Introduction
Across the diverse Indigenous cultures of North America, the wolf stands out as a creature of great spiritual significance. Far from the villain of European folklore, the wolf is revered among many Native American tribes as a powerful teacher, guide, and even a familial figure. Different tribes tell different stories – some see the wolf as a loyal guardian spirit, others as an ancestor or creator, and a few as a being to be approached with caution. Common themes like loyalty, courage, and guardianship emerge frequently, yet each tribe’s traditions also imbue the wolf with unique meanings. In this article, we explore how various tribes such as the Lakota, Cherokee, and Navajo interpret the wolf in their mythology and spiritual practices, highlighting shared symbolism as well as fascinating variations.
Common Themes of Wolf Symbolism
Despite the rich diversity of Native American cultures, there are several recurring themes in how the wolf is perceived spiritually:
Loyalty and Family: Wolves live in close-knit packs, and many tribes admire the wolf’s strong sense of family and loyalty. Indigenous peoples often saw the wolf pack as a model for human kinship – each member works for the good of the whole, displaying devotion to the group. For example, the Ojibwe taught that whatever befell the wolf would eventually befall their people, underscoring a kinship between wolves and humans. This pack loyalty made the wolf a symbol of unity and fidelity in numerous tribal narratives.
Hunting Skill and Teamwork: As skilled hunters, wolves were respected for their cooperation and perseverance. Many hunting tribes sought to emulate the wolf’s tactics. Wolves’ coordinated group hunts inspired Native warriors to value teamwork and strategy. The Apache, for instance, would pray, sing, and dance before battle or hunts to invoke the strength and teamwork of wolves. Similarly, Cheyenne warriors ritually rubbed their arrows with wolf fur, hoping to capture the wolf’s prowess and success in hunting. In essence, the wolf became a teacher of cooperation, endurance, and skill for those who lived by the hunt.
Courage and Protection: The wolf’s courage and fearless nature made it a natural emblem of bravery. Stories across the Plains and woodlands paint the wolf as a protector or guide in times of danger. In many cultures, encountering a wolf or dreaming of one was seen as a good omen of protection. Some legends speak of wolves guiding lost individuals to safety or defending people from harm. The wolf’s protective role is also symbolic – by watching over its pack, it embodies guardianship. Guardianship is a trait strongly associated with wolves, whether it’s guarding the tribe spiritually or guarding the boundary between the human and spirit worlds.
Intuition and Wisdom: Known for their sharp senses and instinct, wolves often symbolize intuition or insight. Many tribes view the wolf as wise and perceptive – a creature that can teach humans to trust their instincts. In the spiritual realm, the wolf is a guide with keen insight, helping lead people through vision quests and mysteries. For example, Northeast tribes like the Iroquois speak of wolves as wise teachers who impart essential life lessons. As a totem (spirit guardian), the wolf is said to confer strong instincts and intuitive knowledge to those under its protection. This connection to intuition means the wolf is not just a fierce hunter, but also a wise mentor in the stories of many peoples.
Sacred or “Medicine” Being: Nearly everywhere, the wolf is considered a sacred animal or “medicine being.” In Native American spirituality, “medicine” refers to spiritual power or healing energy. The wolf’s spirit was thought to carry medicine – qualities that could heal or strengthen. Many tribes believed wearing wolf skins or calling upon wolf spirits in ceremony could impart healing, courage, or other blessings. The Navajo and some other nations even have traditional healing chants that involve wolf spirits, considering the wolf as having healing qualities. In this way, the wolf is honored as a source of spiritual power and healing in numerous tribal traditions.
These common threads – loyalty, teamwork, courage, intuition, and sacred power – form a baseline for understanding the wolf’s symbolism. However, each tribe’s relationship with the wolf has its own flavor, shaped by their specific histories, environments, and belief systems. Below, we delve into several tribal perspectives to see how the wolf’s meaning can shift from one culture to another.
Lakota and Plains Tribes: Wolf as Teacher and Powerful Spirit
In the Great Plains cultures, including the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, Blackfoot, Pawnee, and others, the wolf (often the gray wolf on the prairies) is especially revered. Among these tribes, the wolf is typically seen as a powerful spirit, teacher, and role model rather than a threat.
