Lupines and wolves share a profound symbolic connection. Even the name “lupine” comes from lupus, the Latin word for wolf, reflecting an ancient relationship between them. For a long time, lupines were misunderstood — people believed they stole nutrients from the earth because they grew in depleted soil. Wolves were similarly persecuted and feared, wrongly seen as destructive rather than essential. In truth, both are restorers of balance. Wolves protect ecosystems by keeping populations in harmony and safeguarding waterways, while lupines regenerate damaged soil through nitrogen fixing, bringing life back to harsh and barren places. They flourish in difficult environments — along roadsides, salty waterways, and depleted land — blooming abundantly where resilience is needed most.

Like wolves moving within a pack, lupines grow together in clusters, expanding through connection and mutual support. They nourish deer and pollinators alike, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds and supporting the greater web of life. Together, wolf and lupine medicine speak of endurance, creativity, protection, community, and the ability to guide others through hardship and back into bloom. Their energy reminds us that those who have endured struggle often become the ones capable of restoring beauty, strength, and healing to the world around them. They remind us that strength is not measured by dominance, but by our ability to heal, protect, and help ourselves and others return to full bloom after hardship. To honour this relationship, the wolf and lupine has been painted on buffalo hide.