Walking the Path of the Quiet Elk
Everything
around me feels still. Breathing in and out with an undisturbed serenity, I see
only pine trees drizzled with the white frost of snow, encapsulating me in a
safe enclave. Suddenly, I sense a loss of calm as a feeling of motion invades
the scene. I quickly jerk my head
up, widen my eyes, rotate my ears about[1],
and maintain an absolute stillness to uncover the disturbance. I hear the soft
landing of the snow on the ground that shifted off my antlers moments ago and
wait with a consuming stiffness.
The tall trees that once provided me solace now block my vision as my
eyes hunt for signs of danger. The blood in my veins seems to freeze as I see
the outline of a figure approaching me from the far right. I immediately feel
the tension in my body ease with the sight of a familiar being, simply another
soul passing through. He too is searching for food in this harsh winter. We
lock eyes and exchange a mutual understanding; this time is far too lonely and
lacking for disagreements.
I
look back and see the vague remnants of my once deep, prominent hoof prints in
the snow and decide I must move on; the weather grows more threatening by the
second and I must reach a form of shelter by nightfall. The burning scent of
winter floods my nostrils as I trudge on, worn from a day filled with abundant
travel and scarce food. I feel my skin cringe with each step as the movement
creates gaps in my thick coat, tempting me to simply stop where I am and
indulge in the warmth of my natural cover. However, I realize this choice could
prove fatal at nightfall, subjecting me to the mercy of predators and increasingly
harsh blizzard conditions. As my instincts encourage me, I accept that I must
push on to find shelter. I trudge on. Finally I reach a thicket[2],
a breaking of the seemingly ubiquitous pattern of tall, thin trees and snow
packed grounds. This dense brush helps provide a thermal equilibrium for which
I am grateful; these winters have taken the lives of many in the past. I bend
down my great head and shift below the gates of this natural salvation as I
feel exhaustion overwhelm me with a devastating force - I quiver as my legs
buckle and my mind drifts into a blissful state of forgetfulness.
I
awake to the sound of shifting brush as a small rodents scatter by, forcing me
to once again face the cold atmosphere. My initially blurry vision quickly
begins to clear as the twigs sprinkled in snow dust come into focus. I watch
the little creatures who created the initial disturbance disappear in the
brush; fading marks in the snow now serve as the only evidence that they were
ever there. Soon their tracks, like mine, will be gone as nature chooses to
provide little lasting recognition of our existence. We claim no permanence
over this land. I shift my rigid body, gaining up the strength to climb up once
again to my full stature. Slowly I place my weight on my right hoof and push up
with a crippling execution of energy; I realize I cannot continue much longer
without food. My body, measuring six feet and four inches at my shoulders,
gains increasing strength as I climb out of the thicket and observe my
surroundings - a grey sky warning of harsh days to come, a white ground printed
with various marks of those who too must face this day, a pristine ice pond
serving as a reminder of the spring that will eventually arrive, and a vast
frozen horizon that I must travel.
This
is the reality of an elk facing winter. The elk is an immensely strong
creature, an embodiment of Òmasculine power,Ó Òterritory,Ó and ÒbrotherhoodÓ [3].
I, however, have a tendency to be an immensely weak creature. For as long as I
can remember, I have been what one may call a Òpush over.Ó While it typically
stems from me attempting to be nice, I find myself serving as the person who
will take a hit for the team far too often. I constantly volunteer to do the
unwanted task and therefore sacrifice elements of my happiness for the
satisfaction of others. This often leads to selfish feelings of
under-appreciation. I have ultimately traced this aspect of myself to my
distaste for being alone. I deeply enjoy having a couple of close-knit friends
upon which I can fully rely and I believe I can learn to balance this side of
myself from the elk who Òshows the vital importance of spending time with
friends of your own gender, people who support each other rather than try to
compete.Ó[4]
Competition within group friendships has often been a downfall of mine as my
revulsion of exclusion has often gotten the best of me. I have found that
Òlearning to be together in a genuine way with [my] friends can make a big difference
in the quality of [my] lifeÓ[5]
and I believe the elk can help me continue to channel my immense desire for
friendship into this positive form. The elk has the ability to be both an
independent and social creature, something I continuously struggle to embody. I
have found that the most fulfilling, deep friendships I share are those based
on being Òtogether in a genuine wayÓ and I will look to the elk for guidance as
he Òteaches [me] to believe that [I] can open up [my] heart and share.Ó[6]
As Chris LŸttichau states,
Òlearning about a power animal is very much about learning to build an
authentic self. This means letting go of the pretenses we have often grafted
onto our personality.Ó[7]
I often feel I have ÒgraftedÓ on many levels of self-defense against deep
friendship, constantly trying to calculate if a friend is superficial or
untrustworthy. This makes it extremely difficult for me to Òopen up [my] heart
and shareÓ as I am constantly on my guard. However, I know this is not truly
who I am. Instead, I find that when I am in a true friendship, all doubt fades
to belief and I am immersed in an entirely altruistic version of myself. Just
as the elk is described as Òguarding his flock,Ó[8]
so I have a strong inclination to defend and stick by my friends and protect
what means the most to me - just as an ÒElk owns his territoryÓ[9]
and remains true to what is his. LŸttichau points out that ÒYour power animal
can help bring you home to yourselfÓ[10]
and that is precisely what I hope to find in the elk. I know I have the ability
to be truly independent while maintaining strong friendships just as the elk
may wander on his own at times and band together with companions at others.
