What is a Wyakin?

According to Native American legend, a wyakin is a spiritual guide that advises and protects a person throughout life. As a rite of passage, a young Native American was taken to an isolated mountain location where the child remained alone until the wyakin (often an animal such as an eagle or a wolf) appeared in a vision or dream. (Paraphrased from”Our Brother’s Keeper” by Richard Littell)