a story is a legend, doesn't mean it is completely untrue. Because these legends go so far back in time, truth and fiction sometimes get mixed up. A legend can be seen as a story passed down from generation to generation. It is a traditional story about the history of a group of people (Totem Poles by Marjorie M. Halpin 1981: page 41).

There were two kinds of legends on the American Northwest Coast. Some legends were widely known and were allowed to be passed on by anyone, while others belonged to specific families and could only be passed on by the members of these families (Totem Poles by Marjorie M. Halpin 1981: page 9).

Tribal and family legends were passed on in a special way on the American Northwest Coast, namely with the help of totem poles. But what exactly is a totem pole?