Keeping Warmth in a Bag - We Are All Connected

A bobcat in British Columbia.  This Canadian province hosts the northernmost population of bobcats.  Photo credit: Tjfelx2

 

One Native American bobcat story "Keeping Warmth in a Bag" comes from the Dene Tha', also known as the Slavey.  In this legend, the bobcat plays a key role as a powerful shapeshifter and swift runner.  These First Nations people are indigenous to Canada, and their traditional land is located in what is today part of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories.  The traditional Dene Tha' story opens at a gathering of the wild animals.  Hunting was difficult, because a long, cold winter had lasted for three years, with no end in sight.  All the animals held a council to discuss the cause of this endless cold weather and snow.  

"This winter must be especially hard on our sister the bear, who has always hated the cold," someone remarked.  Realizing that no bears had been seen in the area for the same length of time, the council decided that a bear was likely involved in the endless winter.  Four fierce and powerful animals decided to investigate - a bobcat, wolf, fox and a wolverine.  Two strong fish, a pike and dogfish, also joined the search effort.  A brave little mouse decided to come along and help however she could.  After searching through the lower world, the animals discovered a hole in the sky that led to an upper world above them.  This hole was big enough that a bear could have escaped through it.  Luckily, the gap was within reach, allowing the animals to enter through. 

Within the upper world, the animals immediately noticed the air was much warmer and there was no snow.  Likewise, the pike and dogfish noticed there was no ice covering the rivers and lakes.  The bobcat, wolverine, fox, wolf, and mouse wandered around on the land, and soon discovered a canoe on the shore of a lake.  Nearby, a fire burned outside a hut, and on the inside they found two bear cubs.  

The bobcat noticed several large bags hanging from the ceiling.  Pointing to one, he asked the bear cubs, "What's in this bag?"  

"Our mother keeps rain in this one," the cubs replied.  The other animals in turn pointed to different bags, asking what they held.  They learned the mother bear was storing the winds and fog inside. 

Finally the wolverine questioned the cubs about the last bag in the hut.  The cubs hesitated to answer at first, but after some persuasion, they revealed that this one held the warm weather.  Knowing the mother bear had stolen the warmth and was hoarding it all to herself, the animals left the hut and secretly discussed how to return the bag.  They decided on a cooperative plan.

The little mouse scurried over to the bear's canoe.  She gnawed at the handle of the canoe paddle until it was almost completely eaten through.  She scampered away.  Then the swift bobcat saw the mother bear and raced around to the far shore of the lake.  He shapeshifted into a caribou calf, just before the bear noticed him.  "Quick, quick children! Help me catch this caribou for dinner!" the mother bear said.  The two cubs came scrambling quickly to give chase.  But the bobcat was faster and raced ahead of the bears, luring them deep into the forest.  In the meantime, the fox, wolverine, and wolf entered the hut, pulled the heavy bag down from its pole and began to drag it off.  

Photo credit: Mike Chervinko

 

The bobcat led the bears back to the lakeshore and jumped in the water.  The bear and her cubs kept chasing him - she leapt into her canoe and began paddling furiously after what she thought was a caribou calf.  But in the middle of the lake, her mouse-gnawed paddle broke in half.  In her surprise, the bear upturned the canoe, and she and her two cubs began swimming across the lake.  

Changing back into his true form, the bobcat swam to the shore and rejoined his friends.  The bobcat, wolverine, fox, and wolf took turns pulling the heavy bag of warmth back to the hole.  Though the bears still pursued, the team was determined to escape back to the lower world.  At the last moment, when the bears were close behind and the animals were exhausted from carrying the weight, they passed the bag to the pike and dogfish - who were still fresh and had been waiting.  Each one of them made it back through the hole safely to the lower world.  

 

Using sharp teeth or claws, the bobcat and other animals tore open the bag.  The heat rushed out, melting the snow and creating a flood.  The animals took shelter in the high branches of a tall tree.  A great fish drank up the floodwaters, causing them to recede.  Summer had finally returned to the world and the balance was restored.  In the end, the animals talked with the bear in the lower world and came to an agreement.  It was decided that since the bear disliked cold weather so much, she could sleep during the winter instead.

This Dene Tha' story of the shapeshifting bobcat, his friends, and the warmth-hoarding bear is one of many indigenous American legends that speaks to the balance and interconnectedness of the natural world.  Because the bear in the story only had her own desires and interests in mind, her actions affected the entire animal community.  Cherokee storyteller Gayle Ross noted this theme is prevalent throughout the traditions of many tribes.  She stated, "you find those kinds of stories all over, where for one selfish reason or another, one person tries to control one aspect of the natural forces and it always succeeds in throwing the entire world out of balance."

Wolverines are highly dependent on the climate and snowpack conditions of their habitat

 All species depend on each other in some way, and changing habitat conditions or losing one species affects the entire community.  Wolverines require deep winter snow to dig their dens, thus are dependent on local climate, and are considered an excellent indicator of the health of northern ecosystems.  Gray wolves are often referred to as a keystone species, playing an important ecological role in maintaining a balance and keeping elk herds on the move, preventing overbrowsing.  

From experience, indigenous cultures know of the interconnected nature of the natural world.  Jason Baldes, an Eastern Shoshone tribal member, noted in an article on cougars, deer, and CWD: “In Western thought, we silo everything and think it should be broken down in pieces.  But when you look at it whole, it’s not siloed. It’s one system together.”  In contrast to the Eastern Shoshone - who traditionally don't hunt cougars on their land - the state of Wyoming allows cougar hunting statewide, with the objective of keeping the population artificially low in many areas (known as "population sinks"), due to low perceived tolerance for cougars and to maximize ungulate hunting opportunity.  While the factors are deeply complex, the prevalence and spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in the state's mule deer herds may at least partially be a consequence of this policy.  This year, when mule deer herds in parts of western Wyoming declined due to an unusually severe winter, the state wildlife agency decided to dramatically increase cougar kill quotas even further.  For another example, the Ojibwe of northern Wisconsin view wolves as their relatives.  However, Wisconsin has a law requiring a wolf hunt if wolves are delisted, with the goal of keeping their population at a particular level, which directly clashes with the values of the tribes and a large number of Wisconsin residents.

According to Michigan wolf and moose researcher John Vucetich, “the interests of recreational hunters sometimes conflict with conservation principles. For example, wildlife management conducted in the interest of hunters can lead to an overabundance of animals that people like to hunt, such as deer, and the extermination of predators that also provide a vital balance to the ecosystem."   While hunting has long been a way of life and subsistence for Native Americans, this western model stands in sharp contrast to the indigenous views of conservation and land management practices.  One critique agrees that "Unlike Western science, which tends to break things down into its component parts and investigate them independently from one another, Native American scientific traditions underscore the relationality of the world and its inhabitants. This provides a broader perspective on how different beings can be affected by different decisions." 

We would do well to remember that the natural world is a complex, interconnected system.  When we manipulate one aspect to suit our own desires - like a bear hoarding the warm weather - it affects everyone.