Thunderbird is a majestic sky being in many Native traditions, from the Plains to the Northwest Coast, who creates thunder with its wings and lightning with its eyes. It battles underwater panthers and brings rain. In poetry, Thunderbird symbolizes divine power, protection, and the voice of the sky, often invoked in verses about transformation, spiritual warfare, and the balance between land and water.

Thunderbird is a widespread and sacred being in Native cosmologies from the Pacific Northwest to the Plains, embodying storms, power, and protection; it battles underwater serpents and is often linked to warriors and chiefs—poets must avoid commercialized or generic depictions and instead specify tribal context (e.g., Kwakwaka’wakw Tsi-noo vs. Ojibwe Animikii), recognizing Thunderbird as a living spiritual presence, not a symbol.