Paula Underwood
This Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) tale, though thousands of years old, was passed from an Erie elder to an Oneida healer named Tsilikomah around 1800. She in turn handed it on to her grandson, as did he to his own son. This man, Perry Leonard Underwood, taught the story to his daughter Paula, who gave it written form.
LONG AGO
Our People grew in number so that where we were
was no longer enough
Many young men
were sent out from among us
to seek a new place
where the People might be who-they-were
They searched
and they returned
each with a place selected
each determined his place was best
AND SO IT WAS
That the People had a decision to make:
which of the many was most appropriate
NOW, AT THAT TIME
There was one among the People
to whom Wolf was brother
He was so much Wolf’s brother
that he would sing their song to them
and they would answer him
He was so much Wolf’s brother
that their young
would sometimes follow him through the forest
and it seemed they meant to learn from him
SO IT WAS, AT THIS TIME
That the People gave That One a special name
They called him WOLF’S BROTHER
and if any sought to learn about Wolf
if any were curious
or wanted to learn to sing Wolf’s song
they would sit beside him
and describe their curiosity
hoping for a reply
AS I HAVE SAID
The People sought a new place in the forest
They listened closely to each of the young men
as they spoke of hills and trees
of clearings and running water
of deer and squirrel and berries
They listened to hear which place
might be drier in rain
more protected in winter
and where our Three Sisters
Corn, Beans, and Squash
might find a place to their liking
They listened
and they chose
Before they chose
they listened to each young man
Before they chose
they listened to each among them
he who understood the flow of waters
she who understood Long House construction
he who understood the storms of winter
she who understood Three Sisters
to each of these they listened
until they reached agreement
and the Eldest among them
finally rose and said:
‘‘SO BE IT—
FOR SO IT IS’’
‘‘BUT WAIT’’
Someone cautioned—
“Where is Wolf’s Brother?
WHO, THEN, SPEAKS FOR WOLF?”
BUT
THE PEOPLE WERE DECIDED
and their mind was firm
and the first people were sent
to choose a site for the first Long House
to clear a space for our Three Sisters
to mold the land so that water
would run away from our dwelling
so that all would be secure within
AND THEN WOLF’S BROTHER RETURNED
He asked about the New Place
and said at once that we must choose another
“You have chosen the Center Place
for a great community of Wolf”
But we answered him
that many had already gone
and that it could not wisely be changed
and that surely Wolf could make way for us
as we sometimes make way for Wolf
But Wolf’s Brother counseled—
“I think that you will find
that it is too small a place for both
and that it will require more work
than change would presently require”
BUT THE PEOPLE CLOSED THEIR EARS
and would not reconsider
When the New Place was ready
all the People rose up as one
and took those things they found of value
and looked at last upon their new home
NOW CONSIDER HOW IT WAS FOR THEM
This New Place
had cool summers and winter protection
and fast-moving streams
and forests around us
filled with deer and squirrel
there was room even for our Three Beloved Sisters
AND THE PEOPLE SAW THAT THIS WAS GOOD
and did not see
wolf watching from the shadows!
BUT AS TIME PASSED
They began to see—
for someone would bring deer or squirrel
and hang him from a tree
and go for something to contain the meat
but would return
to find nothing hanging from the tree
AND WOLF BEYOND
AT FIRST
This seemed to us an appropriate exchange—
some food for a place to live
BUT
It soon became apparent that it was more than this—
for Wolf would sometimes walk between the dwellings
that we had fashioned for ourselves
and the women grew concerned
for the safety of the little ones
Thinking of this
they devised for awhile an agreement with Wolf
whereby the women would gather together
at the edge of our village
and put out food for Wolf and his brothers
BUT IT WAS SOON APPARENT
That this meant too much food
and also Wolf grew bolder
coming in to look for food
so that it was worse than before
WE HAD NO WISH TO TAME WOLF
AND SO
Hearing the wailing of the women
the men devised a system
whereby some among them
were always alert to drive off Wolf
AND WOLF WAS SOON HIS OLD UNTAMED SELF
BUT
They soon discovered
that this required so much energy
that there was little left for winter preparations
and the Long Cold began to look longer and colder
with each passing day
THEN
The men counseled together
to choose a different course
THEY SAW
That neither providing Wolf with food
nor driving him off
gave the People a life that was pleasing
THEY SAW
That Wolf and the People
could not live comfortably together
in such a small space
THEY SAW
That it was possible
to hunt down this Wolf People
until they were no more
BUT THEY ALSO SAW
That this would require much energy over many years
THEY SAW, TOO,
That such a task would change the People:
they would become Wolf Killers
A People who took life only to sustain their own
would become a People who took life
rather than move a little
IT DID NOT SEEM TO THEM
THAT THEY WANTED TO BECOME SUCH A PEOPLE
AT LAST
One of the Eldest of the People
spoke what was in every mind:
“It would seem
that Wolf’s Brother’s vision
was sharper than our own
To live here indeed requires more work now
than change would have made necessary”
NOW THIS WOULD BE A SIMPLE TELLING
of a people who decided to move
ONCE WINTER WAS PAST
EXCEPT
that from this
THE PEOPLE LEARNED A GREAT LESSON
IT IS A LESSON
we have never forgotten
FOR
At the end of their Council
one of the Eldest rose again and said:
“Let us learn from this
so that not again
need the People build only to move
Let us not again think we will gain energy
only to lose more than we gain
We have learned to choose a place
where winter storms are less
rather than rebuild
We have learned to choose a place
where water does not stand
rather than sustain sickness
LET US NOW LEARN TO CONSIDER WOLF!’’
AND SO IT WAS
That the People devised among themselves
a way of asking each other questions
whenever a decision was to be made
on a New Place or a New Way
We sought to perceive the flow of energy
through each new possibility
and how much was enough
and how much was too much
UNTIL AT LAST
Someone would rise
and ask the old, old question
to remind us of things
we do not yet see clearly enough to remember
‘‘TELL ME NOW MY BROTHERS
TELL ME NOW MY SISTERS
WHO SPEAKS FOR WOLF?’’
Wolf 