Revisting the wolf as a teacher….for my favourite Ma’iingan (wolf) kwe who has taught me much already….and has more yet to teach….
“Perhaps it was the eyes of the wolf, measured, calm, knowing. Perhaps it was the intense sense of family. After all, wolves mate for life, are loyal partners, create hunting communities and demonstrate affectionate patience in pup rearing. Perhaps it was the rigid heirarchy of the packs. Each wolf had a place in the whole and yet retained his individual personality. Perhaps it was their great, romping, ridiculous sense of fun. Perhaps it was some celestial link with thw winter night skies that prompted the wolf to lay his song on the icy air. For the Native people who lived with the wolves, and the wolves once ranged from the Arctic to the sub-tropics, there was much to learn from them. Is it any wonder that the myths of many tribes characterise the wolves not as killers but as teachers?” - Unknown
“To look into the eyes of a wolf is to see your own soul” – Native proverb.
This is the description of David Beaucage Johnson‘s painting ‘Song For The Night Sun’:
“People often wonder why wolves howl at the moon. In this painting, the wolves are shown embracing the moon and offering song to it. The songs are in gratitude for providing light for their night hunts. The white at the bottom is the Teaching Rock, a sacred place north of Stoney Lake in the Kawartha Lakes region of central Ontario. At this sacred place, there are images carved onto a gleaming white rock. Contained in the symbols on the rock are the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and the Spirit World. Night Sun is the English translation for the Ojibwe word for moon. To the Ojibway, the wolf is known as the teacher and it is said that we can learn much by watching the wolf.” (From Whetung Ojibwa Crafts and Art Gallery: David Beaucage Johnson)
(NOTE: The Teaching Rock is found in the Petroglyphs Provincial Park just north of Curve Lake First Nations.)
On Facebook once there was a photo with a Native teaching on Two Wolves….and life….it is imprinted on a photo of two wolves with a man in the foreground….in this version it is a Cherokee grandfather teaching his grandson about life….but I had heard it before as a Native elder talking to a young man….and I thought of a picture done by Norman Knott entitled Howling Wolf….so I decided to redo the story as I knew it….here is my version of TWO WOLVES:
Adapted from photo of Howling Wolf, limited print by Norman Knott; fromhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/pierres_art/471249524/.
In case you have trouble reading the story above:
TWO WOLVES
An Native elder is asked by a young man about life.
“A fight is going on inside of me,” the elder said, “A terrible fight between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued: “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside of you – and inside of each other person, too.”
The young man then asked the elder: “Which wolf will win?”
The elder simply replied: “The one you feed.”
I have had the opportunity to take solo canoe trips….to get away from the crowds….or to escape from the daily grind that I might have found myself trapped into….to re-energize my batteries so to speak….but more than anything just to be on my own….to be quiet and listen to all the natural world around me has to offer.
I must admit though that lying alone in my sleeping bag and hearing for the first time the wail of a wolf howling through the otherwise still night did send shivers up and down my spine….and caused me to pull the sleeping bag up tighter around myself….until I realized that I was not only fairly safe where I was….but that I was also the “intruder” in this wild place. I ended up getting up and sitting next to a low campfire….partly I guess because it further added to my own personal sense of “safety”….but also so I could hope to better hear the chorus of the wolves calling. After a while I found myself throwing back by own head to “howl” in my own best attempt at immitating a wolf….and was more than pleased that I was eventually able to elicit a response from the nearby wolf pack. Of course I was never really sure what they were actually saying at the time….perhaps the wolves were wondering what stupid human being could be trying to mimic their calls.
Wolves played a big part in the ecosystem and delicate balance of the land and the First Nations recognized that role. The Wolf also represents the traditional importance of family to First Nations. Many First Nations credit the wolves in teaching them about the importance of family and how to hunt and forage for food. In other words, they were credited with the livelihood of the tribe. Many tribes also believed that wolves were spiritual beings that could impart magical powers.
Natives have often held the Wolf in high esteem in their culture and traditions. They are seen as a sacred animal and often featured significantly in ancient songs, dances and stories of many First Nations. The Wolf is given a revered and welcomed role in many First Nations.
The Wolf represents loyalty, strong family ties, good communication, education, understanding and intelligence. Of all land animals the Wolf has the strongest supernatural powers and is the most accomplished hunter. The Wolf is a very social and communicative creature, he uses body movement, touch and sound. The First Nations had great respect for Wolves because of their alikeness. Both Natives and Wolves hunt, gather, defend and even educate their tribe or pack. The Wolf has always been respected as a very family oriented animal because he mates for life, watches and protects his young until they are old enough to be independent and protects the elders.
