Thunderbird

Finally, here's my vision of the famous Thunderbird of Native American legends. It was known by many different names depending on the tribes : the Sioux called it Wakinyan Tanka, the Pueblo named it Achiyalaopa, the Iroquois called it OshaDagea... It was described as a huge bird of prey, able to wrestle with whales, which produced the sound of thunder by flapping its wings, and generated lightnings from its eyes. An ambivalent force of nature, it could bring destruction, through thunder and hail, but also life, through rain (which supposedly poured down from a lake located on the Thunderbird's back).
It wasn't always able to harness thunder though. Its powers were due to an agreement with the thunder spirits and the Great Spirit Manitou, who made the great bird their servant when it broke it out of pride. As a punishment, it was condemned to be forever hidden from the mortals' eyes by dark clouds. The Thunderbird is a recurring icon in Haida art, especially on totems.