Known as a spirit warrior, he was the first in the tribe to have ever become a wolf shifter. In the stories, it was said that he was a just leader, someone who, despite his power, refused to use it against others; he simply wanted to protect his people. So, when Utlapa, a fellow spirit warrior, wanted to use their magic to conquer other tribes, he banned him from ever using their abilities.
Utlapa hadn't taken it lightly, and sought to take Taha Aki down.
Selfishly, after seeing Taha Aki travel into the spirit realm, he did the same, but instead of returning to his own body, he took control of the chief's. By posing as Taha Aki, he took over the tribe.
Taha Aki tried to do what he could to get back to his body and save his tribe, but couldn't with his lack of a physical body. But he realized that the Great Wolf could accommodate his soul, and after asking for permission to share its body, he eventually became known as the first shifter. He used his new-found ability to take down Utlapa once and for all.
