Himeen: Reintroducing Ourselves to the Wolf
Evelyn Carter, D'Lisa Pinkham, Jackie Taylor
Nez Perce Indian Reservation, Lapwai, Idaho

Grade level
Second

Time required
5 hours

Materials
The book, Red Wolf Country, by Jonathan London
Construction paper
String
Hole punch
Orange cones
Poster board
Coloring utensils
Chart paper
Map and satellite image of Idaho

Goals
By completing this lesson students will

1. learn about the wolf’s life history and history in the United States,
2. become aware of the cultural significance of the wolf to the Nez Perce people,
3. learn about wolf recovery efforts currently being conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe,
4. learn about the interdependent relationships within ecosystems and
5. gain experience in using inquiry skills to predict favored wolf habitat.

Science standards addressed
National Science Standards

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Organisms and environments
• Systems, orders and organization
• Changes in environments

American Indian Science Standards

• Observations and understandings of nature and ecological relationships traditionally formed an essential base of knowledge among American Indian cultures
• Various forms of scientific and technological work currently engaged in by American Indian men and woman and in what ways their fields require the process of problem identification, design and solution
• Local challenges in medicine and environmental protection and how traditional Indian knowledge, practices and philosophies have been and continue to be called upon for solutions
• Elements of the pre-contact North American environment and how changes to them were brought on by the arrival of Europeans in North American, such as the effects of the fur trade on animal populations and its subsequent effect on Indian life

Teacher tips
Wolves provide the opportunity to integrate several different subjects such as science, social studies, literature and art. Study of the issues surrounding the wolf and its reintroduction also provides an opportunity to discuss cause and effect relationships, opinions and facts, and cultural diversity. This lesson is written from a Nez Perce perspective of the importance of the wolf. Of course, there are many perspectives on the reintroduction of wolves issue. This lesson will teach students about the lifestyles and habits of wolves, as well as past and present perceptions of the wolf. By giving students background information and literary materials about wolves, they can form their own perception of the wolf and its importance in our ecosystem.

Background information
The wolf, or himeen, in the Nez Perce language, are the largest members of the Canid family, weighing approximately 40 to 175 pounds and stretching to a length of 6 feet from tip to nose. Their scientific name is Canis lupus. They were once the most widely distributed wild members of the dog family, inhabiting most of the Northern Hemisphere. They play an important role in their ecosystems as predators, helping keep herds of elk and deer healthy and their habitats balanced.

Wolves are considered predators; they hunt a wide variety of prey from rodents to ungulates, including moose, deer, elk, and bison. Their bodies are suited well for hunting. Their jaws are powerful and help to crush bones. They have a biting capacity of approximately 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. Their teeth are sharp and made to eat meat. They have a keen sense of smell and can smell prey from more than a mile away. They have sharp eyesight and a keen sense of hearing as well. They can hear sounds up to 6 miles away. Their very large feet are designed for running. Their front feet are a little larger than their back feet and their paws can spread apart while running in the snow, creating a snowshoe effect. Their strong legs allow them to chase down prey for 20 miles or more. They can run approximately 24 to 40 miles per hour. They can travel about 10 to 30 miles each day in search of food. The most a wolf can eat at one sitting is about 22 pounds. They need an average of 3-5 pounds of meat a day for survival.

Wolves live in packs and are highly organized into a social hierarchy. The dominant male and female wolves are called the alphas and they will lead the pack in hunting and tracking prey, as well as maintaining the pack’s territory. The alpha pair of wolves will also be the wolves that reproduce. The alpha wolves are at the top of the social hierarchy and will reinforce the established pecking order through displays of dominance. Other wolves are considered subordinates, and they normally display submission to the alpha pair. The omega wolf is the lowest ranking wolf, or scapegoat. While the omega is the wolf that may be the last to eat or the most vulnerable pack member, they are still an important part of the social hierarchy. They are known to initiate play and bonding. They are also known to help stop arguments between other wolves.

Wolves are a wonderful species to watch as they interact with each other. They have a unique way of communicating. They use their voice to howl and bark. They howl to let other pack members know where they are and to let other wolf packs know their territory boundaries. They also have a distinct body language to communicate. For instance, if they are angry they may stick their ears straight up and bare their teeth as a warning. If they are showing submission or are afraid, they may pull their ears straight back against their head or tuck their tail between their legs. A dominant wolf will stand tall with their ears and tail held high. A playful wolf will dance and bow.

The public attitude towards wolves is mixed. There are many misconceptions about the wolf. This is spread by stereotypes such as the story “Little Red Riding Hood” or “The Three Little Pigs,” or tales of the werewolf. For hundreds of thousands of years Native Americans lived peacefully with the wolf. They held an important role in tribal culture. The wolf was known as an elder kinsman and respected. Because Native people lived so closely with nature, the wolf was not considered a dangerous predator or killer. Native people did not actively seek to harm or eradicate the wolf. When European settlers began to inhabit America they brought their fear of wolves with them. Encounters with wolves in Europe were different. Although the likelihood of a wolf harming a human was very small, the threat and fear of the wolf led to their eradication. Laws were passed for hunters to track down wolf packs and kill them, often for a bounty. Wolf pups were also killed at their dens.