Lakota (Sioux) Perspective: The Lakota people hold the wolf in high esteem as a spiritual being. In the Lakota language, the word for wolf is Šúŋkmanítu Tȟáŋka, which translates to “divine dog” or “holy dog” – indicating the wolf’s sacred status. The Sioux (a broader term that includes Lakota and Dakota bands) sometimes described the wolf as “the animal that looks like a dog but is a powerful spirit”. This acknowledges that while the wolf is akin to the friendly dog, it possesses something otherworldly and potent in its spirit. Lakota stories often portray wolves as helpers of humans. In fact, the Lakota and their Plains neighbors have many tales of wolves teaching people important skills. Some legends say that long ago wolves taught the Lakota how to hunt buffalo and survive on the Plains. By observing wolves, the people learned about stealth, cooperation, and respect for the balance of nature.
Role in Warfare and Hunting: Across the Plains tribes, wolves were seen as models for warriors. Many tribes had elite groups or warrior societies named after wolves, reflecting the animal’s admired qualities. The Cheyenne, for example, had a military society known as the Wolf Soldiers. Warriors in such societies would emulate the wolf’s fierceness and cunning. It was believed that invoking the wolf’s spirit in battle could lend strength and protection. The Cheyenne called wolves “masters of the grasslands” and viewed them as protectors of all other animals; hunters would even call out to wolves to share in a kill, much as wolves call fellow predators like ravens or coyotes to a carcass. Among the Blackfoot (Siksikaitsitapi), the wolf is considered a close friend to humans, and it was traditionally forbidden to shoot wolves because killing one would upset the natural balance and offend its spirit. These attitudes show a deep respect – the wolf was not prey or vermin, but an honoured being from whom humans could learn honorable behavior.
Mythology and Spiritual Beliefs: Many Plains myths cast the wolf in a positive, even heroic light. The Pawnee people (who actually take their tribal name from the word pariki meaning “wolf”) have a rich wolf mythology. In Pawnee spiritual tradition, the wolf was the very first creature to experience death, making it central to their beliefs about mortality and the spirit world. One Pawnee legend says the Great Spirit placed Wolf (as a spirit) in the sky as the guardian of the moon, alongside other animal spirits, to watch over the world. The Pawnee revered the wolf star (the star Sirius, also called the “Wolf Star” or “Dog Star”) – its yearly appearance and disappearance were seen as wolves moving between the spirit world and the earthly world. To the Pawnee, wolves were thus connected with cosmic events and the divine order of the universe.
Other Plains tribes have stories of human-wolf kinship. The Cree of the northern Plains said that wolves came down from the sky when the Northern Lights danced, suggesting a heavenly origin for the wolf. The Quileute and Kwakiutl (coastal tribes a bit further west, in the Pacific Northwest) even tell that their first ancestors were transformed from wolves into humans – a powerful origin myth that blurs the line between wolf and person. And among the Omaha people, there is a revered legend of a wolf that guided a wounded warrior safely back to his camp, leading him around enemies and dangers. In that story, the wolf acted as a spiritual guide and savior, exemplifying the guardian role of the wolf’s spirit.
Ceremonial Uses: In Plains ceremonies, wolf symbolism was woven into ritual life. Sioux and other Plains tribes sometimes wore wolf skins or cloaks during special rituals or during hunts/raids to invoke the wolf’s abilities. Before the introduction of horses, Plains hunters would disguise themselves with wolf pelts and crawl close to buffalo herds; buffalo were not afraid of lone wolves, so this disguise allowed hunters to approach prey more easily. This practical hunting trick was also spiritually significant – by wearing the wolf’s “mask,” hunters believed they were calling upon the wolf’s spirit to aid them. The Hopi of the Southwest (a Pueblo people closely connected to nature) have a ceremonial figure called the Wolf Kachina (Kweo), and dancers impersonating this spirit wear wolf masks and pelts in certain dances to bless the community with good hunting and protection. All these examples illustrate that for Lakota and kindred Plains tribes, the wolf is fundamentally a positive figure: a sacred teacher, a source of strength in war and the hunt, and a creature intertwined with their origin and survival.
Cherokee and Eastern Tribes: The Protective Wolf and Clan Guardian
In the Eastern Woodlands and Southeastern cultures, the wolf also holds a place of honor, though the context differs from the Plains. For agrarian and village-based tribes like the Cherokee, Creek, and others in the East, the wolf became deeply embedded in social and spiritual organization – notably through the clan system.
