The Thunderbird is a legendary mythological creature whose stories are found in many Indigenous cultures across North America, including here in Manitoba. The Thunderbird is often depicted as a massive, powerful bird, associated with storms, thunder, and lightning.
Thunderbird depictions vary across different Indigenous groups. Common depictions describe the Thunderbird as a giant horned eagle, with wings large enough to create thunder and lightning.
There are some spots in Manitoba where Thunderbird nests can be found! They are not literal nests built by a physical bird, but cultural sites constructed by First Nations people. The sites are believed to have served various purposes, including ceremonial practices and a place to contact the spirit world. It was also believed that by building a Thunderbird Nest, indigenous people could attract the spirit of the Thunderbird. These nests were usually built from stone in a circular nest-like shape.
While travelling Highway 68 near The Narrows on Lake Manitoba, there is an easily missed point of interest marker indicating a gravel road leading towards a Thunderbird nest. Just off the road, a short half-kilometre mowed trail, dedicated to the memory of Huldi Gudbrandur, former director of the Alonsa Conservation District, guides visitors to this significant site, where interpretive signs share its importance.
One interpretive sign at the Thunderbird Nest describes how Shamans traditionally engaged with the spirit world to seek mystical power and divine knowledge, underscoring the profound spiritual importance of this location. By being aware of the sacred practices that were traditionally held here, modern visitors can understand the significance this location holds, as an active link to ancestral wisdom, cultural identity, and the spirit world.
