"Sky Spirits" was the name given by Earth's Native American tribe known as the Rubber Tree People to a race of aliens from the Delta Quadrant who visited Earth around 43,000 BC, imparting a genetic bonding to ancient Humans and giving rise to many Native American tribes.
They were warp-capable, as they had visited other worlds, and using power sources emitting EM readings. They also were capable (at least on their homeworld) of changing weather conditions dramatically to create storms with monsoon-like conditions and even cyclones within seconds. Their entire population could be hidden using a cloaking device. They had universal translators. They also had the use of personal weaponry for defense. While they were a society that produced technology, they used it in a manner that was in harmony with nature, such as sturdy, temporary structures for housing.
According to Human accounts, they honored the land above all else. They were capable of sharing memories through touch alone. They could even harmlessly infuse other species with a portion of their genetic code by touch, and even insert a specific genetic memory that could last for several thousand years, although it would eventually fragment. They also used the CHAH-mooz-ee, a healing symbol, as a blessing to the land.
The species was known to have explored as far as Earth in the Alpha Quadrant. Such a journey required more than two of their generations to make it that far and would require a generational ship system. This meant that in the journey from the Delta Quadrant and back, at least two generations would never see their own homeworld. However due to their vested interest, there were apparently those willing to make the trip and this was accomplished several times over thousands of years.
Connection to Humans[]
Visiting Earth on a journey which took them more than two generations, the Sky Spirits encountered a small group of nomadic hunters. Although the hunters possessed no spoken language or culture beyond the use of fire and stone weapons, they did have a respect for the land and other living creatures which deeply impressed the Spirits. The Spirits decided to bestow upon the hunters an inheritance, a genetic bonding so the hunters might thrive and protect their world. On subsequent visits, the Spirits found that their genetic gift brought about a spirit of curiosity and adventure, which impelled the Humans who received the gift, whom the Spirits referred to as "the Inheritors," to migrate away from their cold climate to the North and South American continents over the course of nearly a thousand generations. Eventually, they numbered in the hundreds of thousands and their civilization had a profound influence on other Humans, but thousands of years later they were decimated by invaders from other lands through new weapons and disease. Those who survived scattered, many seeking refuge in other societies. When the Sky Spirits eventually returned, some twelve generations before the 2370s, they found no signs of the Inheritors' existence and believed they had been annihilated.
This story had been taught to Sky Spirits into the 24th century.
In 2372, the USS Voyager discovered the Sky Spirits' homeworld in the Delta Quadrant. At first the Spirits hid themselves, believing that the Humans came to conquer them as they did the Inheritors. They furthermore used their technology to deter beaming down, and later Voyager's landing. The Spirits eventually revealed themselves, however, when Voyager's first officer, Commander Chakotay, himself a descendant of the Rubber Tree People, was able to contact them and assure them of their peaceful intentions and that he and other descendants had survived. (VOY: "Tattoo")
Chakotay attributed the blessing "Peace in your heart, fortune in your steps" to the spirits of his people. (VOY: "Innocence")
Rick Sternbach's backstory for the design of the CHAH-mooz-ee as well as the Mandala in Chakotay's quarters would suggest that the Sky Spirits were aware of the Bajoran Wormhole, and possibly other wormholes and similar phenomena.
People[]
- No Sky Spirit characters were ever assigned names in canon productions.
External link[]
- Sky Spirit at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works