Wolf Clan of the Cherokee: The Cherokee (ᏣᎳᎩ Tsalagi) nation is one group that epitomizes the wolf’s significance. The Cherokee have a matrilineal clan system consisting of seven clans, and one of the most prominent is the Wolf Clan (Aniwahya or Aniwaya, meaning “People of the Wolf”). Historically, the Wolf Clan was the largest and most influential clan in Cherokee society. Members of the Wolf Clan were traditionally the warriors and protectors of the tribe – in times past, most of the War Chiefs came from this clan. This reflects the Cherokee view of the wolf as embodying strength, courage, and guardianship. As one source succinctly states, “Wolves are known as protectors” in Cherokee culture. The wolf’s fierce loyalty and bravery were qualities expected of the Wolf Clan members who defended their people.
Because of the wolf’s esteemed status, the Cherokee had cultural rules and ceremonies regarding them. It was said that only Wolf Clan members had the right, under special circumstances, to kill a wolf – and even then it had to be done with proper rituals and “wolf medicines” to honor the spirit of the wolf. In other words, wolves were not to be harmed lightly; they were almost like kin. The Wolf Clan were known as the keepers and trackers of the wolf, responsible for learning from the wolf and, if necessary, carrying out rituals related to wolves. This shows a deep respect – the Cherokee saw the wolf as so sacred that its death must be handled by those spiritually connected to it (the Wolf Clan) and accompanied by ceremony. This practice also underscores the idea of balance and respect in Cherokee belief: if a powerful animal like a wolf had to be killed (perhaps if it threatened people or livestock), it was done reverently, ensuring the wolf’s spirit was propitiated to avoid any curse or imbalance.
Symbolic Traits: For the Cherokee and many Eastern tribes, the wolf symbolizes valor, protection, and community authority. The Wolf Clan’s role in providing war captains and protectors made the wolf synonymous with leadership and guardianship. At the same time, wolves in Cherokee lore also represent teaching and medicine. Some Cherokee legends and stories use the wolf to impart moral lessons. A well-known teaching story, often attributed to Cherokee tradition, tells of two wolves fighting within each person – one wolf represents virtues like love, humility, and truth, while the other represents vices like anger, envy, and greed. The wolf that wins is the one you feed the most. (While the exact origin of this story is debated, it’s commonly told in a Cherokee context to illustrate the importance of nurturing good intentions.) This story, apocryphal or not, aligns with Cherokee values of balance and the idea that the wolf can be a mirror of human behavior, teaching people to master their inner “pack” of emotions.
Beyond the Cherokee, other Eastern nations also held wolves in high regard. The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee) and some Algonquin-speaking peoples also feature the wolf in their clan systems or folklore. The Delaware (Lenape), for example, have a Wolf clan as one of their three major clans (alongside Turtle and Turkey). The presence of a wolf clan suggests similar attributes of bravery and guardianship were associated with the animal. In Iroquoian lore, wolves are sometimes depicted as reliable guides and wise messengers. One account notes that northeastern tribes view the wolf as a powerful spiritual guide – stories depict wolves as wise and brave, offering protection and teaching essential life skills to humans. This portrayal aligns closely with the Cherokee outlook: the wolf as a protector and teacher.
Ceremonial and Ritual Aspects: In the woodlands, ceremonial life could include the wolf in dances, medicine, and naming. While not as prominently documented as on the Plains, Eastern tribes did incorporate wolf symbolism. The Creek (Muscogee) also had a respected Wolf clan (called Yaha’lgi). Some Southeastern tribes held an annual Green Corn Ceremony; though centered on corn and renewal, these ceremonies often invoke the spirits of important animals of the region – it wouldn’t be surprising if prayers to the wolf for protection of the tribe were part of such rituals, given the wolf’s standing. Furthermore, among Cherokee medicine people, certain cures and spiritual remedies were termed “wolf medicine,” believed to harness the spiritual strength of the wolf for healing or protection of a patient (especially for ailments thought to be caused by witchcraft or dangerous animals).
In summary, for the Cherokee and their Eastern neighbors, the wolf is both a social emblem and a spiritual guardian. Its image as a protector of the people is literally institutionalized in the Cherokee Wolf Clan, and its qualities of loyalty, intuition, and guardianship are celebrated in stories and possibly in ritual practices. The Eastern tribes share many of the Plains tribes’ positive views of the wolf, though expressed through the framework of clans and community leadership rather than through hunting or warrior societies. This demonstrates the wolf’s adaptability as a symbol – it could represent whatever a community valued most deeply, whether that was martial bravery, teamwork, or devoted protection of the tribe.
