Occasionally, while hiking in the desert near my home, I'll be lucky enough to see a golden eagle. The sight of this great bird soaring free in its natural environment is always inspiring to me. The eagle was also a source of inspiration for the Native Americans. Native Americans envisioned the golden eagle as a representative of the Great Spirit. Dressed in eagle feathers, they felt themselves to be surrounded by a part of the Great Spirits power. To view a golden eagle while on a raiding or hunting expedition was considered to be especially lucky. It was thought to be a "Good Omen." BD