In an Anishinaabe creation story, the Creator gives Original Man a responsibility: to travel across the Earth and name the living things he encounters. During his journey, he notices that other animals have companions. He is alone and asks the Creator why. The Creator sends Ma’iingan, Wolf, to accompany him. Together, they travel the Earth, visiting its places and learning about the life surrounding them. Their shared journey brings them close, and they become like brothers. Their companionship also reveals their relationship with the wider world. The plants and animals around them sustain their lives. As Original Man and Wolf come to understand each other, they also recognize their dependence on the other beings with whom they share the Earth. When their journey is complete, the Creator tells them that they must separate. Each will follow a different path. Their bond, however, will continue. Whatever happens to one will also happen to the other. Both will be feared, respected, and misunderstood. Original Man and Wolf obey and go their separate ways. Their separation establishes different places within creation while preserving a connection between their futures. The two retain responsibilities towards each other. Wolf helps sustain healthy animal populations by taking sick and weak animals. Humans have a responsibility to protect wolves from harm. The story gives meaning to the understanding of Wolf as a relative. Brotherhood carries an obligation to consider his survival and the conditions in which he lives. His place in creation remains connected to the lives of Anishinaabe people. The Bad River Band draws a connection between this teaching and the histories of persecution experienced by wolves and Anishinaabe communities. Both have suffered displacement and attacks on their continued existence. Efforts to protect wolves therefore concern a relationship reaching back to creation. For communities carrying this teaching, the story explains why decisions about wolves have cultural and spiritual consequences. Protecting a relative honours the bond formed when Original Man and Wolf first walked the Earth together.
