Today on September 1st, the annual dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan are starting. This is happening in spite of a tremendous amount of negative publicity around the world highlighting this brutal slaughter. The hunt will run from September to March 2012. At the same time the village of Futo, just southeast of Tokyo, will be resuming it's dolphin hunts, mainly to secure dolphins for captivity. At the end of last year's 2010-2011 "dolphin hunt" season, a total of 850 dolphins were killed in the Cove. Another 171 were sold into captivity.

This year the fishermen from the Japanese town of Taiji that is depicted in Oscar-winning eco-documentary “The Cove” will kick off their annual dolphin hunting season, undeterred by any international criticism. The fishermen will herd about 2,000 dolphins into a secluded bay using high tech luring equipment. They will then select several dozen for sale to aquariums and marine parks and harpoon the rest for meat.

Although many people around the world have opposed this annual hunt, the dolphin fisherman still have the support of many of the local people in the tiny town of 3,700 who defend hunting dolphins, porpoises and small whales as a centuries-old tradition. Right-wing nationalist groups in Japan have attacked the documentary “The Cove” and also the environmentalist's protests as anti-Japanese. Japan being a "proud sovereign nation" is determined not to back down to the demands of any environmentalists.

But what is both ironic and frightening is the discovery of diseases such as brucellosis and papillomavirus that are being found more frequently in dolphins. There are also thirteen additional RNA-based viruses that cause intestinal disease and encephalitis in humans that have been discovered in dolphins recently. So it might just end up that despite all the activist's efforts to end this horrific dolphin slaughter for meat that it is the dolphin carrying diseases that will put an end to it.

It is very sad that at a time when we have learned so much about these magnificent creatures about their intelligence and their compassion towards humans that this mindless killing still goes on in the 21st Century. The fact that whale and dolphin watching can generate over $2.1 billion (U.S) per year around the world for ecotourism (which is much greater than whale and dolphin killing for meat) should be a major incentive to switch approaches in Japan.

As you watch the video below you will see that the Japanese have now perfected a way to commit "bloodless" killing of the dolphins. They are touting it as bloodless and humane but it is anything but humane. They have also covered up the killing area of the dolphins with tarps so that it cannot be seen from the outside. However, footage has been shot of what really goes on. After you watch the video, please take a minute to sign the petition and send an email to those in Japan that are continuing to allow this to go on. Thank you for helping to put an end to this barbaric practice on such beautiful animals of the sea.

Taiji Urgent Contact List

PETITION: Stop the Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan

As with most very talented artists, Judy Larson always knew in her heart that she would be an artist. As a child she was surrounded by other artists and was very much influenced by her father who was a professional illustrator. As she grew up and went to college, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Art from Pacific Union College in Northern California. After she graduated she then spent the next 17 years as a commercial artist, illustrator and art director.

But it was in 1988 that she decided to really follow her heart. Being an avid animal and nature lover her whole life, it was at this time that she decided to devote her talent and time totally as a wildlife artist. Her primary focus became animals with the horse and wolf as reoccurring subjects. Her art also conceals hidden images.

Judy's unique and wonderfully mastered style of art is called the "scratch board" technique and it is an old but little used medium by artists because it requires an infinite amount of patience to create and is very demanding. It begins with a smooth, thin surface of hardened China clay applied to a board. The subject is then painted solidly with black India ink to create a silhouette. When the exacting work of engraving the subject begins, Judy prefers to use X-acto blades, changing them ever few minutes to produce as fine a line as possible. Once the subject has been completely "scratched" in it is ready to add color. Judy prefers using a combination of airbrush, gouache or acrylics for finishing, with frequent rescratching for detail.

Judy has described what she is trying to accomplish in her artwork by saying that "My desire is to engage viewers on three levels: first, by revealing the beauty of animals through intricate detail; second, by concealing a hidden image that draws the viewer to examine the painting more closely and through which I can tell a story; and third, by promoting a deeper awareness of the environment on a level that will hopefully have an impact."


Because Judy Larson is extremely passionate about her love of wildlife, she is very committed to and supports a number of environmental causes. She is also a member of the Society of Animal Artists. She continues to live and work in California. Enjoy her wonderfully detailed paintings below of the magnificent horse and wolf.

In SECRETS OF THE WOLVES, the second installment in the series The Wolf Chronicles, Dorothy Hearst uses her intimate knowledge of wolves and talent for crafting a timeless mythology to continue the tale of Kaala, a wolf of the Swift River pack who must find a way for wolves and humans to live together or suffer their mutually assured destruction. The rules that have traditionally separated the Wide Valley wolves from humans are clear: Never consort with humans; never kill a human unprovoked; never allow a mixed-blood wolf to live— the same peace-keeping rules posited by many groups even today whose conflict is fueled by their desire for the same resources. As so often happens, such rules are destined to be broken. Protagonist Kaala shatters the valley’s stringently followed laws, exposing the lies hidden beneath them while facing dire consequences: If Kaala, her motley crew of young pack mates, and human friends can find a way for both sides to live in harmony she will finally prove herself worthy of her pack; But if she fails, the Greatwolves, who rule wolf-kind, will massacre all beings, wolf and human, in the valley.
Told from Kaala’s knowing point-of-view and set 14,000 years ago in a time when the division between wolves and humans was but a thin line, SECRETS OF THE WOLVES transports us to an ancestral world where instinct and cooperation hold the key to survival.

Written by Hearst, who spent years researching wolves in Yellowstone National Park, SECRETS OF THE WOLVES is inspired by the scientific theory of co-evolution: the idea that it was wolves, and later dogs, that made humans the dominant species on the planet by teaching mankind how to hunt cooperatively, hold territories, and form complex societies. Bringing
historically demonized wolves into clearer focus by, ironically, “humanizing” them, Hearst takes readers inside the heart and mind of the beast to show that wolves tribal nature, sense of loyalty, and drive to survive is not so different from our very own. SECRETS OF THE WOLVES draws readers ever deeper into the Tolkien-esque world Hearst has created, spinning what Kirkus calls “a vivid, enchanting tale of friendship, trust and adventure”. With every challenge Kaala and her friends encounter, we face our own most basic questions: What separates animals from humans? How do we find peace in the midst of violence? What would we do to survive and protect those we love?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Previously a Senior Editor at Jossey Bass, where she published books for nonprofit, public, and social change leaders, Dorothy Hearst currently lives and writes in Berkeley, California. She has spent extensive time in Yellowstone, observing (and cuddling with) wolves in the wild, and has
toured the 16,000 year old cave paintings at Les Eyzies, as well as a lesser known cave in the Dordogne Valley, which boasts what may be the oldest representation of a wolf carved into the cave wall. In addition to conducting extensive research in the areas of wolf biology, behavior, co evolution, cognitive science and other related areas, Hearst has also interviewed many of the top wolf and dog experts in the world.


