Re: the sad truth - "WOLF!"
John Ritchson (jonr2@worldnet.att.net)
Mon, 27 Oct 1997 20:27:33 -0700
Mark Crispin wrote:
>
> On Sat, 25 Oct 1997, John Ritchson wrote:
> > 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.
> >[Anecdote of normal and common human/canine cohabitation deleted]
>
> > no one for any reason,has a right to kill them for
> > what they are.
>
> Do you extend this privilege to mice, rats, cockroaches, and slugs? If
> not, then justify why one wild animal deserves more consideration than
> other wild animals.
>
> The issue is not about killing wolves because they are wolves. The issue
> is about whether or not a large predator should be reintroduced into areas
> where it has not existed for many years.
>
> The only issue about killing wolves is the management of game species so
> that their population does not exceed what the local ecosystem can
> support. In the case of predators (such as wolves), not only does an
> excess population depress prey species, but it also ultimately leads to a
> crash in the predator population.
>
> This is happening in Alaska today; the Dall sheep, moose, and caribou
> population are in serious trouble because of outside interference with the
> management of predators. 35 times as many prey animal kills are by
> predators than by hunters:
> hunters 2.5%
> accident/disease 10%
> predators 87.5%
> Predators take the easiest kills: old, infirm, pregnant, and young. The
> latter two vastly outnumber the former. Ever since predator management
> started to be dictated by feel-good political correctness instead of sound
> wildlife management principles, 80% of all calves don't make it past their
> first year. Nearly 50% of pregnant cows don't make it.
>
> In any case, there is no issue of killing wolves in Washington State, and
> there will not be, at least not until some years after a reintroduction.
>
> Unlike Alaska, the Olympics contain populations of animals that have not
> been subject to wolf predation for many years. The Olympics and
> surrounding areas have a much more dense human and livestock population
> than Alaska, and less of a wildlife (both prey and predator) population.
>
> This doesn't necessary mean that wolves shouldn't be reintroduced.
> However, it should indicate, to rational people at least, that the
> question of wolf reintroduction is not the no-brainer that is protrayed by
> urban environmentalists. It *will* upset the balance. We have at best an
> imperfect understanding of what the new balance will look like.
>
> Wolves won't do anything about the mountain goats. They probably will
> have a substantial initial impact upon the deer and elk populations (no
> great loss, at least the deer), until the local cervidae wise up. Then
> it'll be the turn of livestock.
>
> > 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.
>
> *Sigh*
>
> The only thing that ever makes me ashamed of my part-Indian ancestry is to
> see goofy New Age "earth-mother" babble such as the above presented as
> being the philosophy and/or "suppressed mystical secrets" of aboriginal
> peoples. I guess that it serves a purpose, e.g. extracting cash out of
> bleeding-heart white liberals. But it's still irritating.
>
> It reminds me of 19th century "noble savage" romanticism; a mix of bits
> and pieces of distorted aboriginal religion with European idealism. "We,
> who were granted dominion by the great-spirit" and "sacred trust and duty"
> are very much of European/xtian influence.
>
> -- Mark --
>
> Unsolicited commercial email is NOT welcome at this email address.
I am saddened that you have chosen to set aside the rich spiritual
heritage of your Indian ancestors,and instead have elected to follow
the path of the Washita's,who view the world as a resource to be
exploited and who would bury her spirit in a mantle of greed,avarice,
and political expediency at the expense of other living things whether
wolf or slug or man.
FYI,The spiritual world-view of my people has existed upon the land
since,in the words of my grandfather,"from before the time of the
buffalo with the long-noses." This would place it historicly at before
the end of the last ice-age.From that time on my people have held
the Earth-Mother and all that live upon her as sacred.We believe the
Great Spirit placed the people upon the land to protect and care for
the land and all that live upon it.But the Washita's have turned away
from these things and a darkness has decended upon their hearts and a
sickness has decended upon their souls and has made them all crazy.
That is why the Washita's have tried to rub us out for centuries,along
with the Cayote,the Wolf,the Bear,the Cougar and anything else that
got in their way.I believe they called it Manifest Destiny.But the
Washita's have failed.We still walk upon the land,and sing the old songs
wolf and man alike.We still dance with the sun and take our sacred
sweats,and practice our ancient ceremonies after the ways of our
grandfathers.Our minds are no longer numb from the whiskey of the
Washita's and we have learned their ways,and like the Wolf,we grow
ever stronger while the Washita's grow weaker.
But yet it is not too late,to reject the gross materialism and rampant
consumerism of a society out of control,and embrace the simple spirit-
ual ideals of an ancient and noble people,called savages by some,but
who live at peace with the land.Then you will understand.
Yut-Ta-Kawannee aka.John Ritchson
Wolf-Clan of the Little Shell Band of the Chippawa-Cree Nation
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