Who Speaks for Wolf?

Oneida (Iroquois) – USA / Canada

Almost at the edge of the circle of light cast by Central Fire –Wolf was standing. His eyes reflected the fire’s warmth with a colder light. Wolf stood there, staring at the fire.

A boy of eight winters was watching Wolf –as immobile as Wolf–fascinated. Finally, the boy turned to Grandfather, warming his old bones from winter’s first chill.

‘Why does Wolf stand there and only watch the fire?’

‘Why do you?’ Grandfather replied. And then the boy remembered that he had sat there, ever since the fire was lit, watching the flames –until Wolf came. Now, instead, he watched Wolf. He saw that it was because Wolf was so different from him, yet also watched the fire, and that there seemed no fear in Wolf. It was this the boy did not understand.

Beyond where Wolf was standing there was a hill –still so close to the Central Fire that the boy was surprised to see the dim outline of another Wolf face. This one was looking at the moon.

Moon-Looking-Wolf began to sing her song. More and more joined her until at last even Wolf-Looks-at-Fire chortled in his throat the beginnings of a song. They sang for the Moon, and for each other, and for any who might listen. They sang of how Earth was a good place to be, of how much beauty surrounds us, and of how all this is sometimes most easily seen in Moon and Fire.

The boy listened and –and wanted to do nothing else with his life but listen to Wolf singing.

After a long and particularly beautiful song, Moon-Looking-Wolf quieted, and one by one her brothers joined her in silence, until even the most distant –crying ‘I am here! Don’t forget me!’– made space for the night and watched–and waited. Wolf-Looks-at-Fire turned and left the clearing, joining his brothers near the hill.

‘But I still don’t understand,’ the boy continued. ‘Why does Wolf look at Fire? Why does he feel at home so close to our living space? Why does Wolf Woman begin her song on a hill so close to us who are not Wolf?’

‘We have known each other for a long time,’ the old man answered. ‘We have learned to live with one another.’

The boy still looked puzzled. Within himself he saw only the edges of understanding.

Grandfather was silent for a time –and began at last to show cadences of a chant. The boy knew with satisfaction that soon he would understand –would know Wolf better than before– would learn how it had been between us.

LONG AGO… LONG AGO… LONG AGO…

Grandfather chanted, the rhythm taking its place with Wolf’s song as something appropriate for the forest.

LONG AGO

Our People grew in number so that where we were

was no longer enough

Many young men

were sent out from among us

to seek a new place

where the People might be who-they-were

They searched

and they returned

each with a place selected

each determined his place was best

AND SO IT WAS

That the People had a decision to make:

which of the many was most appropriate

NOW, AT THAT TIME

There was one among the People

to whom Wolf was brother

He was so much Wolf’s brother

that he would sing their song to them

and they would answer him

He was so much Wolf’s brother

that their young

would sometimes follow him through the forest

and it seemed they meant to learn from him

SO IT WAS, AT THIS TIME

That the People gave That One a special name

They called him WOLF’S BROTHER

and if any sought to learn about Wolf

if any were curious

or wanted to learn to sing Wolf’s song

they would sit beside him

and describe their curiosity

hoping for a reply

‘Has it been since that time that we sing to Wolf?’ the boy asked eagerly. ‘Was it he who taught us how?’ He clapped his hands over his mouth to stop the tumble of words. He knew he had interrupted Grandfather’s Song.

The old man smiled, and the crinkles around his eyes spoke of other boys–and other times.

‘Yes, even he!’ he answered. ‘For since that time it has pleased many of our people to sing to Wolf and to learn to understand him.’

Encouraged, the boy asked, ‘And ever since our hunters go to learn to sing to Wolf?’

‘Many people go, not only hunters. Many people go, not only men,’ Grandfather chided. ‘For was it not Wolf Woman who began the song tonight? Would it then be appropriate if only the men among us replied?’

The boy looked crestfallen. He wanted so much to be a hunter–to learn Wolf’s song, but he knew there was wisdom in Grandfather’s words. Not only hunters learn from Wolf.

‘But you have led me down a different path,’ the Old One was saying. ‘It would please me to finish my first song.’

The boy settled back and waited to learn.

AS I HAVE SAID

The People sought a new place in the forest

They listened closely to each of the young men

as they spoke of hills and trees

of clearings and running water

of deer and squirrels and berries

They listened to hear which place

might be drier in rain

more protected in winter

and where our Three Sisters

Corn, Beans, and Squash

might find a place to their liking

They listened

and they chose

Before they chose

they listened to each young man

Before they chose

they listened to each among them

he who understood the flow of waters

she who understood Long House construction

he who understood the storms of winter

she who understood Three Sisters

to each of these they listened

until they reached agreement

and the Eldest among them

finally rose and said:

‘SO BE IT–

FOR SO IT IS’

‘BUT WAIT’

Someone cautioned–

‘Where is Wolf’s Brother?

