War bonnets made of golden eagle tail feathers are among most striking and impressive items of Plains Indian Warrior art. The members of many Native North American tribes thought of eagles as analogs of the Thunderbird and considered them as one of the most powerful of sky entities. Their feathers were for Indians a guardian, a genius or a manito of war which strangely enough will not encourage bravery or fighting skill, but will inspire them in what they should do, how they must operate to avoid death.