The Woman And The Wolves, A Beautiful Legend Dakota

This old Dakota legend tells us that in an Indian village there lived a beautiful young woman whom her neighbors did not respect too much. She was scary and to try to gain the respect that she did not enjoy, she obeyed everyone without question.

One day a young man from the tribe approached him and spoke kindly to him. She was trapped by that treatment she had never experienced and, of course, also by the young man. Little by little, they fell in love , until he asked her to marry him. The young woman’s father did not pay much attention to the request and simply approved the union without pausing much to think about it.

The young man promised that he would always treat her with kindness and consideration. Also that he would love her all his life and that he would make her happy. However, shortly after they were married, the mistreatment began. Legend has it Dakota that she had to endure humiliating words and that he even beat her. No one in the tribe intervened, so the young woman decided to escape to save herself from that sad fate.

A new home

The girl began to cross fields and forests. She wanted to get away as much and as soon as possible from her husband, before he realized her absence and began the search. She spent several days walking, until she fell completely exhausted in a distant place.

The girl fell asleep. Suddenly he felt a noise and woke up. Ahead of her was the dreaded chieftain of the wolves, someone she had already heard of. It was said to be wild and cruel. However, the chief of the wolves was simply watching her. He stayed like that for a while and then slowly approached. He told him that if he wanted to, he could live with his people.

The young woman hesitated, but something in her heart told her that she could trust the chief of the wolves. He decided to follow him to where the other animals were. They all received her with kindness and respect. Legend has it Dakota that no one, ever before, had treated the girl so well.

The force of affection

According to the Dakota legend, the chief of the wolves asked him what he liked to eat. She replied that her favorite dish was buffalo. So, she  sent other wolves to hunt buffalo so that she could eat their meat. Within a few hours, they had gotten a good supply of said meat.

The chief of the wolves asked him how he ate that meat. She replied that it was boiled. They all set out to find the necessary elements so that she could cook the meat. Later, they got the proper silverware so that she could enjoy the food more. Thus, little by little, the young woman stopped feeling insecure.

The reception and treatment of the wolves was so affectionate and respectful that it also allowed her to learn to love and respect herself. She became one of the group, until one day the head of the wolves called her again.

He told him that the humans were preparing to start a buffalo hunt. That if they met them they would surely end their lives. Legend has it Dakota, that the chief of the wolves asked him for help to avoid danger.

The value of gratitude in the Dakota legend

The young woman thought about it very well and understood that to help her new family she had to intercede for them with the humans. He got up at dawn and started back towards his tribe. He reached the top of a hill and from there he spotted the group of hunters who were on the trail of the buffalo. They also saw it and approached. One of the men recognized her and tipped off the others.

It had been a long time, more than three years. The girl’s father and mother happily received the news. In truth, they had missed her. They hadn’t recognized its value until they had lost it. Our protagonist asked the hunters to eliminate the wolves from the list of their possible prey.

To convince them, she told them everything they had done for her. He also asked them to give them part of their hunting loot. They accepted.

The Dakota legend says that after several days of hunting, the warriors arrived with part of what they had hunted. She climbed a peak and howled, just like wolves do. Then he walked away. Then thousands of wolves from the earth came to consume the food that the humans had collected for them. The girl returned to her human home and everyone saw that inside she did not resemble that fearful girl they had known.