Birds Through Indigenous Eyes: Native Perspectives on Birds of the Eastern Woodlands

This book that explores Indigenous beliefs about the birds of the Northeastern United States is the result of a collaboration among anthropologist Gaffin (emeritus, SUNY Buffalo State Univ.; The Divinity Inquiry); healer/naturalist Michael Bastine, of Algonquin descent and a member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation of western Quebec; and naturalist/animal rehabilitator John Volpe, of Ojibwe and Métis descent and a member of the Nipissing First Nation of Ontario. Volpe and Bastine describe to Gaffin the meanings and messages they perceive in the appearance and behavior of birds (chickadees, cedar waxwings, house sparrows, and more) and how these bird species adhere to the natural laws that humans—to their peril—have strayed away from. Gaffin presents the conversations verbatim, stressing how Volpe’s and Bastine’s perspectives reflect a cultural understanding shaped by the two men’s personal observations and experiences. Interspersed with Gaffin’s own bird encounters are Volpe’s and Bastine’s anecdotes about developing a non-judgmental relationship with all aspects of the natural world. They all warn against today’s technologically driven disconnection from nature and the sacred.