Urban Animals - Art Gallery of Alberta

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The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program First Nations Stories continued A Story about the Wolf (a Cree story) - How the Indians obtained Dogs There lived alone one winter a hunter, his wife and thier only child, a little boy of four years. Deep snow covered the ground, and game was scarce. One day the hunter discovered the track of a buffalo and followed it but he failed to overtake the animal. Late at night he returned to his tipi and, before entering, stopped to scrape the snow from his moccasins. But as he stood outside in the snow, he heard his little boy crying from hunger within the tent, and the voice of his wife trying to comfort him. “Don’t cry, my son”, she said. “Perhaps your father has killed a buffalo. That may be why he is late in coming home.” Resolutely the man turned back into the night and prayed for help as he resumed his hunting. Just before dawn he came upon other buffalo tracks and followed them. Suddenly a wolf ran up to him, and said, “My son, why are you weeping?” “I am in sore need. My wife and child are starving.” “Hide behind these bushes here”, said the wolf, “and use my bow and arrows. I will drive the buffalo toward you. But be sure to use my bow and arrows, not your own.” The wolf disappeared, and the hunter examined the bow that had been given him. It was much smaller than his own, and seemingly much inferior. Yet he remembered the wolf’s instructions and when he heard it driving the buffalo toward him, he took up the small bow and shot six animals, one after another. When the seventh and last buffalo approached him, however, he took up his own bow and shot. The animal escaped. Now the wolf returned. “What luck did you have?” it asked. “I killed six with your bow and arrows. For the last one I used my own bow, and it escaped.” “I warned you not to use it”, the wolf said. “However, we have meat enough.” Together they butchered the animals, and at the wolf’s request the hunter set aside portions of two buffalo for his companion’s children. He then carried as much meat as he could pack on his back to his starving wife and child. That same evening, after they had satisfied their hunger, they dismantled their tent and moved to where the carcasses lay. There the wolf joined them with all its family and lingered fearlessly around their camp. The woman fed the animals with waste cuts of meat until they became quite tame. They would even allow her to harness travois to thier backs. Thereafter they always remained with the Indians and became their dogs. AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB. Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479 youraga.ca
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program Animal Studies: Grizzly Bear The grizzly bear is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America. It is thought to descend from Ussuri brown bears which crossed to Alaska from Eastern Russia 100,000 years ago, though they did not move south until 13,000 years ago. The word ‘grizzly’ refers to the ‘grizzled’ or grey hairs in the animals’ fur. Jason Carter Mother Bear and her cub in the backcountry of Alberta, 2012 Acrylic on canvas Collection of the artist Grizzly bears are North America’s second largest land carnivore, after the Polar bear. Size and weight varies greatly according to geographic location. The largest populations are found in coastal areas where weights are as much as 550 kg (1,200 lb). The females are on average 38% smaller than the males. On average grizzly bears stand about 1 metre (3.3 ft.) at the shoulder when on all fours and 2 metres (6.6 ft.) on their hind legs. The grizzly bear’s colouring ranges widely depending on geographic areas, from white to almost black to all shades in between. Their fur is very thick to keep them warm in brutal, windy, and snowy winters. The grizzly also has a large hump over the shoulders which is a muscle mass used to power the forelimbs while digging. The muscles in the back legs are very powerful, providing enough strength for the bear to stand up and even walk short distances on its hind legs, giving it a better view of its surroundings. Despite their large size, grizzlies can run at speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour. Grizzly bears have one of the lowest reproductive rates of all terrestrial mammals in North America. This is due to numerous ecological factors. First, grizzly bears do not reach sexual maturity until they are at least five years old. Once mated with a male in the summer, the female delays embryo implantation until hibernations, during which abortion can occur if the female does not receive the proper nutrients and caloric intake. On average, females produce two cubs in a litter and the mother cares for the cubs for up to two years. During this time the female will not mate and, even once the young leave, females may not produce another litter for three or more years depending on environmental conditions. Exacerbating all of this is the fact that male grizzly bears have large territories ranging up to 4,000 square kilomteres. This makes finding a female scent difficult in such low population densities. AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB. Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479 youraga.ca
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Urban Animals - Art Gallery of Alberta

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