BEAR SPIRIT

Frank’s story of his meeting with a black bear illustrates several of the basic principles of respect for and Oneness with the natural world.

I sometimes wonder when I meet an animal in the forest if it is actually the animal or the animal's spirit. I believe when an animal's life is taken needlessly or if proper respect is not given, the animal's spirit wanders around looking for someone or something to attach to, until they are respectfully put to rest.

One day while I was sitting on one of my favorite deer trails, I noticed something black off to my right. As I looked closer, the black object moved. I knew at that moment it was a Black Bear.

I never moved, but sat there very still as the bear started walking towards me. There was something unusual about this situation. The bear knew I was there, but he continued to walk in my direction. I was starting to feel uncomfortable because of the relationship and respect I have for the bear and its spirit. The only thing I could think of was to ask the Creator to explain what was happening. I asked that if this animal was offering itself, that it expose its throat to me. At that moment the bear stopped and stared in my direction and slowly raised its nose to the sky. I knew then what was going on. As I raised my gun, I asked the spirit of the bear to be released in a good way. As I squeezed the trigger and the gun fired, I asked that the bear's spirit come to me.

I felt no remorse for what I had done. I knew that I must use this animal to its fullest potential. With the help of some friends, I tanned the hide and donated the bear’s skull to our sweat lodge for use in our sacred ceremonies. The fat was boiled off and some of it was put away to use for sacred rituals. The rest of the fat was used for waterproofing our boots and hats. The meat was shared with family and friends. The forest provides many things for our use. The secret is to respect and only take what is being offered.

All My Relations