In March 2024, Jacques S., a loyal Étendues Sauvages traveller, set off to Canada’s far north to observe the arctic wolves. According to his own account, it was an experience rich in emotion:
“The quest for the cloud wolves begins with a long journey to reach northern Canada and the land of the Cree Nation, who have always respected them. Then comes the waiting, for it is they who come to us, not the other way around. It lasted seven long days. Then one morning there they were, on the ridge, eight lean wolves trotting lightly in single file. We were fortunate enough to cross their path several times that day. In absolute silence they passed in front of us, determined, calm and serene, before going off to rest nearby. Far from the image of a strictly hierarchical pack where each member defends its place with bared teeth, we witnessed an outpouring of affection and warmth.”
Bénédicte: What feeling did this encounter leave you with?
“When we returned, we felt the need to name them, to keep each one’s memory alive: Avani (earth), the sturdy, scarred mother wolf; Aputika (snow), the pack leader, greyed by age and almost frail; Mahpiya Luta (red cloud), an imposing male stained with the blood of his latest kill; Wompeyappause (white moon), a tall she-wolf with white flanks; Lakota (friend), with a scratch across his muzzle; Kamala (perfection) and Fala (crow), two young she-wolves; and finally Muna (overflowing spring), the she-wolf not yet a year old, playful, mischievous, lively and tireless.
These moments still feel unreal to us today. Did they really happen, or was it a dream? It hardly matters, for after such sightings, ‘one is left fulfilled’”
© Jacques Serre
