Customer Reviews

Who Speaks for Wolf: A Native American Learning Story

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Who Speaks for Wolf, by Paula Underwood, is a small book with a big meaning. This Native American story teaches the relationship between nature and people. This book is a memorable and educational book with a profound impact. Who Speaks for Wolf is a Native American story, told by a grandfather to his grandson, teaching him about Wolf. This book tells of how the people forget Wolf, and push him off his land. The people become selfish and want the land for themselves. Later, white man come and repeats the same offense. They too don't think about the natives, and push and kill them off the land. The white men now show the same arrogance shown earlier by the natives. The important lesson of the story is to respect not only Wolf and other people, but also nature as a whole. The author does a splendid job of relaying the importance of living in harmony with nature. Who Speaks for Wolf, by Paula Underwood, teaches how important it is to respect nature. Through the Native American's story of a people thinking only of themselves and not of Wolf, we better understand of nature, and a better co-existence.

I am a college student who was required to read this book for my Mediation course. This is a short story with a tremendously important lesson. Written from the perspective of an old native american father, he tells the story of wolf. It follows the life of the native americans and of the relationship between man and animal (wolf). It goes on to show the blatant disregard of wolf when an important decision needed to be made among the native americans, and the fallout of that disregard. From a mediation perspective, it teaches the imporant lesson of diversity, learning to accept all parties involved and listening to and taking them into account. This is an incredible book for young and old...it comes with my highest reccomendation.

Who Speaks For Wolf, a book written by Paula Underwood, Turtle Women Singing, is a story about an Indian tribe who faces the challenge of finding peace with nature. A Grandfather is singing an ancient story of their tribe to his grandson while wolves watch on from a nearby hill. This novel is a Native American poetry book, whose theme is to respect nature. As the Indian tribe moves onto the wolves home, they face the challenge to become one with nature, which the wisest of their tribe has already done. "And so it was that the people devised among themselves a way of asking each other questions whenever a decision was to be made on a new place or a new way." (Who Speaks For Wolf-pg 38) The Indians learnt how to respect the wolves and nature, but in the 1600's the white men came. After they came, the Indians became the wolves, and the white men the Indians, for they had not learnt to respect nature and other people. This book is written in an unusual style. Since the story is the grandfather singing to the son, there are capital letters beginning each paragraph and page, which resemble shouting. Since it is written in poetry, there are many indentions resembling the new verses. Who Speaks for Wolf is a picture book, which is aimed from kindergarten to collage and beyond. Many people enjoy this book for its lesson and understanding.

Wolf is an amazing gateway for groups of children or adults wanting to learn more about how they work in partnership with one another. Insights are often gained around setting boundaries, viewing diversity as a source of new possibility, handling conflict wisely, distinguishing wants from needs, the need to listen deeply to our surroundings, and the power of personal and collective clarity to enhance decision-making. Especially when read in a circle, Wolf provides a wonderful entry into stimulating conversation about the choices we make in relating to others.