Native American symbols are simplified geometrical representations what they held important to them, such as celestial bodies, natural phenomena and animal designs. The Owl symbol is an ominous one. According to Native American legends and myths of some tribes the Owl is a symbol of death. The owl is a creature of the night and strongly associated with the supernatural. The circles around the eyes of an owl are believed to be made up of the fingernails of spirits. Owls were also believed to be messengers from beyond the grave and would deliver warnings to people who had broken tribal taboos. Even to hear an owl hooting was considered to be an unlucky omen. Native American Indians are a deeply spiritual people and they communicated their history, thoughts, and beliefs from generation to generation through Symbols and Signs such as the Owl symbol.
The owl is a predatory, nocturnal bird. They are unmistakable with their upright stance, large swiveling heads, and large forward facing eyes. They have a short, sharp, tearing, hooked beak and a pair of long, crushing talons both used to capture and kill prey. They have soft, cryptically colored
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The Otto-Missouri tribes believe that an owl brings the message of death to people. Seeing or hearing an owl is believed to be unlucky and a sign of serious illness or death to come. The Choctaw believe that in an Ofunlo, a Screech Owl, is heard then a child will die. If an Opa, a common owl, is seen near a home and hoots, it is a foreboding of death among close relatives. The Apache believe that dreaming of an owl signals approaching death. Similarly, it is believed by the Cree that the Boreal Owl’s whistle is a summon from the spirits. If a person answers with a similar whistle and does not hear a response, they will soon die. Many of these beliefs also tie into the “boogeyman” like legends of Owl