Link to Purchase the Book Secrets of the Wolves: A Novel (The Wolf Chronicles)

1- In order for a new wolf cub to urinate, its mother has to massage its belly with her warm tongue.
2- The Vikings wore wolf skins and drank wolf blood to take on the wolf’s spirit in battle. They also viewed real wolves as battle companions or hrægifr (corpse trolls).
3- The earliest drawings of wolves are in caves in southern Europe and date from 20,000 B.C.
4- Wolves do not make good guard dogs because they are naturally afraid of the unfamiliar and will hide from visitors rather than bark at them.
5- The autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus (SLE), or lupus, literally means wolf redness, because in the eighteenth century, physicians believed the disease was caused by a wolf bite.
6- Wolves are the largest members of the Canidae family, which includes domestic dogs, coyotes, dingoes, African hunting dogs, many types of foxes, and several kinds of jackals.
7- Wolves run on their toes, which helps them to stop and turn quickly and to prevent their paw pads from wearing down.
8- Wolves have about 200 million scent cells. Humans have only about 5 million. Wolves can smell other animals more than one mile (1.6 kilometers) away.
9- Where there are wolves, there are often ravens (sometimes known as “wolf-birds”). Ravens often follow wolves to grab leftovers from the hunt—and to tease the wolves. They play with the wolves by diving at them and then speeding away or pecking their tails to try to get the wolves to chase them.
10- The Cherokee Indians did not hunt wolves because they believed a slain wolves’ brothers would exact revenge. Furthermore, if a weapon were used to kill a wolf, the weapon would not work correctly again.
11- The Japanese word for wolf means “great god.”
12- Under certain conditions, wolves can hear as far as six miles away in the forest and ten miles on the open tundra.
13- Wolves were once the most widely distributed land predator the world has ever seen. The only places they didn’t thrive were in the true desert and rainforests.
14- Among true wolves, two species are recognized: Canis lupus (often known simply as “gray wolves”), which includes 38 subspecies, such as the gray, timber, artic, tundra, lobos, and buffalo wolves. The other recognized species is the red wolf (Canis rufus), which are smaller and have longer legs and shorter fur than their relatives. Many scientists debate whether Canis rufus is a separate species.
15- Immense power is concentrated in a wolf’s jaw. It has a crushing pressure of nearly 1,500 pound per square inch (compared with around 750 for a large dog). The jaws themselves are massive, bearing 42 teeth specialized for stabbing, shearing, and crunching bones. Their jaws also open farther than those of a dog.

© R. J.B

16- The North American gray wolf population in 1600 was 2 million. Today the population in North America is approximately 65,000. The world population is approximately 150,000.
17- A hungry wolf can eat 20 pounds of meat in a single meal, which is akin to a human eating one hundred hamburgers.
18- A wolf pack may contain just two or three animals, or it may be 10 times as large.
19- Though many females in a pack are able to have pups, only a few will actually mate and bear pups. Often, only the alpha female and male will mate, which serves to produce the strongest cubs and helps limit the number of cubs the pack must care for. The other females will help raise and “babysit” the cubs.
20- Lower-ranking males do not mate and often suffer from a condition of stress and inhibition that has been referred to as “psychological castration.” Lower-ranking females are sometimes so afraid of the alpha female that they do not even go into heat.
21- An average size wolf produces roughly 1.2 cubic inches of sperm.
22- Wolves evolved from an ancient animal called Mesocyon, which lived approximately 35 million years ago. It was a small dog-like creature with short legs and a long body. Like the wolf, it may have lived in packs.
23- Currently, there are about 50,000 wolves in Canada; 6,500 in Alaska; and 3,500 in the Lower 48 States. In Europe, Italy has fewer than 300; Spain around 2,000; and Norway and Sweden combined have fewer than 80. There are about 700 wolves in Poland and 70,000 in Russia.
24- Between 1883 and 1918, more than 80,00 wolves were killed in Montana for bounty.
25- Adolph Hitler (whose first name means “lead wolf”) was fascinated by wolves and sometimes used “Herr Wolf” or “Conductor Wolf” as an alias. “Wolf’s Gulch” (Wolfsschlucht), “Wolf’s Lair” (Wolfschanze), and “Werewolf” (Wehrwolf) were Hitler’s code names for various military headquarters.
26- In the 1600s, Ireland was called “Wolf-land” because it had so many wolves. Wolf hunting was a popular sport among the nobility, who used the Irish wolfhound to outrun and kill wolves. The earliest record of an Irish wolfhound dates from Roman times in A.D. 391.
27- Recent scientists suggest that labeling a wolf “alpha” or “omega” is misleading because “alpha” wolves are simply parent wolves. Using “alpha” terminology falsely suggests a rigidly forced permanent social structure.
28- Biologists have found that wolves will respond to humans imitating their howls. The International Wolf Center in Minnesota even sponsors “howl nights” on which people can howl in the wilderness and hope for an answering howl.
29- Wolves have historically been associated with sexual predation. For example, Little Red Riding Hood, who wears a red cape that proclaims her sexual maturity, is seduced off the moral path by a wolf. The sex link endures in common clichés, such as describing a predatory man as “a wolf” or a sexy whistle as a “wolf whistle.”


30- Biologists describe wolf territory as not just spatial, but spatial-temporal, so that each pack moves in and out of each other's turf depending on how recently the “no trespassing” signals were posted.
31- The Greek god Apollo is sometimes called Apollo Lykios, the wolf-Apollo, and was associated with the wind and sun. In Athens, the land surrounding the temple of Apollo became known as the Lyceum, or the “wolf skin.”
32- In 1927, a French policeman was tried for the shooting of a boy he believed was a werewolf. That same year, the last wild wolves in France were killed.
33- When Europeans arrived in North America, wolves became the most widely hunted animal in American history and were nearly extinct by the beginning of the twentieth century. The U.S. Federal government even enacted a wolf eradication program in the Western states in 1915.
34- Dire wolves (canis dirus) were prehistoric wolves that lived in North America about two million years ago. Now extinct, they hunted prey as large as woolly mammoths.
35- A wolf can run about 20 miles (32 km) per hour, and up to 40 miles (56 km) per hour when necessary, but only for a minute or two. They can “dog trot” around 5 miles (8km) per hour and can travel all day at this speed.
36- The smallest wolves live in the Middle East, where they may weigh only 30 pounds. The largest wolves inhabit Canada, Alaska, and the Soviet Union, where they can reach 175 pounds.
37- Wolves howl to contact separated members of their group, to rally the group before hunting, or to warn rival wolf packs to keep away. Lone wolves will howl to attract mates or just because they are alone. Each wolf howls for only about five seconds, but howls can seem much longer when the entire pack joins in.
38- A light-reflecting layer on a wolf’s eye called the tapetum lucidum (Latin for “bright tapestry”) causes a wolf’s eyes to glow in the dark and may also facilitate night vision. While a wolf’s color perception and visual acuity maybe be inferior to a human’s, a wolf’s eyes are extremely sensitive to movement.
39- A wolf pup’s eyes are blue at birth. Their eyes turn yellow by the time they are eight months old.


