Two Eagles Native Designs

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How “Two Eagles Native Designs” got its name.

Many years ago we were starting to explore our Native American heritage and out of a need to improve some motor skills that Ed had lost he started to Loom Bead, creating Native American Designs in his Beadwork. In a short time we were making Dream Catchers, Medicine Wheels, and Medicine Pouches among other things. A Coeur d’Alene friend told us we should sell the things we were making. After a little thought we decided we would do that after we had a few more made. We were able to get into a craft show that was on the Colville Reservation in East Central Washington State. Our first display consisted of 7 Lodge Pole Pine poles as uprights and some blankets. We hung things from the cross piece we had between two tripods made using the poles and also from the tripods themselves. In a short time we sold absolutely everything we had brought with us. Thus the Business was started but we did not have a name. We prayed about it but nothing seemed to come to mind.

A couple of months after our first show Judi had to go to Boise for testing to renew a professional license. On the way back home we took a drive down into the Snake River Canyon. As we drove along a pair of two large Great Blue Herons flew over the road as we drove under them. Driving a short distance farther once again a pair of Herons crossed the road in front of us. Traveling another mile or so, I saw off in the distance another pair of Herons flying over the river and I told Judi, “there is a third pair”. As we got closer and to our surprise the pair of large birds were not Herons but in fact a pair of Eagles. We drove near to where they were flying and pulled over on the side of the road. The two Eagles flew across the river and when they reached the other side they split up and both went opposite directions, flying around a dead pine tree that had two opposing branches near the top still intact on the tree. One Eagle sat on a limb on each side of the trunk. I had taken my 6 hole Native American Flute along on the trip and I pulled it out and started playing. Within a few seconds both Eagles flew off their branches and met each other in flight. While I played the Flute they proceeded to Dance the most incredible Dance either of us has had ever seen. They flapped their wings in Sync, banked, circled, flew up, and flew down towards the river. All the while they were in perfect sync. I had been playing for a few minutes and needed to take a break. I quit playing and it was as if it were on que both Eagles flew back towards the tree, split off from each other, circled around to the back of the branches and then landed on them, once again an Eagle on each limb on opposite sides of the tree. Both Judi and I were awe struck. It had been one of the most beautiful sites either of us had ever witnessed.

This however was not the determining factor why we named our business Two Eagles, but it was the first of two situations that occurred that solidified the naming. A month after the Snake River Canyon Eagle Dance as we call it, I was planning on cutting some Red Willow (Red Twigged Dog Wood) branches so as to make traditional Dream Catchers and Medicine Wheels. It was at the end of March and the Bark on the Red Willow was still a very beautiful Reddish Maroon, and the shrubs still did not have much sap in them so in drying them the bark would not separate from the wood because there would be minimal shrinkage. We were supposed to have a snow storm coming in and I figured if I didn't get those branches immediately I would not get them until it was beyond optimum harvesting. This was a concern because I had to get down to a remote place on the banks of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

On my way to the site it started to snow and by the time I got there it was getting pretty hard to see very far. I went down into the area to start harvesting the Willow and in surveying the low area where the Willow was I noticed a big pine near the waters edge that had a dead limb hanging out parallel to where I was standing. Little did I know Two Eagles Native Designs was very close to getting its name. I gave an offering to the 4 Winds, to Below, to Above and of course to the Red Willow Nation itself. I had just started to cut some branches when I heard this Whoosh ,Whoosh, Whoosh and as I looked towards the sound I saw an Eagle arrive at the branch I mentioned earlier and land on it. Almost immediately there was another Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh and a second Eagle landed on the Branch. Now you may say so what but this Branch was only about 20 feet from me. As I sat unmoving in amazement watching the two Eagles they in turn were watching me. After what seemed like a very long time but I am sure it was only 4 or 5 minutes I thought dang it, I don't want to scare them away but I have to get busy cutting the Red Willow or I may never get out of this place, for it was snowing rather hard by this time. So I started cutting limbs and piling them in manageable stacks to be carried to my pick up truck. To my utter surprise the Two Eagles never budged from their perch and continued to follow my movements. I finally completed cutting all the limbs that I had planned to and started to carry out the 4 stacks I had created. The first three loads I carried to my pick-up truck the Eagles never budged and just watched me. When I came back for the 4th and final load I looked up and they still there. I gave a verbal Thank You to them, picked up the last load and as I turned to head up towards my truck both Eagles flew off the limb together into a white cloud of snow. As they did this, the Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh was even louder than the first time.

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