Native American Spirit Animals – 7 GrandFather Teachings

Native American Spirit Animals has been a way of life since time immemorial. Indigenous people have understood the importance of all living things and look to the animals as guides and teachers.

For many different nations, there are many different animals that the tribes looked to and honoured.

For some families they utilized the clan system which gives the family certain responsibilities under their respective clan symbol.

Some Clans are as follows:

• Elk Clan
• Antelope Clan
• Frog Clan
• Bear Clan
• Snake Clan
• Hawk Clan
• Buffalo Clan
• Butterfly Clan
• Lizard Clan
• Crow Clan
• Coyote Clan

These are just to name a few. Each clan will have a specific set of values and traditions that they live their lives based upon.

In this post were are going to dive into some of the meanings of the animals to certain tribes.

7 Grandfather Teachings -Native American Spirit Animals

Within the seven Grandfather teachings will give you a great understanding of some of the animals, their roles, and what they can teach us as humans beings in relations to each other and the earth.

The Wolf

The wolf has always been a great teacher. In some of the North West tribes such as the Quileute and the Kwakiutl, tell of some stories that their people transformed from wolves into men.

In the Shoshone culture, the wolf is a noble creator spirit, while in the Anishinabe the wolf is like a brother or a true best friend.

From our Pueblo brothers and sisters, the wolf represents one of the six directional guardians, and is associated by the direction of the east and the color white.

The names of some of the Native American Wolf Gods and Spirits are:

• Chibiabos (Potawatomi)
• Kweo Kachina (Hopi)
• Malsum (Wabanaki)
• Moqwaio (Menominee)
• Pia’isa (Shoshone)
• Rou-garou (Métis)
• Tivaci (Chemehuevi)

The Wolf has also been a main character in stories to teach lessons to children.

The Story of the Two Wolves

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

The Bear

Some of the main characteristics of the bear are:

• Live a balanced life
• Face life with courage
• Defend what you believe in
• Make positive decisions with conviction
• Face your fears
• Find Inner Strength

In many Native American tribes, Bears are usually associated with healing and medicine.

Black Elk who was a Lakota talked about how when he was young, he performed a Bear dance ceremony to help heal a member of his tribe. He put on the Bear hide and did a specific dance to help heal.

With the Pueblo tribes, the Bear is one of the six directional guardians and associated with the West and also the color blue.

Many tribes consider the Bear to be like brothers or family so it’s taboo to hunt or eat bears.

Some of the Names of Bear Gods and Spirits are:

• Aincekoko (Zuni)
• Big Rump Bear (Mohican/Shawnee)
• Hairless Bear (Penobscot)
• Katci-to’wack’w (Cree)
• Hon Kacina (Hopi)
• Mashuapeu, the bear master (Innu)
• Muwin (Micmac)
• Naked Bear (Iroquois)
• Stiff-legged Bear (Eastern Tribes)

There are a lot of cool stories of the bear that teaches us a lot of great values and how we could carry ourselves in better ways.

In the video below Laura Grizzlypaws dances the Bear Dance.

Brother Bear
a true Menominee story retold by
Louise Bear and Terri Zhuckkahosee

A long time ago on the Menominee Indian Reservation there lived a very old couple. The husband loved hunting and fishing. One winter night he decided to go on a hunting trip. So the next day his wife packed some warm clothes and lots of dried meat and berries for him and he set off on his trip.

He followed deer trails through the woods for a long time without seeing a deer. Then, at the edge of a meadow, he spotted one. Carefully, he aimed the arrow in his bow and let it fly. The arrow struck the deer but only wounded it. The deer leaped into a thicket of trees, and the old man quickly followed. He tracked the deer for many miles but eventually lost its trail. When he finally decided to return home, he realized that he was lost. The old man panicked and started to run, but he could not find a familiar trail. The old man remained lost for many days.

