The Panther

When I usually think of panthers, the image that comes to mind is often

of Bagheera, the panther character in Disney's The Jungle Book.

Bagheera is wise, protective, respected, and caring-a typical Disney character.

The Panther in Power is seen in a similar light, but not as typically Disney. Here, the

Panther is an animal of utmost respect and value.

Omishto and her family are Taiga Indians of the Panther Clan.

The traditional view of the Panther here is of greatness, awe, fear, and love.

When Ama shoots the panther, she tells Omishto to not let anyone know of it

being sick-it holds that much importance to the people of their clan

that to see it sick is unbearable, painful, and devastating. The Panther,

in their eyes, is much like Mowgli sees Bagheera-a powerful figure, one

to be respected and revered. Omishto doesn't understand why Ama doesn't

want her to tell anyone that the panther she shot was sick, even though it would

help in finding her innocent. When she goes to the Kili Swamp to meet with

the old people, Omishto finally understands how her tribe's elders view the panther,

and the effect of knowing it was sick would have on them. The Panther is not

only the name of these people, it is who they are, and who they have always been.

If the Panther was sick and dying, so is the Panther Clan. Once Omishto realizes

the intense connection her clan really has with the panther, she comes of age

a bit, grows more mature in her understanding of the world and what happened

after the hurricane when she and Ama went out in the woods.