40- In ancient Rome, barren women attended the Roman festival Lupercalia (named for the legendary nursery cave of Romulus and Remus) in the hopes of becoming fertile.
41- According to Pliny the Elder, a first-century Greek scholar, wolf teeth could be rubbed on the gums of infants to ease the pain of teething. He also reported that wolf dung could be used to treat both colic and cataracts.
42- The Aztecs used wolf liver as an ingredient for treating melancholy. They also pricked a patient’s breast with a sharpened wolf bone in an attempt to delay death.
43- During the Middle Ages, Europeans used powdered wolf liver to ease the pain of childbirth and would tie a wolf’sright front paw around a sore throat to reduce the swelling. Dried wolf meat was also eaten as a remedy for sore shins.f
44- The Greeks believed that if someone ate meat from a wolf-killed lamb, he or she ran a high risk of becoming a vampire.
45- During the reign of Edward the Confessor, which began in 1042, a condemned criminal was forced to wear a wolf-head mask and could be executed on a “wolf’s head tree” or the gallows where a wolf might be hanged next to him.
46- Werewolf (wer “man” + wulf “wolf”) trials (which can be distinguished from witchcraft trials) led to hundreds of executions during the 1600s. Men, women, and children—many of whom were physically and mentally handicapped—were put to death.
47- A male and female that mate usually stay together for life. They are devoted parents and maintain sophisticated family ties.


48- In approximately the year 800, Charlemagne founded a special wolf-hunting force, the Louveterie, which remained active until 1789. It was reactivated in1814, and the last French wolf was killed in 1927.
49- Britain’s King Edgar imposed an annual tax of 300 wolf skins on Wales. The Welsh wolf population was quickly exterminated.
50- In 1500, the last wolf was killed in England. In 1770, Ireland’s last wolf was killed. In 1772, Denmark’s last wolf was killed.
51- After hearing of “frightening spirits” in the woods with human features that walked on four legs, Reverend Singh in 1920 discovered a den with two cubs and two human girls, one around age 7 or 8, the other around 2. After being brought back to “civilization,” the younger one died within a year. Recently, authors have questioned the validity of this story as modern knowledge has revealed that wolf-like behavior is often seen in autistic or abused children.
52- Sextus Placitus, in his fifth-century B.C. Medicina de quadrupedibus (Medicinals from Animals), claims that sleeping with a wolf’s head under one’s pillow would cure insomnia.
53- In 1934, Germany became the first nation in modern times to place the wolf under protection. Influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844-1900) and Oswald Spengler’s (1880-1936) belief that natural predators possessed more vigor and virility than their prey, the protection was probably more for an “iconic” wolf than the actual wolf, particularly since the last wolves in Germany were killed in the middle of the nineteenth century.
54- Unlike other animals, wolves have a variety of distinctive facial expressions they use to communicate and maintain pack unity.
55- Wolf gestation is around 65 days. Wolf pups are born both deaf and blind and weigh only one pound.


56- Between 6,000 and 7,000 wolf skins are still traded across the world each year. The skins are supplied mainly by Russia, Mongolia, and China and are used mainly for coats.
57- In India, simple wolf traps are still used. These traps consist of a simple pit, disguised with branches or leaves. The wolves fall in and people then stone them to death.
58- Wolves were the first animals to be placed on the U.S. Endangered Species Act list in 1973.
59- John Milton’s famous poem “Lycidas” derives its title from the Greek for “wolf cub,” lykideus.
60- In the Harry Potter universe, werewolf Remus Lupin’s name is directly related to the Latin word for wolf (lupus) and suggests an association with one of the founders of Rome, Remus, who was suckled by a wolf. The dual nature of Lupin’s werewolf nature suggests that in the Potter realm, there are two sides to everything.
61- The last wolf in Yellowstone Park was killed in 1926. In 1995, wolves were reintroduced and, after just ten years, approximately 136 wolves now roam the Park in about 13 wolf packs.
62- Wolves can swim distances of up to 8 miles (13 kilometers) aided by small webs between their toes.


References

a Bailey, Jill. 2005. Animals under Threat: Gray Wolf. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library.
b Brandenburg, James and Judy Brandenburg. 2008. Face to Face with Wolves. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.
c Dutcher, Jim and Jamie Dutcher. 2005. Living with Wolves. Seattle, WA: Braided River.
d Grambo, Rebecca L. 2005. Wolf: Legend, Enemy, Icon. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc.
e Leach, Michael. 2003. Wolf: Habitats, Life Cycles, Food Chains, Threats. New York, NY: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers.
f Ménatory, Anne. 2005. The Art of Being a Wolf. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books.
g Reid, Mary E. 2005. Wolves and Other Wild Dogs. Chicago, IL: World Book, Inc.

Next time you look up into the sky and see the twinkling lights above, you will have a little different perspective of it all. Recently a new planet was discovered known as PSR J1719-1438. Not a very fancy name for a very magnificent planet. This planet was formed from a dead star that was originally formed from the ashes of a super nova.

Nothing really unusual about that. And the planet is about 5 times the size of earth but that is not it's most outstanding feature. Because of the super pressure of this planet which orbits a rapidly pulsing neutron star, the carbon within it has crystallized into a diamond. The planet orbits it's pulsar sun in little more than two hours and is actually 3,000 times larger than it. The entire system would fit into the diameter of our sun.

Originally this planet was transformed from an average star into a radio pulsar when a dying star in a binary system exploded. The compact core of the star was formed because of a very high rotation speed from the ashes of the supernova. When a second star exploded and morphed into a white dwarf, the pulsar planet began to suck off the mass from it therefore causing it to spin faster and faster until it reached it's incredible speed. It is now known to complete more than 10,000 rotations in a minute. After having lost more than 99.9 percent of its original mass and no longer engaged in the fusion reactions that make up a star, the dead core is now classified as a planet.

This planet is considered to be very safe however from the greedy clutches of mankind because it is about 4,000 light years away from earth located in the constellation of Serpens (The Snake) So the glitter of this rough diamond of a planet will continue to shine undisturbed for a very long time as it follows it's rotation in space.

Tomorrow will be a very sad day for there will be many wolves in America that will die as the wolf hunts begin . Many wolves will not be here to see and howl at the next full moon! Tomorrow will be a day of sorrow for many mated wolf pairs who will be separated forever from each other and for many wolf pups who will wait endlessly for their mothers and fathers to return but with no success. Tomorrow in America, the great forests of the wolves will run with blood as the sounds of the weapons of cowardly men will echo through them.

If we listen carefully in a moment of silence we will hear the cry of wolf as he mournfully longs to escape the hate of ignorant men.

"I want once more my ears to hear the winds caressing the leaves, and the sound of water rushing over stones in a stream.
I want my heart to dance again to the brightness of the full moon
I want to know the happiness and feel the tranquility of walking and running in freedom , and my brothers and sisters and where my heart and spirit shall wander no more forever."

Tomorrow on August 30th, 2011 an event is taking place that we all hoped would never happen. This is the day that Idaho kicks off their wolf hunt. Then on September 3rd Montana joins in the kill with an archery hunt against the wolves followed on September 15th with the start of a rifle hunting season. Montana has stated that it will allow the killing of 220 of it's approximate 560 wolves to take place. Idaho has plans to kill about 800 of it's approximate 1000 wolves.

