The Crow

Beyond the awe-inspiring science behind their behavior, crows and ravens serve as a symbol deeply rooted in centuries of cultural history, art, legends and stories. Although crows and ravens are two distinct species with notable differences when it comes to their size, calls and tail shapes, both belong to the Corvus genus and both share incredible qualities that have earned them a revered place in human storytelling. Being known for their remarkable intelligence, adaptability and mystery, they have long captured the imagination of cultures around the world. Between the two in the Pacific Northwest specifically it is the raven who appears most in certain Indigenous stories, oral traditions and artworks. It is important to note that the meaning of the raven and the crow varies across different Indigenous cultures and Nations. In some stories the raven is seen as a powerful figure and a brilliant creator, whereas in others it may be a mischievous trickster and a mysterious bringer of knowledge. Each carries its own distinct significance in different stories and teachings.

While Eddie, our Symposium character, is an American Crow, his symbolic connection to Raven honors these cultural teachings. Through sharing stories of Raven, we aim to respectfully celebrate the storytelling traditions that shape this land while also recognizing the crow’s own place in that legacy as a creature of intellect and community. These stories represent teachings passed down through generations, offering insight into how people relate to both the natural and spiritual world. Not only are they passed down through words, but through visual art rich with meaning and history. Raven, as portrayed in many northwest coast Indigenous stories, often embodies traits that mirror the crow, making him a fitting symbolic counterpart in storytelling and art. The following works offer glimpses into how Raven has appeared in the art and stories of Indigenous peoples from the Northwest Coast. We hope viewers take time to appreciate these pieces while honoring the cultural traditions and communities they originate from.

While a lot of Eddie’s symbolism draws from the cultural and ecological significance of crows and ravens in the Pacific Northwest, his name also nods to an iconic Western storyteller, Edgar Allan Poe. Often regarded in literary handbooks as the architect of the modern short story, Poe was also the principal forerunner of the “art for art’s sake” movement in 19th-European literature. In his work, he demonstrates a brilliant command of language and technique, paired with an inspired and original imagination.  

In Poe’s haunting 1845 poem The Raven, the bird’s image is not just depicted as dark and ominous, but it is also cemented as a symbol of inquiry, transformation, mystery, memory, and the desire to explore the unknown. The Raven is more than a gothic story, but at its core, it is a story about the persistence of questioning and the human need to understand what cannot always be explained. 

Just like how the narrator repeatedly asks the raven to provide answers that never come, researchers constantly ask, test and search, even when clarity may feel out of reach in the near future. For many undergraduate students, the symposium is not just a place to present conclusions. It is a space where we can embrace the open-ended nature of discovery and where asking the right question is often more powerful than finding the final answer. 

By naming our symposium companion Edgar Allan Crow, we hoped to blend a touch of literary humor with the deeper symbolism that these birds carry, both in science and in story. And like Poe’s raven, which serves as a reminder of the unresolved, the many questions we investigate whether they are about health, history, community, or memory often stay with us, shaping how we think and continue to ask why.