Wolves in America were not driven to extinction. Attitudes began to change and people began to learn more about the wolf’s place in the ecosystem. Laws, such as the Endangered Species Act, were passed to protect animals from extinction. Wolves were classified as endangered or threatened in many areas. An endangered species is one who is alive today, but whose populations have decreased and may face extinction in all or parts of their region. A threatened species is one who is likely to become endangered in the near future.

Many organizations began to work together not only to boost existing wolf populations, but also to reintroduce them into areas where they had disappeared. The Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho was a key supporter of this endeavor to restore the wolf in the state. Today there are several packs of wolves that have been successfully reintroduced back into their natural land area in Idaho. The traditional and cultural ties to the wolf are being restored.

Reintroduction of the wolf is still difficult. When wolves were actively hunted for rewards or for their pelts, people were still settling into the western United States. More and more people spread out across the land, building communities. Today our country is linked with roads, highways, freeways, towns, and cities, eliminating much of the wolf’s ranging space. Wolf encounters with humans are more frequent because their large 50 to 150 square mile ranges often envelope areas of human activity. Scientists monitor reintroduced wolves and studies are conducted to learn how they are adapting to their new living conditions. Through education and understanding the wolf has become an important part of Nez Perce and American culture once again.

In Nez Perce oral history the wolf was an important animal person. Many stories exist of the wolf brothers. During the story of “Coyote’s Council,” where all of the animal people were deciding on how to help humans survive when they were created, the wolf stepped forward to offer knowledge on how to hunt, how to act socially, and how to raise a family. Many Nez Perce individuals hold names that refer to wolf, such as Yellow Wolf or Red Wolf. The wolf was also a powerful Weyekin or guardian power.

Wolf Facts

• Pack size: The pack size can range from 4-7 to even 20 individuals, depending on pup mortality rates in the lower 48 states.
• Pack territory size: A wolf pack needs a great deal of space in which to live. In the lower 48 states they need 25 to 150 square miles to roam and hunt. In Alaska, though, they need 300 to 1,000 square miles.
• Wolf to deer ratio: There is approximately 1 wolf to a population of 50 to 200 deer.
• Life span: Wolves have been known to live up to 13 years in the wild.
• Main threats to survival: Wolves can be injured in a hunt, especially if they are hunting for prey like bison or moose. This is considered a natural threat to survival. More recently, the wolf’s main threats are the loss of habitat due to destruction, development and encroachment by humans, and persecution by humans.

Procedure
Engagement

1. Assess your students’ understanding of the wolf. Ask them what they already know about the wolf. Introduce some background information on the wolf, including how the wolf is an indigenous species that lived in the area for hundreds of thousands of years. Talk about how the wolf almost disappeared from the area and how the Nez Perce Tribe helped to bring them back through their management efforts as part of the Wolf Recovery Program.
2. Invite an elder to visit your classroom to talk with students about wolves, including the wolf’s abundance when they were younger, and the wolf’s cultural significance to the Nez Perce people.

Exploration

1. Read aloud the book, Red Wolf Country. This book is about the trek of a male and female wolf. The story illustrates the obstacles wolves may encounter in trying to obtain their basic survival needs such as food and shelter.
2. Have students brainstorm a class list of obstacles a wolf might face in their travels. Examples may include fences, farms, roads, automobiles, towns, hunters, trappers, rivers, livestock or competing predators, such as bears or cougars.
3. Show students a map or satellite image of the state of Idaho where wolf recovery efforts are occurring. Create a large wall map of the area, allowing students to draw in natural landmarks, towns, habitat types, etc.
4. Introduce the word habitat. Ask students to consider the elements of habitat a wolf might need, as well as obstacles that impede their survival. Ask them to predict the areas on the map that they think wolves would prefer. Mark the areas with a string boundary.
5. Have students create a class list of questions about these topics for their visit with the tribal biologist.

Explanation

1. Arrange a class visit with a tribal biologist knowledgeable about the tribe’s cooperative efforts in wolf recovery in Idaho. Encourage students to ask their questions about wolves.
2. Have students use the class map to explain their wolf habitat predictions to the tribal biologist, who should provide feedback.
3. Allow students to adjust their predictions of preferred habitat based on their new knowledge.