Since the last remaining hope of an injunction to stop the hunts has been denied by the 9th Circuit Court, the only thing left to do now is to offer lot's of prayers for the safety of the wolves that they may successfully hide away from the hunters. There is still time also to let the Governors of both states know that there is a tremendous opposition to what they are allowing to happen in Idaho and Montana.
May the Guardian Angels of all living creatures be with the wolves and protect them from this evil destruction that man has planned against them.

P.S. ~ White Wolf Pack ask you that if your heart breaks also with the wolf hunts beginning tomorrow in the state of Idaho and in Montana on Sept. 3rd, please take a moment to let your thoughts be known to Governor's Otter and Schweitzer TODAY. Let them know that there is tremendous opposition to what they are allowing to happen in their states.

Call Govt. Otter at 208-334-2100 or click on here to email him:
http://gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/contact.html

Call Govt. Schweitzer at 1-406-444-3111 (9:00AM to 5:00PM MDT) or email him at: governor@mt.gov

Please share this information!


We yield to our neighbors,
even our animal neighbors
the same right as ourselves,
to Inhabit this land.
Sitting Bull

---

Elephants are incredible animals. They are the largest living land animals on Earth today. The largest elephant ever recorded was a male in Angola that weighed 2400 lbs. But not only are they very intelligent, yes it is true that they have fantastic memories, but their intelligence has been described as equal to dolphins or the nonhuman primates. Aristotle once said the elephant was "the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind." Some of their intelligence behaviors are those such as grief, making music and art, altruism, play, allo-mothering , use of tools, compassion and self-awareness. Sound quite human don't they?

Besides being extremely intelligent they are very social animals, also not unlike humans. And it is easy to understand why. The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth, an elephant calf typically weighs 105 km or 230 lbs and they typically live for 50 to 70 years. The oldest recorded elephant lived for 82 years.

Elephants also live in a very structured social order. The young elephants (both male and female) spend a long time maturing and being raised in a herd. The social lives of adult male and female elephants are very different though. The females spend their entire lives in tightly knit family groups made up of mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts. These groups are led by the eldest female, or matriarch. Adult males, on the other hand live mostly solitary lives, interacting with the females only during breeding season. At times lone male elephants will also form associations with other males forming what is called a "bachelor" herd.

What you are about to see in the video below is an example of the intelligence and strong social bond between a family of female elephants in a rescue attempt of a baby elephant who is in danger of drowning. You will witness the love and concern of an wonderful animal species that is not at all unlike our own.

The wise men turned to him who wrote, Then they looked at the trees on many hills. It was the autumn. The leaves had many colors.They said, " We will tell you the story of the battle fought by the deer and the bear in the land of the sky."

The bear was selfish and proud. He often made trouble among the Animals of the Great Council. When he heard that the Deer had walked over the rainbow Bridge into the sky land he was angry. "I WILL PUNISH THE DEER " he said.

The Bear went to the Rainbow Bridge He leaped along its beautiful way of glowing colors. He came into the sky land. There he found the deer and said to him; This sky land is the home of the Little turtle, Why did you come into this land? Why did you not come to meet us in the Great Council? Why did you not wait until all the Animals could come to live here?

Then the Deer was angry, Only the Wolf might ask him such questions. The Bear had no right to speak like that to the Deer.

The Deer said to the bear, you have gone about making trouble among the Animals long enough You shall never do that again.

The Deer said he would kill the Bear he arched his neck. He tossed his head to show his long sharp horns. The hair along his back stood up. His eyes blazed as if a fire burned in them. He thought to slay the bear with a single stroke of his terrible horns.

The Bear was not afraid. His claws were very strong. He stood erect for the mighty conflict. His deep growls shook the sky like rolling thunder. The struggle was terrific and long. The Bear was torn by the cruel horns of the Deer.

When the remaining Animals of the great Council heard the awful noise, the Wolf went up into the sky to stop the dreadful battle.

All the animals had to obey the Wolf, So the Deer turned and ran away. And the Bear fled along the paths of the sky. As the Deer ran, the Blood of the Bear dropped from his horns. It fell down to the Lower World and made the leaves of the trees many colors. Some were Red, some Yellow, Some were Brown. Some Scarlet, and some Crimson.

Now each year when the Autumn comes the leaves of the trees take on these many colors. The forests are flooded with soft and glowing beauty. The Wyandots then say the blood of the Bear has again been thrown down from the sky upon the trees of the Great Island.

Are Hunters Good Wildlife Stewards When It Comes To Wolves? Not According To This Study

A new study likely to be controversial in some quarters suggests that hunters are not especially good wildlife stewards when the wildlife in question are wolves.

While hunters long have been seen as conservation advocates for a wide range of species, when it comes to wolves the study by two University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers would seem to indicate that the only good wolf is a dead wolf in the hunter's mind.

“Hunters were some of the least tolerant of wolves among our respondents, and the closer you got to wolf range the less tolerant they were,” said Adrian Treves, a professor in the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

Professor Treves and a colleague, Kerry Martin, took up a research project beginning in 2001 to survey hunters and non-hunters on attitudes toward wolves. Over the course of six years they interviewed 2,320 residents of Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming and were able to draw a picture of perceptions when it came to wolves. (Their findings appear in the August issue of the peer-reviewed journal Society and Natural Resources.)

That portrait is timely now as gray wolves were removed from the Endangered Species List in some Western states earlier this year, and are poised for delisting in parts of Wyoming, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and other Midwest areas.

Questions the two professors asked the respondents touched a number of issues, ranging from acceptance of management policy and tolerance of the carnivores to willingness to kill a wolf illegally, adherence to hunt regulations, and expected financial support of conservation.

One issue the two noted in trying to explain the perceived intolerance of hunters was that hunters often view wolves as competition for deer and other game. And they added that opening a wolf hunt may not immediately shift that perception to viewing wolves as another game species to be conserved.

Another conclusion Professors Treves and Martin reached was that "the evidence simply isn’t there to indicate that hunting wolves would affect depredations of domestic animals."

"No depredation data were reported following a hunt in Idaho and Montana conducted during a window of time in 2009 when the animals were not federally protected. And though wolves have been hunted legally in Alaska for decades, the scarcity of domestic animals and difference in landscape make it nearly impossible to draw conclusions that would apply to the lower 48," said a press release that accompanied news of their study.

Another finding, which Professor Treves found surprising, was the "level of support expressed for a regulated wolf hunt among non-hunters and those living outside wolf range. In Wisconsin, for example, he said, “You find a surprising amount of support for a public regulated harvest of wolves even in places like Madison, Fond du Lac, or Sister Bay.”

But these endorsements tend to be conditional, he cautioned, and the conditions vary. For example, many people support the idea of a “sustainable” hunt – though “sustainable” was undefined in this context – or hunting as a way to reduce attacks on livestock and other conflicts between wolves and humans.

“To me that says that people see hunting as a tool for enabling coexistence,” Professor Treves said.

A "risk map" Professor Treves and others published in June shows that wolf attacks on livestock in Wisconsin are highly localized and attributable to a relatively small number of packs. The majority of packs do not cause problems despite living in close proximity to humans, which raises significant questions about the efficacy of a general hunt to alleviate perceived problems.

