My latest pencil drawing from my Indigenous Art and History class…
Wolf -
The Ojibwe People’s Dictionary:
wolf
ma'iingan na a wolf
[timberwolf / gray wolf; Canis lupus]
black wolf
makade-ma'iingan na a black wolf
white wolf
waabishki-ma'iingan na a white wolf
Source: https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/search?utf8=✓&q=Wolf&commit=Search&type=english
For traditional Ojibwe people, the keys to understanding the natural world, to living a good life, are captured in oral stories. Part legend, part history, these ancient teachings explain the relationship between humans and animals in the Lake Superior region. Among the fishes, four-leggeds, and birds, no creature has a more intimate relationship with the Ojibwe than the wolf.
“When the world started, the wolf was put here to help people,” said Ojibwe elder Jim Merhar. “You can think of it almost like dogs today. The wolf is a partner to man.”
Ojibwe language speakers know the wolf as ma’iingan. Considered wise mentors from a time when humans and animals openly talked to each other, wolves instructed Indigenous people how to conduct themselves both in social groups and hunting afield. Like wolf packs, Native families organized themselves into clans, taking on responsibilities in service of the greater community, working for the benefit of everyone.
Source: https://northernwilds.com/culture-prophecy-bind-ojibwe-people-wolves/
I am a Métis youth (Ojibwe/French) taking a course on Indigenous Art and History in Canada. I will share my work here along with some of the thoughts and ideas I have while creating these works. I will also share some of the Ojibwe and Algonquin language we are learning.