Navajo and Southwestern Tribes: Wolves Between Reverence and Fear
Moving to the Southwest, we encounter perhaps the most striking variation in wolf symbolism. Among desert and canyon lands, tribes like the Navajo (Diné) and Hopi have beliefs colored by a different context. The Southwest had fewer grey wolves historically, and Navajo experiences with wolves were often fraught with suspicion due to their association with witchcraft in Navajo lore. Yet even here, the wolf’s spiritual power is acknowledged – sometimes feared, sometimes honored.
Navajo (Diné) Perspective: In traditional Navajo belief, the wolf occupies an ambiguous and often negative role. This is largely because of the Navajo concept of “skinwalkers” (yee naaldlooshii) – witches who can shapeshift into animals, especially predators like wolves or coyotes. In fact, in the Navajo language one word for “wolf” (mai-coh) literally means “witch”. This reflects a belief that a wolf sighting might not be an ordinary animal at all but could be a witch in disguise. According to Navajo folklore, evil human witches would don wolf skins or take on wolf form to travel unseen and harm people. Thus, while many other tribes saw the wolf as a noble spirit, the Navajo tended to view it with wariness. A common Navajo cautionary saying mirrors the European “wolf in sheep’s clothing” – but in Navajo terms, one is warned to beware of a “human in wolf’s clothing”. In other words, that wolf at night might actually be a maleficent person transformed. All Navajo skinwalkers are considered witches, and the wolf form is one of their most infamous guises.
Because of this association, wolves for the Navajo became symbols of dark magic and danger. Traditional Navajo would avoid encountering wolves and saw their howls not as spiritual songs to the gods (as some Plains tribes did) but potentially as harbingers of witchcraft. If a Navajo person found wolf tracks around their home, it might be cause for alarm, prompting protective ceremonies. In Navajo medicine tradition, there is a special healing ceremony known as the “Wolf Way” or a subset of the Coyoteway ceremony, used to cure what is called “wolf sickness.” This is an illness believed to be brought on by encounters with wolves or wolf-associated witches. The healing rites involve chants and sandpaintings to restore harmony and drive away the bad influence of the wolf (or rather, the witch who took its shape). Ironically, then, even in treating “wolf sickness,” the Navajo acknowledge the spiritual potency of the wolf – they must call upon the positive side of Wolf Medicine to counteract the witchery. It’s a complex view: the wolf’s power itself isn’t evil, but in the wrong hands (a witch’s) it becomes fearsome. Meanwhile, a skilled Navajo Hataalii (medicine man) might invoke the good aspect of wolf power to heal someone afflicted by a wolf witch. In this way, the wolf is both feared and yet indirectly revered for its power in Navajo culture.
Hopi and Other Pueblo Perspectives: In contrast to the Navajo, the neighboring Pueblo peoples (like the Hopi and Zuni) integrate the wolf in more positive ceremonial ways. The Hopi have kachina spirits for many animals, and the Wolf Kachina (Hopi name: Kweo) is an important figure. The Wolf Kachina appears in certain dances (such as the Mixed Dance and the Water Serpent Dance) to bless the community with hunting success and to symbolically protect the Hopi people. After these dances, the Hopi offer prayer feathers or cornmeal to the Wolf Kachina spirit in thanks. This indicates a reverence for the wolf as a beneficial spirit in the Hopi world, likely representing qualities of intelligence in hunting and guardianship. Even some Navajo individuals, influenced by Pueblos, carve wolf kachina dolls and attribute to them meanings of protection, strength, and wisdom as art pieces, though strictly speaking kachinas are not originally a Navajo spiritual concept.
Other Southwestern tribes also honor the wolf. The Apache (related linguistically to Navajo but culturally different in some ways) venerate the wolf for its hunting skill and bravery. As noted earlier, Apache warriors would perform ceremonies to draw on wolf spirit for success in raids. The Apache and some other tribes of Arizona and New Mexico have oral traditions and songs about wolves as well. The Havasupai and Pima (Akimel O’odham) peoples, who lived in areas where the Mexican gray wolf roamed, have traditional names and stories for the wolf. These often cast the wolf as a wise hunter or a guardian of sacred ground. For example, some Southwestern stories tell of wolves guiding people to water sources in the desert or warning of approaching danger – reinforcing the wolf’s role as a guide.
