Just A Bird By Brendan Whitt (From When the Crows Come Home)
The crow is a strong, intelligent, and resourceful animal. The crow has suffered a great deal throughout his existence. The crow first appeared in North America after being sold to collectors of exotic species during the early 17th century. Crows were mostly shipped to Latin America and the Caribbean with a fraction of them being shipped to North America. They were kept in small coops and forced to stay on farms that housed approximately 95% of the species’ total population.
When the crows were finally set free they began to establish their own identity as a culture. One separate from the negative stereotypes they were labeled by. The findings on their lack of intelligence and overwhelming ignorance was detested and found to be erroneous when they began to establish cultural and intellectual leaders. The crow began to immerse himself into the worlds of literature, music, politics and race relations, as well as the science and technology disciplines.
When Crows were no longer allowed to be kept in captivity, they were hunted for game without regulation mainly taking place in the southern states of the American mainland. This caused a mass exodus of Crows to migrate into major cities in the northern state beginning in the early 1900s. Crows began to grow as a species along with the urbanization of America creating the predecessor to today‘s inner city communities. While still subject to discrimination and less than hospitable living conditions the Crow was finally given the chance to advance in society just like every other immigrant was.
Crows are generally good-natured animals. As a group they are fairly easy-going and friendly towards each other and others. There are no official leaders of the species in present day after the majority of their intellectual leaders were hunted for game or forced into behavioral habitats at the height of the specie’s fight for rights and civil liberties.
If you looked the Crow in the eye could you understand his story? Would you be able to comprehend what the crow knows? Those who used to hunt the Crow want to continue to fly their banners. Some still believe they have the right to hunt these beautiful creatures. Some cultures still openly shun the crow. Some embrace it to the degree that they actually want to become crows. The truth is that the Crow is lost. He does not know where he came from nor where he is going. Many other species of birds have opinions and so called solutions for the Crow’s anguish. The truth is that in the end, it is the Crow who will have to decide his destiny for himself.