Greetings Everyone,
Cowlitz member Roger Dobson and his life partner, Patricia Herman, have founded a Native American wildlife conservation organization called Protect The Wolves™. Our organization stands with the Creator and all living creatures we hold sacred in the circle of life.
We at Protect The Wolves™ are striving to become THE VOICE our wolves, bison, grizzlies, cougars, and wild horses need to help ensure their safety and Creator-given right to live wild and free. With the research we are doing, we have discovered the necessary tools available to us through not only the Indian Trust, but also the Public Trust Doctrine. We are incorporating the mandates of these Trusts with our religious and treaty rights in hopes we can become the voice our wildlife need to stop certain politicians and their “kill all” mentality.
Our mission statement promotes not only education, but outspoken advocacy for wolves and other wildlife across North America as well as across the globe. Education of the younger generations is important as they will be the keepers of our sacred species for coming generations. We will always encourage civil and intelligent debate while discouraging attacks on anyone who has a different opinion or lifestyle. We are not interested in running an advocacy group that attacks hunters or trappers on a personal level.
Protect The Wolves™ goals:
- A primary goal is to make full use of our given Native American religious treaty rights as they can be applied to wildlife protection.
- Educate the masses on the destruction of our environment by species such as cattle, which create greenhouse gases and soil contamination that negatively impacts Mother Earth’s atmosphere, water supplies, and wildlife. Cattle also introduce unwanted species of grasses into our forests, which can contribute to wildfires. Additionally, the degradation of our environment interferes with the public’s ability and right to enjoy our National Forests.
- Make poisoning wildlife illegal across North America. Poisoned animals tend to die slowly and in pain, and the poison leaches back into the ecosystem. It may also secondarily poison a scavenging animal or raptor.
- Ban hound hunting.
- Encourage the banning of cruel snares, traps, while speaking out for immediately outlawing M44s or cyanide bombs.
- Help institute policies to require non-lethal deterrent options first and foremost, in wolf, coyote, and large predator management. Encourage the requirement of a list of non-lethal deterrent methods which must be employed by livestock producers in order to maintain a public land grazing allotment lease. Noncompliance would result in lease termination.
- Emphasize safe travel for wildlife, including setting traffic speed limits in certain areas, putting up more wildlife crossing signs, and encouraging the construction of wildlife corridors for animals to migrate or disperse without becoming roadkill.
- Educate municipalities as well as the masses about wolves, coyotes, coywolves, hybrids, and grizzlies. This will include promoting the highest quality multimedia tools, calling out poorly written or nonfactual pieces, giving lectures or presentations, distributing printed materials, and encouraging activities like wildlife observation and photography, and nature retreats.
- Help establish hunting-free buffer zones around all National Parks. If certain parks or wilderness areas disallow hunting, those areas could be promoted as wildlife observation areas, which would help the local economy in the form of tourist dollars.
- Wilderness spaces also have value in and of themselves for their ability to restore health and peace of mind not only for humans, but wildlife as well. How often do stressed city-dwellers get to observe the complex interplay of wild species in large areas of natural habitat
Comments
Living apart from others, who are always in a rush, i sure do this wrong:
Suddenly I remember that whenever meetings begin, it seems that only native elders make sure what we are talking about:
In the last meeting I remember, the Wiyot Chairman began a meeting of people from what seemed everywhere.
He spoke for five or ten minutes one morning thanking all those who came together and respecting those we came to speak about or work for.
On any morning here, I listen. The first small birds start calling long before full light. Ravens in the high trees tell one another that they are awake, here. The coyotes gabbled, getting home to the pups when it’s still dark, reminding me of when I was very small, and the wolves of the woods below and hills across from us, used to call at any time, just now and then, reminding us in the middle of things, day or night.
Everytime when a meeting is held, any native speaker, begins again with including the life of whatever is being spoken of (here, salmon and water and the beings who live hidden from the new common human concerns, the growing trees sheltering us as one).
Apart from them, I forget this all the time.
Every day or night when the wolf I knew walked silently into my presence, I was reminded of what is important. Our time is now, was what he said, let’s explore somewhere, let’s discover together.
Rising and doing has not been the same since his time of doing this. It’s all been some rush and mishmash of hearing or seeing needless dispute and argument over “enemies.”.
No matter where you’ve been, look and see how familiar every new individual is, whether we meet in or on the other side of oceans, in deserts, or just being surprised by their tracks. This hearing of birds tells us something. Neighbors chip and babble, friends howl as did the wolf, to reach when the distance is too far to see; even the growl of a wildcat says they too share this world, this life.
Those who are not heard can be belittled. Looking at the loud cars driving from a distance to put children into schoolrooms, they are not hearing the calls of others heard all over this morning.
Just as I’m writing, trying to get to the necessity of reminding myself that we should always remind ourselves, right now a bird calls.