A Balance of Fear and Reverence: It’s fascinating that within the Southwest, you have the Navajo view (wolf as witch) and the Pueblo/Apache view (wolf as helper) co-existing. This highlights how geography and history shape symbolism. The Navajo likely developed their fear during times of social strife, where witches were blamed for misfortune and often said to take wolf form. Yet even they have a grudging respect for wolf medicine in healing ceremonies. On the other hand, pueblos and others who perhaps did not share the same witchcraft fears kept the older motif of the wolf as a positive spiritual entity. All told, the Southwestern perspective adds nuance: here the wolf is powerful medicine – one to be invoked carefully for healing by some, and regarded warily for its potential misuse by others.
Wolves in Myth and Ceremony Across Other Tribes
Beyond the well-known tribes above, wolves permeate the myths and ceremonies of countless Native peoples across the continent. While it’s impossible to cover them all, a few additional examples illustrate the breadth of wolf symbolism:
Pacific Northwest and Arctic Regions: In the Pacific Northwest, where coastal tribes like the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Kwakwaka’wakw reside, the wolf is often an ancestral emblem. Many Northwest Coast clans have the wolf as a clan crest, carving majestic wolf figures into totem poles and masks. The Tlingit people admired the wolf’s strength and ferocity, even as they also feared its wild nature. Elaborate wooden wolf masks and helmets (such as the Tlingit wolf helmet shown below) were used in ceremonial dances to represent wolf spirits.
Northwestern stories often tell of ancestor heroes transforming from wolves. The Quileute of Washington State say that their tribal ancestors were wolves changed into men by a wandering Transformer being. The wolf is thus literally their forefather, and they continue to honor wolves in stories and art as ancestors. Farther north, the Dena’ina (Athabaskan people of Alaska) traditionally believed that wolves were once humans and regard them as brothers in the creation time. By contrast, the Tsilhqot'in of inland Canada had taboos about wolves: they warned that even contact with wolves could cause illness or “nervous problems”. This echoes a bit of the Navajo sentiment in a very different culture, emphasizing again that not all tribes romanticized the wolf — some approached it with caution if not fear, depending on local beliefs.
Wolves as Creators and Wise Figures: Various creation myths feature wolves in prominent roles. Some Plains creation stories mention a Wolf assisting the Creator in forming the earth, or a Wolf restoring order after a great flood (a parallel to how the wolf stabilizes the ecosystem as a top predator). In more than one culture, wolves are credited with giving humans skills. For instance, a Nez Perce tradition tells that Wolf was one of the animal elders who helped shape the world and taught the first people how to survive. In the arctic, the Netsilik Inuit believed the Sea Woman (Nuliayuk, who rules marine animals) had wolves as her guards or companions, showing the wolf in a guardian role even at the edge of the world.
Many tribes also incorporate the wolf into moral tales. These are not exactly “Aesop’s fables,” but they use the behaviors of wolves to teach lessons. For example, a folk story might tell of a wolf pack that fell into quarreling and thus failed a hunt, to impart the value of cooperation; or a lone wolf that tried to go it alone and starved, teaching the importance of community. By observing the wolves in nature, Native storytellers drew analogies to human society. The wolf’s traits – bravery, caution, loyalty, greed or generosity with food – could all become allegories for how people should or shouldn’t behave.
Ceremonial Dances and Medicine: Across North America, wolves appear in ceremonies: from the wolf dances of the Pueblos to the wolf-skin dances of the Plains, to the storytelling dances of the Northwest. In some cultures, shamans or medicine people had wolf spirit guides. During healing ceremonies, a shaman might call upon the wolf to guide them in the spirit realm, seeking insight or the “tracking” of a disease (just as a wolf tracks prey). The wolf’s image might be painted on drums, drawn in sacred sandpaintings, or worn as amulets to invoke its protection.
Among the Ojibwe and other Great Lakes tribes, the wolf is part of the natural medicine wheel – often associated with the west direction or with certain seasons and qualities like perseverance and intuition. The Medicine Wheel teachings (common in Plains and some Woodlands traditions) see the wolf as a teacher of proper relationships: living in harmony with family and nature. To this day, some Native American healers refer to “Wolf Medicine” when describing practices that involve learning from the wolf’s behavior – whether it’s endurance, sharp intelligence, or community care.
