One look at this magnificent bird I photographed two weeks ago tells the story of why the eagle was regarded as sacred by Native Americans. This eagle is located at a wildlife sanctuary close to my home in southern Oregon. It was named Jefferson until it laid an egg. Now she is called Mrs. Jefferson.
I think that the bird petroglyph on the left that Peggy and I found at Three Rivers is immediately recognizable as an eagle.
The mighty eagle may have ruled the skies of southern New Mexico but it was the Thunderbird that ruled the heavens. A flap of its wings would gather clouds and send thunder bouncing off the far mountains. Lightning would shoot out of its eyes. The Thunderbird existed in numerous Native American and First Nation cultures.Peggy and I have found images from New Mexico to Alaska.
A pair of Thunderbirds decorate a rock at Three Rivers. Compare it with the First Nation totem pole below that Peggy and I photographed on Vancouver Island in Canada.
A First Nation totem pole Thunderbird Peggy and I found on Vancouver Island.
I find this petroglyph of what I assume is a Thunderbird both strange and powerful.
Another version of a Thunderbird found at Three Rivers Petroglyph site.
Turkeys, roadrunners, and even ducks can also be found among the petroglyphs of the Three Rivers Petroglyph site.
A roadrunner and its dinner. This Three Rivers petroglyph shows a roadrunner with one of its favorite meals, a snake.
Is this a petroglyph of a bird’s head with its beak stretching out to the left? If so, it must be another work of the Rembrandt of the Jornada.
This petroglyph strikes me as either a duck or goose. Note how the artist has taken advantage of the contour of the rock.
A quickly pecked turkey?
A backyard turkey. I caught this guy strutting his stuff to impress several hens who had gathered in our back yard. They ignored him.
A really weird turkey? The head seems right but the clawed hands are something else. If this is a turkey, he has passed into the realms of the gods. On the other hand, if you have ever had a turkey attack you, as I did when photographing its chicks, this is a close approximation.
NEXT BLOG: What is a whale petroglyph doing in the desert?
Wandering through Time and Place 
Outstanding shot of the eagle Curt. That must have been tricky to get, or a very long telephoto. ~James
Mrs. Jefferson was quite accommodating and allowed many good shots. Love it when your subject is cooperative. (grin) –Curt
Kurt, the eagle photograph was stunning. The colors, focus and detail… and indeed, the first Americans had the wisdom to honor this magnificent bird. The Mrs.Jefferson story was hilarious. 🙂
The petroglyphs were quite amazing. Some of the thunderbird etchings reminded me more of pteranondons. Did I spell that right?
Thanks Koji.
I think the spelling is right. 🙂 I thought pterodactyl on that one myself! And I loved the cooperative bald eagle.
Haha.. had to chuckle that he is a she.. beautiful bird.. another great set of shots.. you have really been to some exciting places.. I found an arrowhead once, does that count as exciting? 😉
Arrowheads are always exciting. LOL –Curt
It’s only been a year or so since I learned that the original plan was to make the turkey the national bird. The wild ones are fine, but I think I prefer the eagle.
Anyone who thinks the thunderbird has lost cultural significance wasn’t around to experience:
1. The Ford Thunderbird of the 1950s
2. Gallo Thunderbird in the 1960s (or Townes Van Zandt’s “Talking Thunderbird Blues”
3. The Fabulous Thunderbirds (with or without Stevie Ray, they’re powerful stuff
Personally, I think the people who left those thunderbirds on the rocks would have enjoyed the heritage that flowed from them. 😉
I suspect you are right. 🙂 and thanks for the info and links. I never owned a Thunderbird but I had a couple of mind expanding experiences with Gallo Thunderbird. The sermon I preached on the midnight sand of Big Sur in 1969 still reverberates in my head… as does the headache that followed the next morning.