Thunderbird

Many Native American cultures honor a being called the Thunderbird. It is said to be a giant bird that offers protection. The Ho Chunk in particular have stories of the Thunderbird protecting their people from outside forces and have come to see the Thunderbird as a symbol of leadership.

Starting in the 1800’s western settlers began to report sightings of Thunderbirds all over North America. In fact, two cowboys were allegedly killed by a Thunderbird back in 1890.

There are still sightings of Thunderbirds today. One that I have read about comes from Linda Godfrey’s book, American Monsters. In her book, Godfrey interview a Minnesota man who stated that he saw such a bird near Webb Lake while on vacation with his family. The man said that he had seen emus before and initially he thought it was one escaped from a nearby emu farm. However, as he got closer to the creature, he stated the animal was far bigger than any bird he had ever seen. 

Is the Thunderbird real? Who knows. Some say it’s a bird, some say it’s a plane. I say it’s a folktale.

Sources and Further Readings:

American Monsters: a history of monster lore, legends, and sightings in America by Linda S. Godfrey

https://lindagodfrey.com/2016/06/28/giant-bird-or-spirit-avian/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_(cryptozoology)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_(mythology)

https://www.theepochtimes.com/was-the-mythical-thunderbird-a-real-creature_1245556.html