Maine, at one time, likely was home to two species of wolf—the smaller eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) and the larger gray wolf (Canis lupus). DNA evidence showed that the former was certainly here, and the latter is believed to have also ranged through northern Maine. As part of the colonization of the Dawnland, many species of animals were killed off (i.e., extirpated) or entirely destroyed (i.e., went extinct). For the colonists, who were animal herders, the idea of large predators that could potentially kill the animals they wished to raise was unacceptable. So, they set about killing every wolf they could find, and even established bounties on wolf kills. But, they weren’t just hunted, the wolves were also trapped and poisoned. The goal was not just to protect livestock but to eradicate this species. And that is exactly what colonists did. To understand how effective the European colonists efforts were, the gray wolf was reduced to just 5% of its original range in North America.
By the mid-1800s, the wolf was essentially gone from Maine. With the absence of this predator, the eastern coyote (a species that is displaced by wolves) moved into the area. Unfortunately, they do not fulfill the same ecological function due to their slightly smaller size. This immigrant is memorialized in the Passamaquoddy language: pili-malsom (“new wolf”). While the high-pitched howls of coyotes are a commonly heard noise in Maine, the haunting howl of the wolf, a symbol of wilderness in stories, fictional movies, and documentaries, is no longer part of the local soundscape. In other words, our forests are no longer true wilderness because the large predators, which also included the mountain lion, are gone. Our ancestors, the European colonists, made changes to this part of the world based on their belief system.
Our society today has entered into a stage where we seek to understand the impacts of colonial worldviews—on indigenous people. The conversation rarely broaches the landscape, except to point out how it harmed Native Peoples. And while this is an important topic, what of the many animals now missing from Maine, some of whom are now gone forever (e.g., passenger pigeon, great auk, sea mink, wolverine, walrus, caribou)? What about the eastern wolf? Why do we try to assist with the recovery of Native culture and language (to decolonize ourselves) but we don’t try to recover the iconic animals that represent the very idea of wilderness, that represent an uncolonized Maine. I would offer that our anthropocentric attempts at decolonization are still very much steeped in colonialism—because the focus is only on people. The Indigenous Peoples of Maine did not have a hatred of wolves (or other large predators). They lived in right-relationship with these beautiful animals and incorporated them into their language, their stories, their songs, and their spirituality. To truly decolonize our minds (and hearts), we need to let go of our hatred and fear of the wolf and return this animal, where it is possible, to the lands they were driven from. Said another way, we need to learn to share Maine as did those who lived here before colonization. To continue to focus on social justice as it relates exclusively to people is just a continuation of colonization.