“The assumption that hunting and reducing the number of animals will reduce livestock losses would be proven false if hunters are targeting the wrong animals, such as animals in wilderness areas,” he said, adding that it will be important to understand hunter motivations. “Wolves in wilderness areas don’t kill livestock, it’s the wolves on the edge in agricultural areas. Do hunters want to hunt in farmland? I’m not sure.”

The uncertainty of how hunting would affect wolf populations could also become a legal issue, says UW-Madison law professor Stephanie Tai, citing a precedent of legal challenges of federal delisting decisions.

“People have challenged delistings for a number of reasons, and some of those have been successful,” she said. “Often, successful lawsuits bring up factors the (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service may not have considered, which could include the effect of allowing hunting.”

The challenge, according to Professor Treves, is to balance human needs with the need to conserve wolves as an essential component of ecosystems.

In a viewpoint piece published in the August issue of the journal BioScience, Professor Treves and Jeremy Bruskotter, an environment and natural resources professor at Ohio State University, presented some possible scenarios for the future of wolf management in the United States. Those scenarios include reclassifying the wolves as threatened, which would permit lethal control under certain circumstances, or enacting specific federal protections outside the Endangered Species Act, such as those currently in place for bald eagles, wild horses, and migratory birds.

The two advocate geographically tailored approaches that will permit local-level control within a federal framework to strike a balance between wolves and humans. Sound long-term management can include a public regulated hunt, they say, but it will unquestionably require compromise.

“A public regulated harvest is a collaboration between hunters and the state, which requires give and take. I think the next few years in Wisconsin will reveal how well that collaboration works,” said Professor Treves.
Originally published natinonal park traveler by Kurt Repanshek

As Hurricane Irene makes her way up the eastern seaboard of the U.S. this weekend, we ask that all those around the world say a prayer and send thoughts of calm, peace and safety to the people that live there. Let
us send a massive wave of love and protection to them and the strength to endure the storm.

Earth Teach Me to Remember
Earth teach me stillness
as the grasses are stilled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth Teach me caring
as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me courage
as the tree which stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation
as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep in the rain.
Ute, North American Prayer

The wolf pack is a great example of teamwork when it comes to hunting for food. When the pack sets out to find food for the entire family it is a very efficient operation. But despite the wolf's reputation as a prowess hunter, the majority of it's prey escapes. In a study of moose and wolves, only 3% of moose that were tested by wolves were actually killed by them. It is not an easy life for the wolves to catch large prey.

However, wolves are also very opportunistic. Wolves live mainly on deer, moose, elk or bison, but they also eat beavers,rabbits and even mice. However they do not eat humans. Despite popular misconceptions, wolves are not a threat to humans! They are very shy around humans and do their best to avoid them in the wild.

Because it is so difficult to catch large prey, wolves are designed for feast or famine. Wolves need to eat from 3-10 lbs of meat a day, but they can eat as much as 22 pounds of meat at a time and then may not eat again for many days. They do require a lot of water from one to three quarts of water per day, which is dependent on the size of the animal, the climate, and the moisture content of the prey.

After a kill is made the Alpha wolf will always eat first. Wolves usually begin to feed on the rump or the internal organs. The muscle and flesh is the last part of the prey that is eaten, in contrast with what humans prefer to eat. Their strong jaws and teeth allow them to easily crush bones to get to the soft bone marrow.


Wolves are very important to the ecology of an environment because they hunt out the weak, the sick, the old, and the injured. They help the population of prey animals stay strong and healthy by taking away the weak and letting the strong survive. Without the wolf to eliminate the weak, old , sick and injured, a herd of deer would become very overpopulated and end up starving to death.

Another important way that wolves help an environment is by allowing the remains of what they can't eat to feed other animals. These remains end up feeding animals such as the buzzard, the possum,fox, coyotes and eagles. This helps to keep the forest clean by removing the sick before it can spread to healthy animals in a herd.

There is also some evidence as was studied by L. David Mech that wolves are involved with herd maintenance. He studied a wolf pack in Minnesota that varied its killing by hunting in a different part of it's territory each year. This allowed prey numbers elsewhere to recover and thus aided the long-term survival of the pack.

So when you hear the stories that wolves are decimating herd populations of elk, deer or moose or that they are taking out the prime animals of a herd, you will know that this is complete bunk. The only animal that takes out the prime animals in a herd is man. It is man as the sports hunter that seeks to kill the biggest buck or elk in a herd for bragging rights, thus upsetting the balance of nature. And man is of course always ready to point the finger at the wolves in false accusation.

Court denies stay of wolf hunts in Idaho, Montana

(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court refused on Thursday to block wolf hunts planned in Idaho and Montana while conservation groups press a legal case against an unprecedented act of Congress that lifted federal protection of the animals.

More than 1,500 wolves in Idaho and Montana were removed from the U.S. endangered species list, giving the two states largely unfettered control over the animals, in legislation attached to a stopgap budget bill Congress approved in April.

The delisting came amid a legal battle between environmentalists and the government over whether wolves, which were hunted, trapped and poisoned to near extinction decades ago, had successfully recovered in the Northern Rockies.

Environmental groups sought to overturn the congressional action, which marked the first time an animal has been delisted through legislation rather than a process of scientific review established under the Endangered Species Act. Environmentalists argued that Congress overstepped its authority in doing so.

A federal judge earlier this month sided with the Obama administration, which argued Congress had the authority to carve out an exception to the Endangered Species Act for a particular animal, like the gray wolf.

WildEarth Guardians, Alliance for the Wild Rockies and others sought to restore federal safeguards to wolves by petitioning the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

On August 13, those groups asked the court to stay wolf hunting and trapping planned in Idaho and Montana until the case was decided on its merits.

Idaho plans to reduce its wolf population from about 1,000 to no fewer than 150 in a hunting seasons that open on Tuesday and by trapping. Montana has set a hunting quota of 220 wolves out of a population of 566 in a season that starts in September.

In denying environmentalists' request to temporarily halt the hunts, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit agreed with the administration -- joined by the two states and hunting and farm groups -- that the hunts would not jeopardize recovery of the iconic animal.

"We are discouraged we didn't win a stay of execution for wolves, but we are cautiously optimistic that we will win our lawsuit to protect wolves from future persecution," John Horning, WildEarth Guardians executive director, said in a statement.

The 9th Circuit has set an expedited hearing date in November for the case.

Wolves were reintroduced to the Northern Rockies in the mid-1990s over the objections of ranchers and hunters. They blame wolves for preying on livestock and reducing herds of big-game animals like elk.

Wolves killed 148 cows in Idaho in 2010 out of the state's 2.2 million head of cattle, according to government figures. A recent survey by Idaho wildlife managers shows elk populations exceed or meet biologists' objectives in the vast majority of the state's hunting areas.

(Editing by Steve Gorman and Cynthia Johnston)
Source : http://www.reuters.com/

Rhinos are one of the few prehistoric looking animals left on our planet. They are fascinating creatures. Unfortunately they are under tremendous attack from poachers. In South Africa alone so far this year there has been over 250 Rhinos killed. They are being poached for their horns which are highly sought by the Chinese culture for superstitious pseudo-scientific medicinal purposes. The Rhino horn is made up of keratin, which is the same type of protein that human hair and fingernails are made of. It is completely useless as a medicinal remedy. And yet the attack on Rhinos continues in full force. The value of a Rhino horn is currently worth more than that of gold, diamonds, heroin or cocaine. These magnificent animals are dying for mere superstition and they are becoming highly endangered.

