Cetan (Chay-tahn) is the Lakota word for “hawk” or “falcon.” Akin to an eagle, it is a smaller predatory raptor (bird of prey). It has particular significance in Native American history. As a symbol it has connotative meanings suggesting swiftness and a celestial relationship with the divine. Stories vary from tribe to tribe, but these often portray Cetan as a wise being or one who sees clearly. In the oral tradition, myths of the hawk and falcon abound.
Stories frequently honor Cetan as a sacred being endowed with attributes of strength, vision, courage, and wisdom, as well as serving as a protector. From the Cheyenne perspective, the hawk (as well as all physical life forms) has a spiritual dimension, an immortal gift of breath or the breath of life. The motif of Cetan teaches how people can develop notable characteristics of the hawk as well as how the hawk can personify the nobler traits of humankind. The Cheyenne believe that their interactions with Cetan have shaped the basis for their society and the belief system that holds them together: tribal traditions, language, ceremony, dance, and song have emerged from this relationship.
In the cosmologies of the Americas all beings are sacred. That is, all living beings are a part of a family. Understanding the ways of the animal world gives humans the ability to live harmoniously with their four-legged, winged, water, and plant relatives. Such a body of knowledge cultivates wisdom and ensures mutual respect among all living entities. As a holy being, Cetan possesses the ability to communicate with both the Creator as well as with people. This role is one of duality.
A key figure in many creation stories, Cetan is also the subject of songs, most of which are used for prayer ceremonies. Closely related to the eagle, their roles as intermediaries or liaisons between the Creator and mortal beings are similar, and thus there exists a wide array of stories about how Cetan as a hawk has contributed to the history of human beings. Stories from the oral tradition continue to be told and serve as a means of teaching each generation spiritual and social values.
In the case of the falcon, there is a Blackfoot story that tells of a mallard duck that boasted to other mallards of his ability to avert attacks by the falcon. The mallard becomes so engulfed in his own story that he fails to see that the falcon is not only within hearing distance but about to swoop in on him. Falcon snaps the neck of Mallard before he realizes what has happened. The message of the story is to live humbly and to never allow boasting to come to the ear of your enemy.
Stories of Cetan include how he serves as a spirit guide. There is the tale of a young man who was having a hard go of it. His health was declining and he was following a bad path in life. Family members offered up prayers for the young man in hopes that the spirits would lead him onto a better path and he would return home. As the young man was traveling in a barren country, he noticed a red-tailed hawk soaring above him. As the young man changed directions, so did the hawk. When the young man went north the hawk circled back around and continued flying above, or just ahead of him. Finally, the young man realized the hawk was telling him to follow him. Following the hawk, the young man returned safely back home to his family.
The feathers of Cetan, the hawk, are frequently used in Native American ceremonies, as are those of the eagle. Tradition states that feathers should never touch the ground. During both ceremonial dances and powwows, a dancer must wait for a tribal elder to retrieve the feather if he drops it during the dance. In the United States, these birds are protected by the federal government making “it illegal for anyone to take, possess … purchase, or barter, any migratory bird” unless they have a tribal permit according to federal guidelines. As a highly regarded creature, Cetan symbolizes cultural significance on many levels.
Sheila Ann Rocha
See also Creation Stories of the Native Americans; Kind Hawk, The
Further Reading
Bruchac, Joseph. 1992. Native American Animal Stories. Golden, CO: Fulcrum.
Edmonds, Margot, and Ella E. Clark. 2003. Voices of the Winds: Native American Legends. New York: Castle Books.
Gelo, Daniel J. 2012. Indians of the Great Plains. Boston: Pearson.
Lake-Thom, Bobby. 1997. Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies. New York: Plume.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 2013. “Migratory Bird Program.” http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/regulationspolicies/mbta/mbtintro.html. Accessed June 12, 2015.