WHO, THEN, SPEAKS FOR WOLF?’

BUT

THE PEOPLE WERE DECIDED

and their mind was firm

and the first people were sent

to choose a site for the first Long House

to clear a space for our Three Sisters

to mold the land so that water

would run away from our dwelling

so that all would be secure within

AND THEN WOLF’S BROTHER RETURNED

He asked about the New Place

and said at once that we must choose another

‘You have chosen the Center Place

for a great community of Wolf’

But we answered him

that many had already gone

and that it could not wisely be changed

and that surely Wolf could make way for us

as we sometimes make way for Wolf

But Wolf’s Brother counselled–

‘I think that you will find

that it is too small a place for both

and that it will require more work then–

than change would presently require’

BUT

THE PEOPLE CLOSED THEIR EARS

and would not reconsider

When the New Place was ready

all the People rose up as one

and took those things they found of value

and looked at last upon their new home

NOW CONSIDER HOW IT WAS FOR THEM

This New Place

had cool summers and winter protection

and fast-moving streams

and forests around us

filled with deer and squirrel

there was room even for our Three Beloved Sisters

AND THE PEOPLE SAW THIS WAS GOOD

AND DID NOT SEE

WOLF WATCHING FROM THE SHADOWS!

BUT AS TIME PASSED

They began to see–

for someone would bring deer or squirrel

and hang him from a tree

and go for something to contain the meat

but would return

to find nothing hanging from the tree

AND WOLF BEYOND

AT FIRST

This seemed to us an appropriate exchange–

some food for a place to live

BUT

It soon became apparent that it was more than this–

for Wolf would sometimes walk between the dwellings

that we had fashioned for ourselves

and the women grew concerned

for the safety of the little ones

Thinking of this

they devised for a while an agreement with Wolf

whereby the women would gather together

at the edge of our village

and put food for Wolf and his brothers

BUT IT WAS SOON APPARENT

That this meant too much food

and also Wolf grew bolder

coming in to look for food

so that it was worse than before

WE HAD NO WISH TO TAME WOLF

AND SO

Hearing the wailing of the women

the men devised a system

whereby some ones among them

were always alert to drive off Wolf

AND WOLF WAS SOON HIS OLD UNTAMED SELF

BUT

They soon discovered

that this required so much energy

that there was little left for winter preparations

and the Long Cold began to look longer and colder

with each passing day

THEN

The men counselled together

to choose a different course

THEY SAW

That neither providing Wolf with food

nor driving him off

gave the People a life that was pleasing

THEY SAW

That Wolf and the People

could not live comfortably together

in such a small space

THEY SAW

That it was possible

to hunt down these Wolf People

until they were no more

BUT THEY ALSO SAW

That this would require much energy over many years

THEY SAW, TOO,

That such a task would change the People:

they would become Wolf Killers

A People who took life only to sustain their own

would become People who took life

rather than move a little

IT DID NOT SEEM TO THEM

THAT THEY WANTED TO BECOME SUCH A PEOPLE

AT LAST

One of the Eldest of the People

spoke what was in every mind:

‘It would seem

that Wolf’s Brother’s vision

was sharper than our own

To live here indeed requires more work now

than change would have made necessary

Grandfather paused, making his knee a drum on which to maintain the rhythm of the chant, and then went on.

NOW THIS WOULD BE A SIMPLE TELLING

OF A PEOPLE WHO DECIDED TO MOVE

ONCE WINTER WAS PAST

EXCEPT

THAT FROM THIS

THE PEOPLE LEARNED A GREAT LESSON

IT IS A LESSON

WE HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN

FOR

At the end of their Council

one of the Eldest rose again and said:

‘Let us learn from this

so that not again

need the People build only to move

Let us not again think we will gain energy

only to lose more than we gain

We have learned to choose a place

where winter storms are less

rather than rebuild

We have learned to choose a place

where water does not stand

rather than sustain sickness

LET US NOW LEARN TO CONSIDER WOLF!’

AND SO IT WAS

That the People devised among themselves

a way of asking each other questions

whenever a decision was to be made

on a New Place or a New Way

We sought to perceive the flow of energy

through each new possibility

and how much was enough

and how much was too much

UNTIL AT LAST

Someone would rise

and ask the old, old question