To achieve full understanding of some of these symbols and practices, one must personally experience them or be led to enlightenment through traditional teachings of an elder. The explanations for the items are therefore brief and are intended to provide a broad overview of things that may have different meanings to people of different cultural backgrounds. Bear Claws are symbols that represent healing. The people who acquire these usually have to work hard for them. They also represent a medicine person as a helper in the healing process.
Elders are people recognized in a community as an 'elder'.
These people are recognized as having experience in life and tend to be the more matured people who are held in high regard. Fasting or Vision Quest is a ceremony in which a person would forego certain necessities in life, such as food, in search for answers to one's questions. The answers may appear to the person in a dream. Feathers usually eagle feathers represent strength and courage and tend to be highly respected by those who understand the significance of this bird. To acquire a feather, people need to work hard for them.