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Red Wolf

Canis rufus

Status: Critically Endangered, due to poaching, trapping, and habitat loss. It is the world's most endangered canid. They are important to the ecosystem because as an apex predator, they play a vital role in keeping populations of deer and smaller mammals in check. As an "umbrella species", a healthy population of red wolves makes for an increase in overall health and balance of the entire region.

The Pawnee Nation flag and seal features at the center, the profile of a wolf, which embodies the courage and cunning of the Pawnee. They were referred to by other Plains tribes as the Wolf People, out of respect for their tenacity, strength, and war prowess. When hunting, they strove to sense as a wolf, and move as stealthily.

The Milky Way is called the Wolf Road. Due to earth's orbit, Sirius, the Wolf Star, passes the sun and disappears for part of the year. It appears in the evening in the winter, and in the pre-dawn hours in the summer. This appearance and disappearance of the Wolf Star was said to be the comings and goings of the wolf from the spirit world, running back and forth along the trail of the Wolf Road.

 

References:
Pawnee Nation Flag & Seal, Pawnee Nation. https://pawneenation.org/pawnee-nation-flag-and-seal

Lopez, Barry H. (1978). Of Wolves and Men. J. M. Dent and Sons Limited.

Fletcher, A. C. (1903). Pawnee Star Lore. The Journal of American Folklore, 16(60), 10-15. https://doi.org/10.2307/533670