Native communities celebrate bald eagle’s new status as U.S. national bird

The bald eagle’s designation as the official national bird of the United States brings renewed pride and hope to many Native communities, including members of the Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota, according to the Associated Press. At a recent graduation ceremony by Prairie Island’s riverbank, high school graduates received eagle feathers — symbols of achievement and reverence — as drummers and singers honored them.

Jim Thunder Hawk, Dakota culture and language manager for the Prairie Island Indian Community, said he hopes the nation will be less divided now that the eagle is respected. The bill, sponsored by Minnesota legislators, was signed into law in December 2024. It acknowledges the eagle’s spiritual significance to Indigenous peoples.