We humans love our pets. We dress them up, take them
to doggie day cares, and even carry them around in little
suitcases made especially for them. However, when these
little darlings are larger than life, you may not be
able to keep them with you as your arm candy. But that
is okay because we still love our babies no matter how
big or wild they might be. Did you know though, that
Fido’s relatives are seen as predators that are feared
all over the world? That is right. The wolf has for
many years been seen as an aggressive animal that will
attack without warning. But is this stereotype true?
Can it be true of a family pet’s cousin?
Since the beginning of time, the Native Americans have
been associating their lives with that of animals in
the wildlife kingdom. One of the most misunderstood
of these animals is the wolf. For years, the wolf has
been seen as an aggressor, when in reality they are
very loving and social creatures. This side of the animal
was first seen by the tribes of the Americas. The Native
American tribes recognized this and they have incorporated
the wolf into many of their myths and legends. The wolf
will forever be associated with the Native Americans,
and learning more about this relationship can help one
to better understand the world of Native Americans.
One can look to the many tribes of the Native Americans
to see stories that tell about wolves. The Sioux, Cherokee,
Lakota, and others all have stories about how the wolves
helped in the development of man. The creation story
of the Cherokee has a wolf in it as well as the story
of the woman who was left behind in the Lakota tribe
and the wolf saved her. Just as Romulus and Remus were
supposedly saved by a she wolf and they then founded
Rome.
Wolves have been in the world of Native Americans since
the beginning. They are revered not only for their strength
but also for their endurance. Wolves can sustain life
with little food or water for extremely long periods
of time. This was something that the Native Americans
hoped for in their own selves.
Today, the wolves can be seen in numerous Native American
arts. They are depicted by watching over people while
they sleep or as a journey to the spirit world. Owning
these magnificent creatures is not something that most
are encouraged to do, however, you can own a piece of
Native American art that showcases these incredible
creatures. If you do not live in or near an Indian reservation
or land, then you can use the internet to search for
beautiful artwork that is all hand made by Native American
artisans. Everything from wolf jewelry to wolf dream
catchers can be located online. Often you will see women
with the wolves in Native American art due to the stories
that depict women and wolves together.
In all actuality wolves rarely attack unless they are
carrying the rabies disease. Many times if a wolf senses
a human in their midst they will slink away. However,
wolves have been seen as being aggressive for centuries.
For example, in the Bible wolves are mentioned thirteen
times and they usually refer to some sort of greed.
But if you travel to other parts of the world, the wolf
is regarded as a protector of humans and crops. Even
the recent attacks that have been in the news with regard
to the wolf usually have occurred against a child which
a wolf sees as being an easier target than an adult.
Again, though, wolves will usually not attack unless
they are provoked in some way.
Another thing that the wolf is seen as being aggressive
towards is livestock. Around the world livestock are
attacked each year by wolves that are looking for food.
In the United States, cattle and turkeys are the most
common livestock that are attacked by the wild wolf.
Wolves unlike their domesticated dog counterparts are
not good as pets. Wolves are hard to socialize when
not in their native pack and their food consumption
can be enormous. However, people still love them after
all of these issues. Wolf collectibles can be found
in many different places, and event the Southwest décor
that is popular is enhanced with the wolf emblem. Numerous
Native American arts also use the wolf as the center
of their inspiration. If you are in the market for great
wolf collectibles one only has to surf the net to usually
find what they are looking for in the realm of collectibles.
A good place to start is an auction site. These sites
will offer numerous items all at once that focus on
the wolf.
About the Author
Another place that you can cuddle up with a wolf without
having to ever touch one is Wolf
Blankets. Here you can purchase a cozy wolf blanket
that is a work of art all within itself. You can also
display these blankets in your home if you want.
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