"Bearing It All"
Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie
Pokagon Church Family Retreat
September 20, 2009
©2009 Rev. Thomas Perchlik
I speak today of the First People, not as a Native American Indian, which I am not. I speak as a UU Minister who likes the idea of the First People. It is one of the most ancient religious insights; that the world is full of powers of various sorts. There is a spirit in wind, in waves on the water, a spirit of wild things, even of war and love. Later in human history some came to the idea of a One, a single unifying God or Reality that weaves the whole fabric of existence and that underlies the web of life. But that One does not eliminate the many. In Hebrew Scriptures often the earliest words for God were plural. And in many lands there are stories of the many first persons that helped in creation. They come just as the world is still being formed. Some are giants, some are small. They may look like you or I, and they also may have feathers instead of hair, paws instead of hands. They often shift in shape. They gave their names, Raven, Coyote, Turtle, Wolf, to creatures that live on today, but they are always more than animals. They also seem very human, even stupid or petty at times, and yet they are more than human.
One of the most famous of all First People is Bear. When we teach animal names and shapes to our youngest, Bear is one of the first; we put him in cribs of newborns. Toddlers can name him from a picture as readily as Dog or Cat. But what is his nature? Is he fearsome or Friendly? Some say he is cuddly, others that he is the spirit of ferocious strength. I think he is inclusive, holistic, able to "Bear it all" he is the healthy, original, untrammeled power of integrity and wholeness.
M. Scott Momaday, perhaps one of the most poetic and famous of all modern Native American writers, in his book, "In the Bear's House," says this of Bear:
"Bear is of comprehensive mind and manner. He is wary, yet curious; old, yet playful crotchety, yet serene; humble, yet wise; His eyesight is weak, but he sees beyond the edge of the world, beyond time; he watches with profound loneliness the arching progress of his kin in the night sky, curving to the solstices."
One of the great mysteries in world folklore is the fact that people around the world, from Siberia to Greece, from Delaware to Oregon, have seen a bear in the constellation we call the Big Dipper, or Ursa Major, the Big bear. The Munsee-Mohican band of the Delaware people, who carry the same name as our town, tell that the square of that constellation is the bear and the handle is the three hunters who pursue him. He rises in late winter. Through spring and summer, they chase him. Finally they catch him and kill him in the fall, when his blood turns all the leaves red and gold. In the winter the white fat from his body turns the world white. His remains circle down to the earth, and so all bears curl into the earth at that time. Then in late February or March he is born again, and he rises as the constellation rises to hunt and be hunted.
Bears come in six main subspecies: Brown, black, grizzly, banded, polar, and panda. The brown bear is known to scientists as Ursus americanus or The American Bear. The black bear is Ursus Euarctos americanus; literally meaning the "good American bear." This is the most common bear species native to North America. They once thrived throughout most of the continent, from northern Alaska to northern Mexico and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Sadly, black bears have not roamed our Indiana woods for almost two centuries, since we cleared the forests for Corn and soybeans. Bears have always been associated with the health an abundance of the wild spaces, not wild as in untamed and terrible so much as the original, native, and undomesticated. We laugh at circus bears, and can train them to ride bikes, but we laugh because we know Bear's real power and fear it. Bear, in fact, has many incarnations. Through all of these he reveals the power of wholeness.
One of his most common incarnations is Teddy Bear. As Teddy he is cute, quiet, cuddly, kind. The other night I felt like the Grandfather Bear (of Else Minarik's "Little Bear" stories) when one of our youngest at this retreat climbed up to sit with me in one of our big comfy chairs, making it feel like a den. Often Bear is masculine in name, Paddington, Little Bear, Boo-boo Bear. But Bear is often feminine. The image of a sow bear with her cubs is as common as a roaring bear reared up with outstretched claws. In fact the image of Bear as a mother defending her cubs is indistinct from a fierce father, the images of cuddly bears and bear hugs have no gender. We cannot tell a female from a male bear easily. (Probably to bears all humans look the same also.) The point is that the dividing lines are not clear; Bear is transgender, beyond gender, all inclusive.
Another incarnation is Pooh Bear – the bear of little brain. He is not too smart or maybe wisely simple, kind and loves to eat. He is wordless or of few words, and yet is able to communicate the most essential wisdom and truth. Bears do not speak, but they do make noises. When confronting one another, or in fear, they make almost human sounds. Especially bear cubs will sound eerily human when afraid and alone. Dr. Lynn L. Rogers, a biologist, noted:
"The main thing that helped me get over my fear of bears was learning their language—learning to interpret bear bluster in terms of their fear rather than my fear—learning that behaviors I thought were threatening were really expressions of their own apprehension."
