PR (Wolf 2020): 105 - Ojibwe and Canis Lupus: cultural, historical, and political influences on contemporary wolf management in the Great Lakes region (ABSTRACT)

In the creation story of the Ojibwe1, Original Man was created by Kitche Manitou; the Great Spirit. Original Man was given the task to walk across the world and name all the living things. While he was completing this task, Original Man noticed that all the other animals were in pairs. When Original Man mentioned this, the Great Spirit created a companion for him. Not a woman, as in the Christian story of
creation, but a wolf: Ma’iingan, meaning ‘brother’. When Original Man and Ma’iingan traveled the world together, they became very close and developed a unique brotherhood. After the journey was over, Kitche Manitou told them they would be forever linked: “What shall happen to one of you shall also happen to the other. Each of you will be feared, respected, and misunderstood by the people” (Benton-Banai 1988).
The wolf has since been considered a brother to the Ojibwe people. This perception of the wolf continues to exist today in their tribal culture and directly influences Ojibwe wolf policy, which has important implications for state wildlife management policies.