Conclusion
From the Great Plains to the Eastern forests, from the Southwestern deserts to the far North, the wolf’s spiritual footprint in Native American cultures is vast and varied. Common threads run through these traditions: nearly everywhere the wolf is respected for its loyalty, strength, and intelligence, and seen as a being humans can learn from. Many tribes honor the wolf as a guardian – whether guarding the tribe from spiritual harm, guarding the secrets of hunting, or guarding the pathways between this world and the spirit world. The wolf often embodies the very virtues a community prizes: for the Lakota it was spiritual power and fortitude; for the Cherokee it was protection and leadership; for countless others it is wisdom, courage, and familial love.
Yet, just as the wolf itself ranges over many environments, the symbolism of the wolf adapts to each cultural landscape. We see fascinating variations: the Navajo wariness of “wolf witches” stands in contrast to the Cherokee kinship with the wolf as a clan ancestor. Pacific Northwest peoples integrate the wolf into origin stories and clan lineages, whereas some far-northern tribes feared the wolf’s presence as an omen. These differences remind us that Native American cultures are not monolithic – each has its own relationship with nature shaped by history and experience.
In the end, the wolf’s place in Native spirituality reflects a deep understanding of nature and humanity’s connection to it. The wolf is at once a real animal and a symbol of the human spirit’s qualities. It is a teacher of how to live in balance, a mirror reflecting our best and worst instincts, and a spirit guide to navigate life’s unknowns. Whether revered in ceremony or respected from a distance, the wolf continues to inspire Native stories, dances, and prayers. Its howl, heard in the night across hills and forests, is understood not merely as the call of a wild animal, but as the voice of a sacred presence – one that has walked alongside Native peoples for millennia, as loyal as family and as wise as an elder of the tribe.
Sources:
Native American wolf symbolism overview – associated with courage, strength, loyalty, teamwork, and success in hunting. Many tribes see the wolf as closely related to humans and a sacred being. For example, the Lakota word for wolf means “divine dog,” and the Sioux regard the wolf as a powerful spirit, not just an animal. Plains tribes like the Cheyenne, Lakota, Blackfoot, and Pawnee have stories of wolves teaching people to hunt and living alongside humans in mutual support.
Lakota and Plains: Wolf revered as a teacher and warrior spirit. Apache warriors imitated wolf teamwork in pre-battle rituals; Cheyenne called wolves protectors of the grasslands and even shared meat with them in hunts. Blackfoot considered wolves friends and refrained from killing them. Pawnee mythology ties the wolf to the first death and the Wolf star (Sirius) as a spiritual symbol.
Cherokee and Eastern: Cherokee Wolf Clan (Aniwaya) – largest clan, provided war chiefs, and regarded wolves as protectors. Only Wolf Clan members could kill a wolf, that too with proper ceremony and “wolf medicine,” showing reverence. Iroquois and Algonquian tribes also view the wolf as a wise guardian and guide; wolf totems represent intelligence, courage, and strong instinct or intuition.
Navajo and Southwestern: Navajo (Diné) traditionally associate wolves with witches (skinwalkers). The Navajo word mai-coh means “wolf” and “witch,” reflecting the belief that evil witches disguise themselves as wolves. Navajo cautionary tales warn of humans who turn into wolves to do harm. Because of this, wolves in Navajo lore are feared, and “wolf sickness” caused by such encounters is treated with specific ceremonies (part of the Coyoteway). In contrast, neighboring tribes like the Hopi incorporate the wolf as a kachina spirit that blesses the people (Wolf Kachina appears in dances and is offered prayer feathers). Apache and others have stories and rituals honoring the wolf’s bravery and hunting skill.
Other Tribal Beliefs: Northwest Coast tribes (Tlingit, etc.) use wolf imagery in clan crests and art, admiring the wolf’s strength. Some Northwest tribes like the Quileute say they are descended from wolves, indicating the wolf as an ancestor in myth. Northern woodland and subarctic peoples have varied views: the Dena’ina (Alaska) saw wolves as transformed humans and kin, while the Tsilhqot’in (Canada) feared that contact with wolves could bring illness. These examples highlight the common reverence as well as the unique variations in how the wolf’s spirit is understood across Native America.
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