Wildlife Pets For Woodland Indians

Forget The Dog, What About The Fox?

Jun 17, 2008 Kim DeLeary

In Canadian Indian history and present times, wildlife animals have proven to be wonderful and fantastic household pets. The raccoon continues to be an all-time favorite.

Love and affection between animals and humans is possible even if the animal in question is "wild.”

Wildlife has always been an essential portion in the lives of the Canadian Indian. Canadian Chippewa Indians love nature in and around the home. In the days before the wide-spread destruction of the natural world around them, the Canadian Chippewa Indian would bring a variety of wildlife species home as a pet.

I'm A Real Wild One!

Since the Canadian Indian has had a close relationship with nature for ages, it could be expected that a wild animal would make it into the wigwams and tipis. It could be a baby animal that had been rescued or taken or an animal, which has been enticed with food offerings into hanging around with the Indian person or family. Either way, wild animals proved to be just as irresistible as companions and housemates to the Eastern Woodland Indians.

What Size Will The Adult Be?

Size did not seem to be a problem when it came to what was considered desirable in a wildlife pet. The wild pet could be a large or tiny mammal or even a bird. Some of the wild animals that the Canadian Indian would bring to their home to live with or nearby them, were bears, owls, crows, robins, foxes, chipmunks and raccoons.

Watch The Baby, Will You?

Wildlife pets could be helpful around the home as well. In one instance, it was reported in 1893 by missionary Rev. Egerton Ryerson Young that in the necessary absence of the parents from the wigwam, upon the return of the mother, the grown pet bear was found rocking the baby's cradle gently after the baby had begun crying. The wild animals were as beloved and affectionate as any domesticated dog or cat. (Stories from Indian wig-wams and northern camp-fires, Charles H. Kelly, London).

During the residential school era, some lucky Indian boys, with access to the woods, might have had a chipmunk as a pocket friend for a short period. Birds, particularly crows, were curious and always wanted a peek at what was brought home from the store. For instance, one family's crow would fly into the house to sit on the bag to inspect its contents before the bag was emptied. From the tree, this bird would also alert the family to someone coming. It is reported that wild animals, including the raccoon, enjoy being held, petted and treated affectionately.

Things Are Not The Same

As the land turned to farmland around the Canadian Indian, the diversity of Canadian wildlife has been reduced. Presently, Canadian Indian reserves are full of forest life yet pollution from outside sources contaminates the once pristine waters, soils, and forests of many Canadian Indian territories.

The once close relationship that the Canadian Indians had with the wildlife around them has been affected by different elements of history and pollution on many Canadian Indian reserves and not as many Canadian Indians have wild animals as pets nowadays.

The copyright of the article Wildlife Pets For Woodland Indians in Environmentalism is owned by Kim DeLeary. Permission to republish Wildlife Pets For Woodland Indians in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.