All living things had a mystical spirit endowed with certain inherent and desirable powers. One creator had made all living things so the Native American acknowledged a close kinship with the animals and birds whose home he shared. The Creator had given special abilities or powers to his younger brothers that were often times better and more reliable than his own. He believed god put these creatures on the earth to teach men valuable lessons for everyday life. To the Native American, animals and birds often took upon themselves a holy character which he prayed to for assistance and intervention on their behalf. This was not just a passive roll, many of these abilities the Native American greatly desired to possess, such as wisdom, bravery, craftiness, or endurance he believed he could in part, obtain from these creatures their special powers by studying their habits. Each animal or bird was studied for weeks on end until its every habit was known. The student then practiced these same traits and incorporated them into his daily life to the limits of his ability. As the student matured he acquired keen skills for tracking and hunting.