Let me guess...you didn't know your power animal was lost?
I'm teaching a workshop on Finding Your Power Animal next weekend, and thought I'd talk about one of the classes I'm teaching.
(https://www.metamorfosize.com has more info)
SO Power Animals are a part of the practice of shamanism. A shaman needs something they don't have. Answers to questions in particular - like what herb will heal this person? What memory needs adjusting so they can move forward? Things like that. The shaman "journeys" (they close their eyes and imagine themselves in a different place) to find the answers. The thing is, once you close your eyes, you are literally in a different dimension (imagination is one small word for HUGE numbers of dimensions) and the rules there are different. The Power Animal is the one who knows the rules, and knows where to go to get your answers. They're sort of your portable other-world concierge.
When you think about it, how did natives figure out which herbs to eat and which would poison their enemies? I mean ok, trial and error and is one way....but it's SO much easier to go into another dimension and get the answers THERE. So they go there, find their power animal, and head out into this other world to get what they need.
The thing is, anyone can do this - journey - and it's really cool. Come to my workshop and you'll see. :-)