If direction and purpose are lacking in life, when clarity and persistence are needed, the steadfast determination of the Wolf can overcome fear, indecision and confusion. Wolves are fierce, loyal, independent and well able to offer support on the most challenging healing journey.
The Wolf fulfilled several roles for the Native: the Wolf was a powerful and mysterious animal, and was so perceived by many First Nations; and the Wolf was a medicine animal, identified often with a particular individual or clan.
At a band level, the attraction to the Wolf was strong, because the Wolf lived in a way that also made the band strong. He provided food for all, including the old and sick members of the pack. He saw to the education of his children. He defended his territory against other wolves.
At a personal level, those for whom the Wolf was a medicine animal or personal totem understood the qualities that made the wolf stand out as an individual. For example, his stamina, ability to track well and go without food for long periods.
The definition and defense of home range was as important to the First Nations as it was to the wolf. The boundaries of most First Nations’ territories, like those of wolves, changed with the movement of game herds, the size of the band and the time of year. The band, like the pack, broke up at certain times of the year and joined together later to hunt more efficiently. Both the wolf and the Native hunted the same type of game and moved their families to follow specific herds. Deer sought security from Native hunters by moving into the border area between warring tribes, where hunters were least likely to show up, just as they did between wolf territories, where wolves spent the least time hunting.
It’s not surprising that the Native saw the wolf as a significant animal. Both were hunters upon which the survival of their families depended. The Native was very aware of the many ways in which his own life resembled those of the wolf. The wolf hunted for himself and for his family. The wolf defended his pack against enemy attack, as the Indian defended his tribe. He had to be strong as an individual and for the good of the pack. It was an efficient system of survival and in the eyes of the Indian, no animal did this as well as the wolf. The Native worked to be as well integrated in his own environment as was the wolf in his.
The hunter did not see the wolf as an enemy or competitor, or as something less than himself. His perception of the wolf was a realistic assessment of the wolf’s ability to survive and thrive, to be in balance with the world they shared. He respected the wolf’s patience and perseverance, which were his most effective hunting weapons. To say he hunted like a wolf was the highest compliment, just as to say a warrior fought like the wolf was high praise.
Chief Dan George belonged to the Wolf Clan and his lament to the wolf as a symbol of the vanishing wilderness and traditions of his people has become famous:
“All of a sudden I realized why no wolves had heard my sacred song. There were none left! My heart filled with tears. I could no longer give my grandson faith in the past, our past.”
The wolf is a wilderness species that cannot survive the encroachment of its habitat by development and urban sprawl.
“Wolf is the Grand Teacher. Wolf is the sage, who after many winters upon the sacred path and seeking the ways of wisdom, returns to share new knowledge with the tribe. Wolf is both the radical and the traditional in the same breath. When the Wolf walks by you-you will remember.” - Robert Ghost Wolf
“The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf who keeps the caribou strong.” – Keewation (Inuit) Proverb
This was the basis for a painting I did recently entitled“Interdependence“….the moose cannot survive without the wolf and the wolf cannot survive without the moose….not enough wolves and the moose population can explode, causing lack of food leading to sick and dying moose….not enough moose the wolf has little to eat….so as in life there is balance:
“You ought to follow the example of the wolf. Even when he is surprised and runs for his life, he will pause and take one more look at you before he enters his final retreat. So you must take a second look at everything you see.” - Ohiyesa (Dr. Charles A. Eastman, Sioux)
So wolves have been long regarded by First Nations as teachers or pathfinders. Wolves are fiercely loyal to their mates, and have a strong sense of family while maintaining individualism.
Wolves are probably the most misunderstood of the wild animals. Tales of cold bloodedness abound, in spite of the their friendly, social and intelligent traits. They are truly free spirits even though their packs are highly organized. They seem to go out of their way to avoid a fight. One is rarely necessary when a shift in posture, a growl, or a glance gets the point across quite readily.
I do believe the wolf is a teacher….and I look forward to learning much from a certain wolf I know….
Wolf Credo: Respect the elders….Teach the young…Cooperate with the pack Play when you can…Hunt when you must…Rest in between Share your affections…Voice your feelings…Leave your mark.
It is said that the First Nations and the wolf have come to be alike….both mate for life….both have a clan system and a tribe….both had their land taken from them….both were hunted for their hair…..and both were pushed close to destruction….perhaps Native people can look to the wolf for their future as a people….the wolf is beginning to return to this land….perhaps First Nations will also cease to be seen as a “Vanishing Peoples”….and maybe emerge to lead the way back to natural living and respect for our Mother Earth….
Miigwech.
