[snip]
> The biggest danger from wolves is to livestock, pets, and children. It's
> about equivalent to the danger posed by cougars.
>
> -- Mark --
>
> Unsolicited commercial email is NOT welcome at this email address.
Greetings:-)
Please pardon my interjection into this thread.
I am of Chippawa and Cree decent and the Wolf is sacred to my people,
it is in fact my clans totem.I live in Montana and during the winter
of 1978,a lone pregnant wolf burrowed a den under my cabin and had
a litter of cubs,of which 4 survived.By the time they were old enough
to leave the den and explore they were all over the place and constantly
under foot.The female who I named Mariah, eventually started taking
food from me and I ended up cutting a small door in the cabin's door
so they could come in and out as they wished.They eventually took
over the entire cabin as their den and accepted me and my wife as
pack leaders.During this time my own child was born and was also
adopted by the pack.The only time I had to yell at Mariah was when
she tried to carry my daughter by the nape of her neck.In the end
she would instead carry her by her diaper.I could not have asked
for a better baby-sitter.
For 6 years we lived together as a family and the wolves never once
bothered any of my or my neighbors livestock.That is not to say they
didn't cause mischief,but these are highly intelligent and social
animals,and would get into trouble mostly out of being curious.
These wolves were never *PETS* they remained essentually wild and
free but had learned to trust humans and in the end were killed by
those who kill what they fear and don't understand.
The wolf is the very first animal that ever bonded with humans and
for many Indian tribes the name for wolf is 4-legged brother.
Wolves do not hunt and kill humans for food,in fact they are known
to adopt humans.In fact there is a documented case of a two year old
girl-child,a survivor of a plane crash in northern Minnisota,who
was adopted and raised by a wolf-pack for some ten years before she
was discovered by a hunting party.
They are an integral part of our natural enviroment and reflect
the spirit of our earth-mother and as such have a right to a place
on the land,and no one for any reason,has a right to kill them for
what they are.
I cannot imagine people who concider themselves enlightened would
even concider denying the wolf their rightfull place upon the land.
Is this how you would honor the sacred spirit of our earth-mother
by killing her children for no other reason then that they exist?
Or by denying them a home in the last wild places left?
It is not the wolf that is dangerous.It is not the wolf that murders
by the millions.It is not wolves that abuse their children,or sow
corruption,fear,hate and madness.The wolf does not rape our earth-mother
or desecrate her sacred spirit.People do.We,who were granted dominion
by the great-spirit,and made to be care-takers, have committed these
crimes.It is we humans that have betrayed our sacred trust and duty,
and it is we humans that bear the responsibility for the fate of this
noble creature,nay,for the earth-mother herself and all that live upon
her.
Who speaks for the wolf? Who speaks for the earth? Who will stand
in their defense?
Yut-Ta-KaWannee,aka;John Ritchson
Wolf-Clan of the Little-Shell band of the Chippawa-Cree nation.