This past week an attack took place on 3 Rhinos at the Aquila Private Game Reserve in Cape Horn, South Africa. One young male was killed outright and dehorned, and a young female was darted but unharmed. A third Rhino, named ABSA, the father of the other two Rhinos, was horribly mutilated as his main horn was chainsawed off of his face. The poachers did not get his second horn, being scared off apparently. When ABSA was found he was in critical condition. An intensive effort was made all week to save his life by the wonderful people at the game preserve.

Sadly, ABSA lost the battle to live last night. His spirit now soars with all the other beautiful Rhinos who have died from poaching. Condolences are pouring into the Aquila Private Game Reserve for the loss of this brave Rhino who fought with all his will to live. The Director of the preserve, Searl Derman, is vowing to take this fight to stop the poaching of Rhinos internationally. Currently a reward is being offered for the identity of the poachers also of R100,000 (USD $13,963).

ABSA's death will not be in vain. He stands as a symbol to end this horrific assault on Rhinos. On September 22, the world will celebrate World Rhino Day as a stand against Rhino poaching. What you can do in the meantime is sign the petition below. Also, please boycott any products from China until they ban this outdated superstition from their country. Currently China is underway with plans to begin farming Rhinos for their horns. This must also be prohibited. China cannot be allowed to continue to destroy beautiful, innocent and endangered animals for their worthless medicinal remedies.

We as world citizens can and must stop them. Before you buy anything be sure to read the label. If it says Made in China - do not buy it! Do it to save all the other Rhinos. Let ABSA live on in our actions to stop this atrocity.



A beautiful poem written by a 14 year old boy in tribute to the death of ABSA ~


Ryan Bird- My prayer to ABSA

I was so worried about you late last night
I just sat praying that you will be all right

...I am heartbroken that you have passed away
Your horn stolen for some pathetic brain
We felt your suffering and wished you would stay
But we all know that your death was not in vain

Your footprints in the sand will disappear in time
Your eyes kept asking why?
Is this the way rhinos have to die?

God called you home, yes, God has a plan
We will stand together and try to save the rest
Every animal lover, every woman and man
ABSA my dear friend, you deserve a painless rest

Every rhino deserves a natural end to a start
Let your spirit roam free in everyone’s heart
By Ryan (14)

Here is a video from the director of the preserve where the Rhinos were poached talking about how he intends to fight this.

Big Blue Heron was standing in the marsh looking at his reflection in the water. He raised his black-crested head to listen.

Two little White Weasels had come along to the river. They were mother and son. When they saw Blue Heron, they stopped to look.

'What a beautiful big bird-person!' said the son.

'He is called Blue Heron. He carries his head high!'

'Yes, Mother, he is tall as a tree. Were I so tall, I could carry you across this swift river.'

Blue Heron was pleased to hear himself so praised. He liked to hear other say that he was big.

He bent down low and spoke to the two. 'I will help you go across. Come down to where you see that old tree lying in the stream. I will lie down in the water at the end and put my bill deep into the bank on the other side. You two run across the tree. Then use my body as a bridge and you will get to the other side.'

They all went to the old tree lying in the water. Blue Heron lay down in the water at the end and stuck his bill deep into the bank on the other side. Mother and son White Weasel ran lightly and quickly across the log, over Blue Heron, and were safe and dry on the other side. They thanked Blue Heron and said they would tell all the persons in the woods how fine Blue Heron was. Then they went on their way.

Old Wolf had been standing on the riverbank watching how the weasels had gotten across.

'What a fine way it would be for me to cross the river. I am old and my bones ache.'

When Blue Heron came back to the marsh, Wolf said to him, 'Now I know why you Blue Herons are in the marsh - so you can be a bridge for persons to cross the rive. I want to go across, but I am old and my bones hurt. Lie down in the water for me so I can cross.'

Blue Heron was angry. He didn't like being called a bridge. Old Wolf saw he had spoken foolish words and decided to use honeyed words.

'You are big and strong, Blue Heron, and that is why you body is such a fine bridge. You could carry me across like a feather.'

Blue Heron smiled at Wolf and said, 'Old Wolf, get on my back and I'll carry you across.

Wolf grinned from ear to ear thinking how easily he had tricked Blue Heron.

He jumped on the bird's back and Heron went into the rushing river. When he got to the middle, he stopped.

'Friend Wolf,' said Blue Heron, 'you made a mistake. I am not strong enough to carry you across. For that you need two herons. I can carry you only halfway. Now you must get another heron to carry you the rest of the way.'

He gave his body a strong twist and Wolf fell into the water.

'You wait here, Wolf, for another heron to come and carry you to the other side.' Then he flew into the marsh.

The water ran swiftly. No heron came, so where did Wolf go ? To the bottom of the river...

Since that day, no wolf has ever trusted a heron.

Kana'tï had wolves to hunt for him, because they are good hunters and never fail. He once sent out two wolves at once. One went to the east and did not return.

The other went to the north, and when he returned at night and did not find his fellow he knew he must be in trouble and started after him.

After traveling on some time he found his brother lying nearly dead beside a great greensnake (sälikwa'yâ'yï) which had attacked him. The snake itself was too badly wounded to crawl away, and the angry wolf, who had magic powers, taking out several hairs from his own whiskers, shot them into the body of the snake and killed it.

He then hurried back to Kana'tï, who sent the Terrapin after a great doctor who lived in the west to save the wounded wolf.

The wolf went back to help his brother and by his magic powers he had him cured long before the doctor came from the west, because the Terrapin was such a slow traveler and the doctor had to prepare his roots before he started.

In the time of the beginning, it was the way of my people, to rejoice in the birth of a child. The Old Ones, the Elders said that a child was the most precious gift given to the people by the Creator.

So, in this time, was born a male child. As was the way of the people, this child was given no name until he had been in the physical world for three moons.

When three moons had passed, his family held a Naming Feast, to share and celebrate this gift. The Old One's who's responsibility it was to find the Spirit Name for each new soul, was given tobacco. He would fast and pray and search the Spirit World until the name was found.

On the fourth day, his name was announced to all who were present. The Old One held the child high, close to Father Sky. Then he touched the child's body to Mother Earth. Next he faced the child to all Four Sacred Directions: the East, the direction of springtime and childhood. Then the South, home to summer and adolescence. Thirdly he faced him to the West where Autumn and maturity reside. Finally, he faced North, home to Winter and the Elders.

As he spoke the child's name, all who heard it were surprised. No child ever had received such a Name: He Who Walks a Different Path: Ka Bay she go e sayd.

As this child grew, it became apparent that He Who Walks a Different Path was very different than the other children.

It was the way of the People that everyone within the village contributed in some way to the well-being of all. "It must be so" the Elders said. "We live in a delicate balance with all our relatives. We must take only what we need to survive. We must respect our Mother the Earth, Grandfather Sun, Father Sky, and Grandmother Moon."

