Hi everyone!
I hope you all are doing well. I can't wait till springtime and no more ice! I can deal with the snow, but the ice is a different story, for sure.
Now, for a little history about the Kootenai Indians. If you read my book you will remember that Lone Eagle was from the Kootenai tribe. The Kootenai (Kootenay) bands called Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia home, along the shores of the Kootenai River for many years. It is not known exactly for how long. Although they never settled permanently in the Libby area, they frequented the area for its abundant hunting, fishing. They also received spiritual solace at the Kootenai Falls, a sacred place, and sought out a special stone, used for their ceremonial pipes.
This special stone was of extreme importance and was excavated in a particular area of Libby called Pipe Creek. This stone was cut and shaped into small bowls for their ceremonial pipes. Known for its multicolored stone shades of red, yellow, green, gray, black, and banded, it was also highly sought after by other faraway tribes seeking these stones for their own ceremonial pipes.
The Kootenai Indian's clothing was usually plain, with no decoration and long fringes. Their diet consisted mainly of fish but was supplemented with bison, elk, and deer. Berries and roots and bulbs of plants rounded out their diet.
The tribe relocated to the Flathead Indian Reservation in 1855. In 1974 the Kootenai Tribe declared war on the United States. The "war" was peaceful. The publicity it got from the event got them their 12.5.acres of land back from the US Government.
Wolf Facts: The Pack
A wolf pack is actually a family of mostly related wolves. Within the pack there is a dominant male and female, usually referred to as the alpha pair. The alpha pair are usually the only ones to breed and mate for life. Occasionally another pair will breed with an outsider, but this is uncommon. A typical pack consists of the alpha pair, young pups born that year, last year's young adults, and possibly some older wolves.
The pack size varies according to the prey available, other wolf packs in the area, and whether they are feeding pups. The average wolf pack size varies with location, too.
Midwest: From four to eight. During winter upwards of 16.
Northern Rocky Mountains: Average 10, however one pack in Yellowstone reached 37 which then split off into smaller packs.
Canada and Alaska; Packs can temporarily reach 30 in number, but typically much smaller.
That's it for this month!
Cheers!
P.J. Wesley
#Chinook: King of the North