Naturally Kiawah Magazine Volume 35 | Page 36

An Apologia for Crows By Jane Iwan A number of people I know think crows are raucous, bothersome, food-snatching birds. While all of that is true, they have some very redeeming qualities. Crows have affected people at every step of evolution. Thirty thousand years ago in Lascaux, France, a cave dweller created an image of a crowheaded man, thought to represent the external soul of the hunter. The hunter’s symbiotic relationship with crows evolved over time. For example, Eskimo hunters associated ravens flying overhead with nearby caribou, and Yukon peoples mimicked raven calls to attract bear to their hunting areas. 34 Naturally Photo byKiawah Mickey Ball