Late one afternoon, while trying to save time, he decided to walk across a lake. He had not gone far, when suddenly he broke through a weak spot in the ice! He carefully pulled himself from the water and crawled to shore. There, he took off his snowshoes and other heavy clothing and started walking. He became very cold and tired. Fortunately, he noticed a small cave and went inside. A bear was hibernating in the cave, but that didn’t bother him. The old man cuddled close to the bear to keep warm, and while lying next to the bear, he ate the dried meat and berries his wife had sent with him. He stayed with the bear until his clothing dried and he regained his strength.

When he finally returned home, his wife asked, “Where have you been?”

The old man answered, “I was staying with my brother bear.”

The Raven

Here is what the Raven teaches us:

• Raven represents honesty
• Reminds us to be ourselves and not someone we are not
• Does not seek power, speed, or beauty of others
• Use what you have to survive and thrive

Within some of the Native American Stories, the Raven helps the people and shapes their world for them. The raven can also sometimes be seen a trickster in some cultures.

Some of the Native American Raven Gods and Spirit Names are:

• Artic Raven (Eskimo-Aleut)
• Dotson’sa (Alaskan Athabaskan)
• Northwest Raven (Northwest Coast Tribes)

The Legend of How Raven Stole the Sun

Long ago, near the beginning of the world, Grey Eagle guarded the sun, moon, stars, water, and fire. But Grey Eagle hated people. He hated them so much that he kept these things hidden away, and the people lived in cold and darkness.

Grey Eagle had a beautiful daughter who fancied Raven, for Raven was a handsome white bird who loved Grey Eagle’s daughter in return. He was invited to the longhouse of Grey Eagle. Raven looked about the walls of the lodge and saw the sun, the moon, the stars, water, and fire.

Raven was ashamed of Grey Eagle for hiding them, and knew what he must do. When no one was watching, he stole all these things from the lodge of Grey Eagle. He flew with them right up the smoke hole of the long house. He flew and he flew, higher and higher.

He hung the sun as high as he could in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to escape all the way to an island far out in the ocean. When night fell, he flew again, this time fastening the moon up in the sky and hanging each star in its own place around the heavens. Then he flew back over the land, still carrying the water and the fire.   

When he reached the right place, he dropped the water, creating the source of all fresh water – rivers, lakes, and streams. 

Raven flew on, still carrying the stick of fire in his beak. As he flew, the smoke blew back on him, turning all of his feathers the darkest black. When his beak became too hot, he dropped the fire on some rocks, concealing it within them. Still today when we strike two stones together, drops of fire will spark out.

And still today, we see the black feathers of the raven, darkened forever because he brought good things to this world.

The Beaver

Here is what The Beaver Teaches Us:

• The Beaver teaches us wisdom
• How be environmentally friendly and sustainable
• To cherish knowledge is to know wisdom
• Use your gifts and be respectful
• Listen with clarity and sound mind
• Respect your limitations
• Learn and live by your wisdom

The beaver has a unique history with Native Americans. They were nearly hunted to extinction during the fur trade. One year it was reported that over a million beaver pelts were captured during the fur trade.

In over 70 years, 21 million beaver and felt hats were exported to England.

Some of the Important Beaver Mythological Figures are:

• Saya – a monster slayer and friendly to mankind
• Wechuge – Similar to Windigo

How the Beaver Got His Tail
an Ojibwe legend retold by
Roland LaBarge

Once upon a time there was a beaver that loved to brag about his tail. One day while taking a walk, the beaver stopped to talk to a bird. The beaver said to the bird, “Don’t you love my fluffy tail?”

“Why, yes I do little beaver,” replied the bird.

“Don’t you wish your feathers were as fluffy as my tail? Don’t you wish your feathers were as strong as my tail? Don’t you wish your feathers were just as beautiful as my tail?” the beaver asked.

“Why do you think so much of your tail, little beaver?” asked the bird. This insulted the beaver and he walked away.

