Bird Medicine: The Sacred Power of Bird Shamanism

Evan T. Pritchard, author of Bird Medicine: The Sacred Power of Bird Shamanism, is a descendant of the Mi'kmaq people (part of the Algonquin nation) and the founder of The Center for Algonquin Culture. Named Abachbahamedtch (or chipmunk) by Mi'kmaq people, he is an assistant to several Algonquin elders. Since 1990, his work helping Algonquin elders and bringing their message to the media has helped thousands of people gain a better understanding of this great civilization and its teachings.

According to Pritchard, traditional Native Americans have viewed birds as spiritual teachers for at least 10,000 years. Pritchard's scholarly and illuminating book is based on his field interviews with people in the Native community on birds as teachers, guardians, role models, counselors, healers, clowns, peacemakers, and meteorologists. They carry messages and warnings from loved ones and the spirit world, report deaths and injuries, and channel divine intelligence to answer our questions. Some of their "signs" are so subtle that one could discount them as subjective, but others are dramatic enough to strain even a skeptic's definition of coincidence.

Pritchard begins with an exploration of the legends, wisdom, and powers of the birds known as the gatekeepers of the four directions -- Eagle in the North, Hawk in the East, Crow in the South, and Owl in the West. He reveals how the eagle can be a direct messenger of the Creator, why crows gather in "Crow Councils," and how shamans have the ability to travel inside of birds, even after death. Expanding his study to the wisdom and gifts of birds beyond the four gatekeepers, such as hummingbirds, seagulls, and the mythical thunderbird, he provides numerous examples of everyday bird sign interpretations that can be applied in your own encounters with birds as well as ways we can help protect birds and encourage them to communicate with us.

Bird Medicine: The SacredPower of Bird Shamanism by Evan T. Pritchard is a treasure trove of ornithological insight and indigenous wisdom. Filled with stories -- some fables involving only birds and some anecdotal narratives of birds interaction with humans -- the book is also an impassioned plea for humans to become more responsible about protecting bird habitats and breeding grounds.