Elaboration

1. Use the student generated list of obstacles in a kinesthetic activity dramatizing a wolf’s journey.
• Assign each student a character or obstacle to portray. Have students write a large nametag to identify their character, and the outcome of their encounter with wolves (e.g., automobile – wolf is killed).
• Create a trail for the wolves to follow, using posters to indicate different parts of the trail, such as mountains, fields, rivers and forests. Lay out the trail with cones in a large area, securing the posters throughout.
• Game 1: The first game should be a game played before any human interactions or human-made obstacles existed. Have students wolves travel the trail with only natural obstacles, portrayed by other students. Some wolves will survive, others will be eliminated during the journey.
• Game 2: Add human-made obstacles into the trail. For example, the first obstacle may be a fence of three students wide. The wolf pack will have to go over the fence. One wolf may not make it over the fence.
• Bring students back together and discuss the outcomes of the two games, and the impacts that humans have on the environment.

Evaluation

1. Assess student understanding of content based on their responses during class discussions, and their predictions of wolf habitat.
2. Ask students to write journal responses to questions related to wolf reintroduction. Example questions might include
   • Do you think the wolf should be reintroduced? Why?
   • What are some problems involved with wolf reintroduction?

Vocabulary

Follow up activities

1. Visit the Nez Perce Wolf Education Center near Winchester, Idaho to view the wolves up close and learn about their importance to the Nez Perce people and the world. There are education rates for school tours, along with educational activities.
2. Provide a learning center or student corner in which students can engage in activities on their own time. A wolf-corner could have a stack of literature and informational books for students to read through, posters, games, and other fun materials. Students can also explore more about the wolf online. Books and web sites are listed in the Resources section.
3. Play a game simulating predator/prey relationships. In a large open area, divide students into three groups, predators, prey, and a group of students who will enter the game at different points. The predator team will begin with 5 predators. The prey team will consist of 25 prey. The predator team will chase down the prey in a game of tag. With every two prey eaten by a predator, another predator (from the sidelines) will join the game. This will show that the predators are thriving, for the time being. Very quickly the number of predators increases and the number of prey decreases until there is no more food. Then the team is switched and there only one predator for every 30 prey. For every minute the predator hunts, the prey will multiply itself by two. These two will join the herd from the sidelines. If the predator cannot catch enough prey, the herd will quickly become overpopulated. This game shows that too many or too little of either predator or prey is not healthy. One will either starve, or get sick because they are overpopulated. The balance between the two keeps the populations healthy and manageable.
4. A good book to accompany the predator/prey game is Master Elk and the Mountain Lion, by Jonathan London, illustrated by Wayne McLoughlin. It shows the relationship of both predator and prey from both perspectives. It also shows that a predator may be able to eat the prey, but they will not always be able to catch the prey

Resources
Books

Amato, C. (1995). To be a wolf. New York: Barrons Education Series.

Boyle, D. (1993). Gray wolf pup. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Wild Heritage Collection.

Field, N., & Karasov, C. (1991). Discovering wolves. WI: Dog-Eared Publications.

George, J. C. (1972). Julie of the wolves. New York: Harper Collins Trophy.

George, J.C. (1997). Look to the north: A wolf pup diary.

Giegling, J. (1992). Snowflake, come home: A wolf’s story. PA: Wordsong Graphics.

Howler, J. (1997). Walk with a wolf. MA: Candlewick Press.

Jessell, T. (1994). Amorak. MN: Creative Editions.

Lepthien, E. (1991). Wolves, A new true book. Chicago: Children’s Press.

Ling, M. (1991). Amazing wolves, dogs & foxes. London: Dorling Kidersley Limited.

London, J. (1993). The eyes of gray wolf. CA: Chronicle Books.

London, J. (1995). Master elk and the mountain lion. New York: Crown Publishing.

London, J. (1996). Red wolf country. New York: Scholastics.

Milton, J. (1992). Wild, wild wolves. New York: Random House.

Patent, D. H. (1990). Gray wolf – red wolf. New York: Clarion Books.

Powell, M. (1992). Wolf tales - Native American children’s stories. NM: Ancient City Press.

Swineburn, S. (1999). Once a wolf: How wildlife biologists fought to bring back the gray wolf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Trivizas, E., & Oxenbury, H. (1993). The three little wolves and the big bad pig. New York: Margaret McElderry Books.

Wolpert, T. (1990). Wolves for kids. MN: NorthWord Press, Inc.

Videos

Following the tundra wolf. (1975). Vestron Video: Peaceful River Films.

Wild wolves with David Attenborough. (1997). PBS Home Video.

White wolf. (1992). National Geographic Video.

Websites

Wolf Education and Research Center - www.wolfcenter.org

United States Fish and Wildlife Service - www.fws.gov/r3pao/wolf/

Defenders of Wildlife - www.defenders.org/index.html

International Wolf Center - www.wolf.org/wolves/

Wolf Recovery Foundation - www.forwolves.org

National Wildlife Federation - www.nwf.org/natlwild/1998/nezperce.html/

Gander Academy’s Wolf Resources on the World Wide Web www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/wolves.htm#Gander

Timber Wolf Information Network - www.timberwolfinformation.org