After walking for a while, he stopped for a drink by the river and saw a muskrat. He walked to the muskrat and said, “Hello little muskrat. What do you think about my tail?”

“Well, it is very beautiful and big and fluffy,” answered the muskrat. “Is it also a strong tail?”

“Why, yes it is,” the beaver answered. “Do you wish you had a tail like mine?”

“I didn’t say I wanted a tail like yours. I just asked if it was strong,” the muskrat replied with a disgusted voice.

The beaver quickly turned and began walking back to his dam. He was angry because he felt that the animals were being rude to him. He was very upset and decided to take out his frustration by cutting down trees. After cutting down a couple of trees, he came to a very large one. He knew that it would be a great challenge for him. So he went to it.

But as he was cutting, he kept thinking about his tail and didn’t notice that he was cutting at a bad angle. Before he knew what was happening, the tree began to fall toward him. He jumped to get out of the way, but he didn’t jump fast enough, and the huge tree fell on his beautiful tail!

He tugged and pulled and finally dug away the earth to free himself. When he finally pulled his tail from under the tree, he was horrified to see that it was flat. The beaver was very sad and started to cry. As he was crying he heard a voice. It was the Creator.

“Why are you crying?” asked the Creator

“A tree has crushed my beautiful tail,” the beaver cried. “Now no one will like me.”

The Creator told him that a beaver is not liked for his tail but for his kindness and wisdom. He also told him how to use his flat tail. “Now your tail will help you swim rapidly,” the Creator said. “And when you want to signal a message to a friend, all you have to do is slap your tail on the water.”

Hearing this made the beaver happy again. When the animals saw his flattened tail they were shocked! But the beaver said, “It’s better this way.”

From that day on, the beaver never bragged about his tail, and all the animals liked him.

That’s how the beaver got his flat tail.

The Turtle

Here is what the Turtle teaches us:

• Understand the importance of the journey and the destination
• Apply faith and trust in your teachings
• Show honour and sincerity in what you say and do
• Be true to yourself

The turtle is a great spiritual animal. For many tribes the creation story tells us of how the great Turtle is carrying the earth on its back and that is why we call it – “Turtle Island”

Some of the symbolism behind the turtle represents – a long life, protection, healing, wisdom, spirituality, and fertility.

Some of the names of Native American Turtle Gods and Spirits:

• Kahaila (Hopi)
• Mikcheech (Micmac)
• Tolba (Abenaki)

In California there is a turtle story about earthquakes. Here it is below:

The Buffalo

Here is what the Buffalo teaches us:

• Respect shoot outs when it comes to the great bison
• To give of yourself to help others
• Honour creation
• Do not waste and be mindful to the balance of living things
• Share what you do not need
• Don’t be hurtful to others or yourself

Buffalo were a very crucial animal to many Native American tribes. It was one of the main protein’s for tribes and they used it for all type of purposes. The bison was used for lodging, creating tools and weapons, for sustenance, and for clothing to name a few.

As a spiritual sense the buffalo are seen as powerful and is associated with strength, endurance, and protection.

Some of the Buffalo Gods and Spirits are:

• Mosairu Kachina (Hopi)
• White Buffalo Calf Woman (Sioux)

There is a story of the White Buffalo which tells about a spiritual story.

Eagle

Here is what the Eagle Teaches Us:

• To love and the strength to carry all things
• Love can be found at all corners
• Know peace
• Look within understand the innerself
• Know love and love yourself truly

In many Native American cultures, the Eagle is one of the most sacred animals. It is said that the eagle can fly so high to carry your message to the creator.

When you see old Native American pictures with warriors adorning Eagle Feathers, it is said that each feather was earned through deeds and bravery.

Some of the Eagle Native American Gods and Spirits:

• Eagle Woman (Tlingit)
• Kwahu Kachina (Hopi)
• Wind Eagle (Wabanaki)

The Story of the Eagle and the Condor

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