ÒSince animal spirits have qualities that are superior to ours,Ó[11]
I plan on looking to the elk for his superior ability to balance friendship and
independence while maintaining true to himself and his fellow beings. By
looking to the elk as Òa gateway to the phenomenal world of the human spirit,Ó[12]I
hope to find my inner strength. ÒElk teaches pride in yourself and your powerÓ[13]
and therefore helps me through a part of my life I seek to improve.
While
the elkÕs display of individuality and group bondage are important factors
which I hope to embody, the guidance of the elk is certainly not limited to
these ideas. For example, the life perspective of the elk serves as another
aspect of the animal I wish to emulate. In his poem ÒElk in Winter,Ó Robert
Pack describes a relationship with the elk: ÒThe watcher sees the elk as a
tableaux, / held in abeyance in his mind, / Because he senses some vague
correspondence / in their unrushed passing.Ó[14]
As Pack conveys, the elk emits a stricking sense of calm and control. Often I
feel internally overwhelmed as the vastness of my to-do lists trumps my sense
of control and clear thought. The elk, however, move with ÒTheir nostrils
smoking over glowing eyes / push through on an ancestral path / To where elk go
in wintertime / beyond the watcherÕs gaze.Ó[15]
Though the elk is making an important journey and accomplishing the essential
task of reaching safety in the process, the animal does not reveal any sense of
overwhelming rush or confusion. The elk understands that life changes and he
must adapt; his antlers Ògrown at four feet long and weighing a total of thirty
poundsÓ[16]
eventually Òloosen and fall to the ground.Ó[17]
As I begin to feel drowned in chaos, I plan on looking to the elkÕs
manifestation of serenity within a frightening world of danger to instill in me
a grounded, peaceful approach to tasks and confusion. As Òthe owl protects and
calms Antonio [...], helping him dispel his fears and tears,Ó[18]
so I will look to the help to help me through my struggles. Additionally, just
as the Wisdom Keeper in Virginia A. StroudÕs book declares that she is Òtaking
a walk on the Path of the Quiet Elk,Ó[19]
I too plan on following the ÒPath of the Quiet Elk.Ó The Wisdom Keeper states,
this path Òis not a place, but a way of learning to look at life. The elk will
show us the way.Ó[20]
I hope to learn this way of looking at life as many Native Americans did in the
past...
Observing
the consequences of their arrival on the land of our tribe, I fear the toll the
white man has taken. As a member of the Blackfoot tribe[21],
I know the meaning of struggle, of hardship. However, the buffalo have
disappeared[22]
along with the bodies of my fellow tribe members who have been mercilessly
slaughtered and I now fear for the enduring survival of my tribe. Every day
brings new challenges and leaves the question of survival unanswered. I must
now look to he who gives me strength, the creature the Cree have named
ÒWapiti.Ó[23]
Just as these elk Òmove through the forest almost silently,Ó[24]
so we must move about the white man with an tranquil order. The newcomers are
destroying us for our simple act of existence, a feeling the wapiti knows far
too well. I have asked the elk for his strength and wisdom. I have asked the
elk for his ability to protect what is rightfully his and his skill to know
when to fight and when to have the courage to flee. Most of all, I have asked
the elk for the fearlessness to embody these traits. The elk knows the meaning
of bloodshed and he shows me that all can persevere through understanding that
which deems me its enemy and having the patience to see that all is not lost.
The elk has not injured those who butcher him just as we have not marred those
who butcher us and I strive to move with peace as he always does. With each
step I take, the elk moves beside me, guiding me with his strong clarity and
showing me the way to right existence. With every inhalation of struggle, the
Wapiti exhales perseverance and I look to him to cover me in his warm breath.
*
Word Count with quotations: (2,272)
* Word Count without quotations: (2,011)
Images:
1:
Elk searching for shelter. ÒBull elk in a snowstorm, Banff National Park,Ó
JPEG, http://www.canadianrockies.net/blogs/john-e-marriott/banff-winter-photography.html
2:
Elk trudging in the winter:
Photo of a Rocky Mountain Elk in the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park on
a snowy winter day, JPEG, http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/rocky-mountain-elk-during-winter-yellowstone-national-park-10619-pictures.htm
3:
Lone Elk on his journey: JPEG, http://www.knkelkranch.com
4:
Elk together selflessly: JPEG, http://www.thesportsglobe.com/Wildlife/TuleElk.aspx
5:
Elk living a calm, focused life: JPEG, http://organmountainoutfitting.com/index.php?p=1_3_New-Mexico-Elk-Hunts-Hunting
6:
Elk persevering: JPEG, http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/elk-001.html
7:
A member of the Blackfoot Tribe: JPEG, ÒBlackfoot Indian Pictures,Ó http://indianspictures.blogspot.com/2012/01/blackfoot-indian-pictures.html
8:
Native American ÒElk WhistleÓ Song: ÒBill Neal - "Elk Whistle Song,"Ó YouTube video, posted
by Bill Neal, April 2, 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AYxfob07A8