"We must respect all Kingdoms, all things, all our relations. All must work together."

So, in this place, each one worked. Some were Hunters, Guardians and Warriors who learned from the Spirit of the Bear or Wolf. Others carried the knowledge and history of the peoples, and often traded goods, as Storytellers, learning from the Turtle. Still others were Dreamers, planners, War-chiefs who learned from Hawk, or coyote. Some others were builders making lodges, canoes, tools and weapons needed to survive, learning from the Beaver. A few were Holy People, Healers and Medicine People who learned from all things that existed and helped the ill.

"Children are closer to our Creator and will know their own path", so the Elders taught. So the People allowed the children to learn and experience many things around them. "Children are not owned but belong to the community and the future." All around cared for the children and kept them safe.

So Ka Bay she go e sayd was allowed to investigate many ways of learning. He often spent many hours in the woods, talking to the four-leggeds, (animals) and the winged, (birds). He felt it was wrong to hunt and kill his friends for food.

An Elder once reported seeing the child surrounded by animals with a Falcon and a Hawk on each shoulder. People shook their heads and wondered.

Each time the boy was questioned about his choice of lives work, he answered: "It is not for me".

As he grew towards adulthood, he was asked more frequently. Always he replied: "It is not for me."

It was the Way of the People to deal with problems or conflicts by "Taking it to the Fire'. All the Elders sat in the Sacred Circle around the Fire. Everyone who wished to speak was given time. One could talk as long as one wished. Respect must be shown in manner and speech. There was no interruption of the speaker. Then the Elders would confer and pray and talk until a consensus or agreement was reached. All the People would abide by the decision.

So, Ka Bay she go e sayd was called to this place. When he was given time to speak, he said: "The Creator has given me a different Vision. These ways are not for me."

The Elders spent many hours trying to reach a decision. Finally, the Elder whose responsibility it was to speak for the People, rose to his feet. His voice was filled with sadness. "If you will not work or help in any way, you must leave this place. There can be no room for those who do not contribute to the well-being of our People."

There was great sadness. This had never happened before in the memory of anyone. There was much sadness in the village, as the boy packed a blanket, some dried berries along with his few clothes and left the village.

The boy felt sad to leave his family, but he also felt happiness for now he could spend all his time in the forest with the birds and animals who were his friends.

The days passed slowly and pleasantly for the youth. He learned many things from his Animal-kind brothers and sisters.

The hunters of his village came to find food for the villagers. Some of his animal-kind friends chose to offer themselves so that the village people could continue to have food and clothing. The hunters left Tobacco and said prayers of appreciation and thanks for their gifts.

Wa Bay she go e sayd was saddened when his animal-kind friends died. So he began to go ahead of the hunters to warn and frighten away the animals. Game became scarce, there was little food in the pots of the villagers. Peoples stomachs were hungry and they became angry at the youth.

The hunters began to hunt for He Who Walks a Different Path. He was forced higher and higher into the hills, and then into the mountains. Finally, he was so high up that only the birds remained to keep him company.

It is the way of Human-Kind that young boys bodies begin to change as they grow into young men. They grow hair on their bodies, their voices deepen, their muscles strengthen and they grow tall.

Ka Bay she go e sayd's body began to change. But in a way he had never seen before. On morning he awoke and found talons in place of his fingernails. Next, he noticed feathers were growing out of the backs of his hands and in the skin on his arms and shoulders. He became very afraid.

He dug a hole in the ground, to fast and pray, asking the Creator for understanding and guidance. On the fourth day, the Creator appeared before him in the form of a huge bird, such as had never before been seen in the Physical World.

He spoke to He Who Walks A Different Path: "My child, you have remained true to the Vision and Wisdom I placed within you when you entered this World of Physical Things. You have endured much.

"From this day on a new creature will enter the World: Kinew, the Golden Eagle. In return for your loyalty, you and all your descendants shall have the Honor of carrying the prayers of Human-Kind between the Worlds of Earth and Spirit. All who see an Eagle shall be reminded of Freedom and Truth. All who hold your feathers must speak only the Truth in a good and kind way.

"As my view of what happens in this World is different from where I live in the Spirit World, you will spend most of your time in the realm of Father Sky, and view the world below in a different way. As My Vision is unique and different, your eyesight will be keener than any other bird that inhabits the skies. All who see you flying higher than all other winged ones will be reminded of the World of Spirit which is unseen yet so close-by to those in the World of Physical Things."

And so it is told, this way, of How the Eagle First Came to the People.

Author : KiiskeeN'tum - She Who Remembers.

All around the world marine animals are caught and sent to "Marine Amusement Parks" to satisfy the curiosity and to entertain masses of people. Most of these animals are Orcas and dolphins many of them captured from the wild. The enclosures for these animals who normally swim for many miles each day are always far too small for them.
This causes psychological and physical stresses and illnesses. Many times they will die due to these reasons. However sometimes they will strike out at their trainers and there have been cases lately where they have killed their owners most notably Sea World.

The video below shows the sad plight of Morgan a female Orca who is in a Dolphinarium in the Netherlands. She was wild caught in June of 2010 and put into a small concrete enclosure where she is still today. It is heartbreaking to see how she has given up and her spirit has been broken. As gawking children and adults stroll by her small tank, Morgan floats listlessly in the water. Morgan is just one of many beautiful marine animals that exist in these type of conditions. They belong in the wild to swim and live free with others of their own kind. To live such a confined and lonely life is almost a certain death sentence for them. Please take a moment to sign the petition to free Morgan and refuse to visit such places that use these marine animals as a means for entertainment.

Long ago, a tribe of Cheyenne hunters lived at the head of a rushing stream, which eventually emptied into a large cave.

Because of the great need for a new food supply for his people, the Chief called a council meeting.

"We should explore the large cave," he told his people. "How many brave hunters will offer to go on this venture? Of course, it may be very dangerous, but we have brave hunters." No one responded to the Chief's request.

Finally, one young brave painted himself for hunting and stepped forth, replying to the Chief, "I will go and sacrifice myself for our people." He arrived at the cave, and to his surprise, First Brave found two other Cheyenne hunters near the opening, where the stream rushed underground.

"Are they here to taunt me," First Brave wondered? "Will they only pretend to jump when I do?"

But the other two braves assured him they would go.

"No, you are mistaken about us. We really do want to enter the cave with you," they said.

First Brave then joined hands with them and together they jumped into the huge opening of the cave. Because of the darkness, it took some time for their eyes to adjust. They then discovered what looked like a door.

First Brave knocked, but there was no response. He knocked again, louder.

"What do you want, my brave ones?" asked an old Indian grandmother as she opened her door.

"Grandmother, we are searching for a new food supply for our tribe," First Brave replied. "Our people never seem to have enough food to eat."

"Are you hungry now?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, kind Grandmother, we are very hungry," all three braves answered.

The old grandmother opened her door wide, inviting the young braves to enter.

"Look out there!" she pointed for them to look through her window.

A beautiful wide prairie stretched before their eyes. Great herds of buffalo were grazing contentedly. The young hunters could hardly believe what they saw!

