by R. SkyHawk MoonChild 3/3/2008

Once I met a family whose given Indian name was Bears in the Woods. I played basketball with the two generations of great Native American athletes. We would often discuss the names we Indians received in life, pre-Euro contact and through modern changes. The ol' man changed his name during the Korean War from Bears in the Woods to "Woods." This was because of the jokes that often went with the calling of his name in roll calls while he was in the military service. His sons wanted to change it back to the proudheritage name of Bears in the Woods which they did after the Vietnam war era.

I once had a Euro name that I was not proud of and had my name changed legally to SkyHawk. This name came to me in a dream or vision quest of my grandmother who died in a house fire. She came through burning flames and I could see her body and face covered with brightly colored flames coming closer towards me. Her face keep getting larger and larger, and she called me, "SkyHawk" over and over. Before this dream I had another Indian Blackfeet name.

My father went through the Korean War also and would have found trouble with being called MoonChild. Since I was a product of the Vietnam era and the anti-protests of this Vietnam War hippie generation and the growth of Red Power and Black Power, my MoonChild name fit the Age of Aquarius theme. An irony which fit my long hair of the times. (If you can see/rent the film Billy Jack. This will be good for a laugh or two. I liked the song, One Tin Soldier. This film will give an idea of our times Indians were going through). I was often asked if I was a hippie. My answer was, "No, I'm an Indian with long hair." This was a long time ago.

My father's family name, MoonChild was seen as a rebirth of one's spirituality after going through the years of seeking out a quest for this spiritual identity. This was done by going up on top of the mountains and fasting without food or water for four or five days. Which for me was done in the Rocky Mountains and what was called a stretch of mountains named by the Blackfeet people, "the Backbone of the World." It was recalling a sign of the times before people sought out esoteric sources and rituals and ceremonies or religions to bring them into some sort of enlightenment or state of being. This quest for lack of a better term is a lifetime ongoing struggle to live up to your name. The older I get the further away I seem to be from moving beyond the Child phase. Much like the past February 2008 lunar eclipse, there will be many "moons" (ha, ha) to come before I reach past this stage of a child becoming a man. Before I know it I will be in the grandfather phase and the moon cycle will begin all over again. Another child will take my place. The child in me just doesn't want to grow up. Maybe, that's how I earned my name?!?! I could have been called/named "Frybread." I would have lived up to the burned out stage of a frybread being left in the boiling lard of the frying pan too long.... . Don't try this at home kids.

The whole point to this story is that you should be proud of your name. Almost everyone has a history for their name. Have fun in finding out how you received your name. Native peoples have many different ways they receive their names. Children are given a name at birth of some animal: a bear, beaver, otter, deer, wolf or coyote and a mouse. A bird; eagle, hawk, swan, goose, hummingbird. A fish: dolphin, whale or shark, or a turtle or crab.  A plant; ivy, flower or tree, sun, moon, star or planet. An insect, spider, snake, frog. A grandfather or other elder of your tribe can give you a name.

Some people can receive many names as they go through different stages of their life. One name I received from African people was, "He Runs With the Wind." This was for running long distances in many countries around the world. And how I trained as a runner was much like they did. I carried two heavy rocks, one in each my hands for long distances during my training while running in the mountains. When I dropped the rocks it seemed like I was running with the wind. (zoom, zoom...)

Like many names two or more names can become a very cool image of a morph. For example, an Elephant Hawk, a Bear Eagle, or a Eagle Winged Turtle, a Penguin Wolf, Coyote With a Blue Tail, (ha, ha). The Indians are like the Egyptians when you think about how they morphed their animals and birds together. And take another look at the Northwest Coast Native peoples' art work. The Chinese combined a dragon's head with the paws of a tiger and talons of an eagle. All over the world you will fine totems which represented people and birds and animals.

Events and places, these are Indian names, too. "Shooting Black Star of the Mountains." This could have been the day a meteorite hit the mountains and my son was born. Very cool name, don't you think?

School activity:

Take images from nature, birds and animals. Find a combination that you like. Take this name, draw a picture of name. The names can have modern mix as well. For Example: Mickey Mouse in Blue Moccasins. Let the IMAGINATION fly!

Please feel free to download for your use in education/Native American lit/art.

All rights reserved 2008 R.SkyHawk MoonChild. www.skyhawkfireheart.com