A prominent member of the red-tailed hawk community says they’re tired of eagles getting all the credit for the haunting cries that are heard in films, television shows or whenever Indigenous people say something sacred.
“For too long, Hollywood has exploited our haunting, piercing cries and falsely attributed it to the eagle community,” said Kaikaik, a majestic red-tailed hawk, speaking to reporters gathered under the poplar he calls home.
“We’re the cool ones, show us instead or pay up.”
Kaikaik is referring to the practice of films or TV shows that dub the calls of red-tailed hawks over images of eagles soaring across the screen and whenever Indigenous people speak about dreams or ancestors.
The red-tailed hawk told reporters that its colleagues are forming a union and are demanding film studios make an immediate payment of 34 tons of fresh fish and 62 tons of rabbits and/or squirrels—and says Indigenous people need to offer more than a cigarette when they see them.