The old grandmother brought each of them a stone pan full of buffalo meat. How good it tasted, as they ate and ate until they were filled. To their surprise, more buffalo meat remained in their stone pans!

"I want you to take your stone pans of buffalo meat back to your people at your camp," said the old grandmother. "Tell them that soon I will send some live buffalo."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, kind Grandmother," said the three young Cheyenne braves.

When the young hunters returned to their tribe with the gifts of buffalo meat, their people rejoiced over the new, good food. Their entire tribe ate heartily from the old grandmother's three magic pans, and were grateful.

When the Cheyenne waked at dawn the next day, herds of buffalo had mysteriously appeared, surrounding their village! They were truly thankful to the old Indian grandmother and to the Sky Spirits for their good fortune.

We'll talk about Thunder-Lightning and the Eagle. They say that Thunder and the Eagle are fast friends. Long ago, Thunder spoke to every wild creature -- everything that flew or everything with four legs -- and to the Eagle he said,"I appoint you ruler.

You must have a meeting with all the wild creatures, and you must answer all their requests. If you think they [the creatures] should be a certain way,you make them that way. You must ask them what they want to be," said Thunder.

So the Eagle called a meeting. All kinds of birds came to it.

When they arrived, the meeting was called to order. He [the Eagle] asked each of them what he wanted to be able to do.

The Quail, who was very selfish when asked about anything, immediately arose and went and stood beside the Eagle.

"Couldn't you give me power so that when a man sees me fly he will instantly die of fright?" the Quail asked the Eagle.

"No,"said the Eagle. "You are entirely too small. I could not give you that kind of power. But I can go this far: I can let you fly, and when a man hears you fly, he will become frightened," said the eagle to the Quail.

The Quail said,"All right."

That's the reason why when we hear one [a quail] flying, we become frightened because he makes a whirring noise. That's all the power he was allowed.

Next came the Terrapin that crawls on land. "I would like to be able to produce a poison that kills people. Allow me that kind of power." he said to the Eagle.

"No,"said the Eagle,"You are entirely too slow and small." Thunder and the Eagle had a conference. (Thunder was the ruler of all the Earth and Heaven. That's why he appointed his best friend as Ruler of the Earth.)

The thing I especially remember about the doings of the Eagle is that he gave a power to the Chickadee. He [the Chickadee] was given the power to be something like a fortune teller among people in that he could go where people were, and if they were going to have visitors, he could inform them ahead of time. This could be done by flying to a tree near them and singing a joyous song.

"Would you give me that kind of power?" asked the Chickadee. So he was given that power. That's why the Cherokees say when they see a chickadee fly into a tree, "The Chickadee says somebody is coming." That's the power that was given to him they say.

Then the Redbird, the beautifully singing bird, came up: "Let people have faith in me. I want to be able to sing joyful songs when it is going to rain."

So he was given that power. That's why the old Cherokees believe that when they see this bird singing atop a tree it will rain. That's all the power he was given.

The Shrike came up and said,"All I want is to be an expert dance caller."And so he was given that power.

Said the people long ago: the Eagle was the Ruler of the Earth, but Thunder was the Ruler of the Whole Universe, and they got together to decide if all their distributed powers were going to be satisfactory. So said the people of long ago.

As is well known, many Asian countries have a fondness for consuming dog meat. In most other countries of the world, this practice is viewed as appalling as a dog is considered to be "man's best friend" and is the one animal that is emotionally closest to humans.

Recently at the end of June in South Korea, the Korea Dog Farmers’ Association had scheduled a dog meat festival which was to be in an open-air market in a city just south of Seoul. It promised to showcase various canine delicacies including barbecued dog, sausages and steamed paws. For only $100 -150, an individual could select a live dog and have it butchered on the spot.

The event also planned to sell cosmetics and alcohol made with canine ingredients. The purpose of this festival was to try to raise public awareness about the conditions on dog meat farms by featuring videos of canines being raised in clean environments. Currently the popular perception is just the opposite of this and rightly so. The Korea Dog Farmer's Association had hoped the festival would help to change public perception though and increase sales for the approximately 600 dog farms in the area.

But instead of having a successful festival, something very remarkable happened instead. The annual dog meat festival was
canceled due to a large number of complaints by South Korean animal activists. Due to endless calls of complaints the festival organizers could not rent out the spaces to dog meat participants.

Although eating dog meat has been a common practice for many years in Korea, recently public opinion has taken a downturn, especially from younger Koreans who oppose the practice and consider it an “international embarrassment.” As was stated by Park So-Youn, head of Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth, "This is making our country an international laughing stock, and making the whole world mistakenly believe that all South Koreans eat dogs."

So thanks to the pressure from animal rights activists in South Korea, a small but significant step has been taken to hopefully end this century's old custom of treating dogs as mere meat producing animals. It is just the beginning of a larger movement starting to take place in other Asian countries such as China also.
Godspeed this movement for the sake of millions of dogs and cats that are brutally raised and killed for consumption every year.

Dogs have one of the best totems or spirit guides because they are well attuned to the nature of humans and understand the best ways to guide them. Throughout history the dog has been known as man's best friend. There are hundreds of varieties, sizes and shapes found on every continent. Certain breeds of dog are designed for specific functions

The dog is a protector and guardian. Their acute hearing and keen sight forewarned their masters of impending danger. They serve selflessly never asking for their service to be praised. They hold the energies of unconditional love and teach us its true meaning.

Domesticated dogs are faithful companions to humans and enjoys being useful by serving human friends. Their sense of spirit and the ability to love even when abused is incredible. The dog teaches those with this totem how to give and receive love unconditionally. It also carries the energy of forgiveness. People with dog medicine would do well in service oriented jobs.

Dogs are intelligent and sensitive. They are able to sniff out dangerous situations accurately and guide us into safety. Psychic gifts have long been are associated with the dog because of their ability to detect subtle energy frequencies often unknown to mankind. If dog suddenly appears in your life pay attention to your immediate surroundings and let the dog guide your footsteps.


Certain breeds of dog were designed for specific functions. The study of the breed and its purpose can help you define the energy associated with it. Since wolves and coyotes are its descendants these should be studied as well.

The behavior of a dog often reflects the personality of its owner. Through its observation and constant interaction with you it anticipates your next move, and serves as a mirror image of who you truly are. The dog is a great teacher for those who are willing to be loyal students. The choice is yours.

There was a young girl named Kia and her brother mike. there parent had left them to die in the forest. A fox come over and looked at the boy and said " I will take you in and treat you like my own. You will then protect all foxes in the forest".

The boy said goodbye to his sister and left. Then out come a pure white wolf named Vivian. She looked at the Kia and said "I will take you in and treat you like my own. then you will protect every wolf in the forest." The girl and the wolf left. 14 years later the girl fought wildly like a wolf and become the leader of Vivians pack. Kia could change into a wolf. Mike he fought like a fox, he was sly and cunning like the wolf.

One day Kia and Mike were forced to fight to the death. Mike and Kia forgot that they were brother and sister. They fought and Kia badly wounded him. Then she realized that she had fought her own brother. She then swore that she would protect every animal in the forest. Unless she had to kill it for food. Kia then become princess of the earth and the protector of all creatures.

by Stephanie, age 14©