Wolf Ancestor-Spirit of Choctaw
The wolf, nashoba in the Choctaw language, is a respected being in Choctaw tradition. Wolf clans (iksa) exist among the Choctaw, and wolves appear in teaching stories such as 'How the Possum Tricked the Wolves.' The name Neshoba, preserved in Mississippi geography, is the Choctaw word for wolf; he is honored as a relative and clan name-bearer rather than a formal deity.