The Spirit Of The Wolf

The Spirit Of The Wolf

The Native Americans had great respect for nature and all its creatures. They depended animals for food, clothing, and shelter. They also admired animals for their cunning, strength, and agility. Newborn babies were often named after an animal, such as Running Deer or Little Eagle. An important chief of the Cheyenne people was named High Backed Wolf. To Native Americans, the wolf was a very special animal.

The Native Americans believed that the world was filled with spirits that controlled their lives. All things in nature, such as the sun, the mountains, the snake, eagle, and wolf had a spirit within it. To honor the spirits and ask them for help, ceremonies were performed. One of them was the animal dance of the Cheyenne. For this ceremony, many special rites were performed. One was the painting of a wolfskin in a certain manner. Another was when the man put on skins of various animals, including the wolf. They danced around a special fire. It was believed this ceremony would bring the tribe good fortune when they went out to hunt. It was important to have the spirit of the wolf with them. The natives knew the wolf was a great hunter. They also admired its many other qualities.

In the wild, wolves have great strength and endurance. Their thick fur protects them from temperatures as low as 50 degrees below zero. They travel in family groups called packs and are intelligent, loving and loyal. There are a number of wolf species. In America, Arctic wolf and timber wolf are found, as well as smaller and darker red wolf of Texas, and the Mexican wolf. Wolves can adapt to a variety of habitats.

The northern wolf is a very handsome animal that looks like a big, friendly dog. In the far north, it is often white. In the south, it is gray. Wolves are very social animals. They travel, hunt, and perform almost all other activities in the company of other wolves. A pack usually consists of a male and female that will stay together for life and have babies, or pups. They are constant and loving companions. The other members are usually their young, ranging in age from tiny pups to two- and three-year-olds. Most packs include six or seven members but have been known to include as many as 15.

The parent wolves are the leaders. The rest of the wolves, depending upon their age and strength, all have their own places. Their relationships are very complicated. Scientific studies have shown that wolf packs have complex rules that govern their behavior and the way they relate to each other. Their methods of communicating are also very elaborate. Although wolves make many different kinds of songs, the most famous is the howl. Wolves howl at any time, not just at night. It’s a way of sharing their closeness as a group. One wolf will point its nose toward the sky and start to howl. Immediately the other pack members will rush over and join him. The whole group is expected and happy. Packs also communicated with each other this way. They tell each other to stay out of their territory.

In wolf families, everything is done as a group, including the raising of the young. They trust and depend on each other from birth. Probably the most important activity in the life of the pack is hunting. Wolves are carnivorous, or meat eaters. They live on a variety of foods, from mice to fish to the larger deer and moose. Wolves only kill what they can eat. Hunting in packs is necessary for chasing and killing large prey. Wolves are never attack a large, healthy deer or moose, which can easily defend itself with sharp kicks. Wolves pursue herbs to find the sick or weak members. This may cruel, but they are actually doing the herd good by keeping it strong. Also, without the natural enemies, herds will overpopulate their territory and use up the food supply. Many will eventually starve. Wolves are needed to keep the balance of nature.

Unfortunately, the people who settled the America did not respect the wolf like the natives did. Over the years, wolves were hunted, poisoned, and destroyed in great numbers. They are now rare in North America. However, many people now believe the wolf has a rightful place among America’s wildlife. In some places, like the Yellowstone national park, they have been put back into the wild. There is much controversy about this. Ranchers believe the wolves will attack their herds. Hunters also don’t like the wolves in the wild. They want the deer to overpopulate so they can hunt them. At the same time, there are many people who are fighting to let the wolf once again roam freely in the remaining wild lands of America. The argument over putting wolves back into the wild is certain to continue for many years. Only time will tell whether they will one day be allowed to do that, and if the spirit of wolf will live on.