What can anyone tell me about hawk medicine?

[Shakespeare]

I know the hawk is considered a messenger, and a powerful animal spirit. I've had an unusually high number of hawk sightings/encounters lately, and I'm wondering what to think about it.

From what I've read, many native american cultures believe that a person has one or more animal spirits that are dominant in their lives, and I'm wondering how that may (or may not) figure into this as well. My maternal grandfather was part blackfoot with shamanistic qualities that I'm only just beginning to learn more about from older family members (who are reluctant to talk about it), so I'm especially curious about animal medicine.

[Mabus]

1. Here's something you might find helpful

It gives a sampling of different traditions, http://morningstar.netfirms.com/hawktotem.html

Beginning about half way down the page

In the Celtic tradition Hawk empowers a person to seek out their ancestral roots and to examine in depth that which is positive so that it may be integrated into the person's life and that which is limiting so it can be released. Tradition is only worth honoring when it supports joy and fulfillment in one's life! In this tradition Hawk also supports the solar side as stated above, helping a person to move forward in life and to seek out great quests to embark upon.

In the Egyptian Tradition Hawk was associated with Magic and shapeshifting. Isis is said to have shapeshifted into a Hawk to save Osiris. Horus also carried Hawk medicine which allowed him to see the "unseeable".

Among Native American traditions, Hawk served the role of Mercury, bringer of messages and portents of change. Hawk reminded the people they needed to be awake and aware.

One of the greatest gifts a Hawk medicine person can give the world is their visions of a better and brighter future. Visionaries are always ahead of their time and it's not easy seeing what others are not ready to see. Often these people are not honoured and recognized for their work and efforts until long after they have crossed over. And yet their work lives on to touch and enrich the lives of people the world over! Honour the Hawk people you meet in your life. Encourage them to soar so they may bring their visions and messages back to earth that all may benefit. If you are a Hawk person yourself, understand that Spirit can you an especial task to hold the energy of what could be, of potentials that are waiting to be envisioned and thus expressed through the mass consciousness. Seek out other Hawk people who can support you in your life and never allow others to cause you to lose sight of what is really important to you! Trust in the messages that Spirit entrusts to your special care and know that the expression of your visions will bring blessings not only to you, but also to all others!

There's some other interesting information before and after this portion I've excerpted.

Since you ae Blackfoot (Blackfeet) you should look for information particular to that tradition. Good luck.