Bears want the simple things in life and thus they seem simple minded, but there is a wisdom in their simple humility. This wisdom about what is important, the ability to reduce life to the bare (bear) necessities, is a hard learned wisdom. For instance, it is said that in the beginning Bear had a very luxurious long tail. He thought he deserved more attention and more food because he had a more beautiful tail than others. Coyote, with his mottled coat, was quite jealous of the long fan that bear carried around with him. Bear seemed a little too proud so Coyote decided to teach him a lesson. One late winter day he cut a hole in the ice, surrounded it with several fish he had caught and preserved over several days, and then waited for Bear to lumber along. When Bear approached Coyote put his tail in the hole and said, "Oh, Bear, I have learned the most wonderful way of catching fish. Bear was hungry from a long winter nap and so he wanted fish like that. Coyote gathered up the fish in his arms and then said. "It is easy. Your tail is perfect, the sort of thing that fish cannot resist. Just put your tail in this hole and when you feel a little tug wait, then when you feel a big pull yank your tail out and the fish will be pulled out with it!" So Bear put his long furry tail in the hole and sat to wait. Coyote went up in to the shrubs to watch. But it was late in the day, and he was still sleepy, so soon bear dropped his head to his chest asleep. Coyote got tired and went home to have a fish dinner. When he awoke in the morning he saw that it had snowed and wondered what had happened to bear. When Coyote got to the lake there was no Bear, just a pile of snow. Coyote got a wicked smile on his face and he jumped on the ice with a loud yell, "Pull!" Bear awoke suddenly and leaped up startled. The ice had frozen his tail completely and it just snapped off, leaving the short tails that all bears have today. From that day on, Bears and Coyotes have stayed away from each other.
But Bear is not always stupid or easily tricked. One of his incarnations is Baloo, or Yogi Bear: "Smarter than the average bear." He can be quite clever and even "tricksy" especially to humans, from whom he steals their treats and special meals. Ancient people noticed that bears love to eat very much the same food as we do. They enjoy nuts, acorns, berries, insects, succulent plants, and occasional animals like deer or fish. They are omnivores just like us, but it never is a dilemma for them: they joyfully fish, hunt, or raid orchards and bee hives. They eat skunk cabbage, hazelnuts, or acorns and dig out insect grubs. They are in fact some of the smartest of mammals. They share the world with us and are not too different from us. Some say we are all related.
This relation becomes clearer when we remember that some incarnations of Bear are not cute, or cuddly. Smokey Bear is one of those. As a cub he was the victim of a forest fire. He was found, giving almost human like cries, clinging to a tree that had been burned at the bottom. He had been orphaned by the fire. A park Ranger took him home and raised him to be the icon of forest preservation. But he did not remain as a cub, the cut victim, and became a park ranger, speaking in that serious tone, "remember only you can prevent forest fires." I have begun to wonder, if he came across some campers being careless with fire, would he just scold, write a ticket, or roar and tear them apart? Since his early adulthod we have learned that preserving the forests require more than preventing forest fires, sometimes even requires that we set them. Still, Smokey remains: stern, condemning and cautionary. Is he a master in his authoritative Ranger's uniform, or recovering victim and servant of others? In a way he is like the Three Bears who bear judgment upon Goldilocks' rude self-centeredness.
But instead of being stern he can be terrifying. In this form he is Grizzly Bear, the ferocious, powerful, deadly master of the non-human wilderness. The scientific name of the Grizzly is Ursus Arctos horribilis or "horrible bear, bear." Grizzlies cannot climb trees like black bears because they have very long claws, designed to tear into large animals and kill big salmon with a swipe. Some tell the story of how Chipmunk heard Bear bragging about his strength. "No one is stronger than me," he said, "not even Moose." So Chipmunk piped up and said, but what about the sun? I bet you are not strong enough to keep the sun from rising." Bear took the challenge and could not, try as he might, stop the sun, but when he saw Chipmunk smiling smugly Bear swooped down one great paw. Chipmunk shrunk very small to escape, but the claws scraped his back and the stripes are still there today, and chipmunks are still very small and cautious. Some have suggested that stories of Bigfoot and the Yeti are simply stories about Bear the beast with claws of a monster. I have seen photos of Grizzlies with paws that were as big as the span from a man's throat to his belt. Sometimes scientists have tagged a mother black bear's cubs in front her and she did not attack but only moaned in complaint. But Grizzly sows will certainly, almost mindlessly, defend their cubs. Grizzlies are not easily frightened by us. Seventy percent of all bear attacks on humans in North America are by Grizzlies.
Yet, human beings can sometimes seem as cruel and violent as bears. The word Berserker, a name for fierce Nordic warriors literally means "bear-shirt" implying that they took on the skin, the nature and form of a bear. Bears are often associated with medicine in Native American cultures. They are healthy and powerful; they seem to die each winter and are born again each spring. Some say that this is the time that bears seek wisdom, when they sleep; then they travel to the spirit land like medicine men. They can take life from people; yet they can die to give us life and warmth. Shamans and healers will use bear coats or bear claws as part of their practice. Bear evokes strength and health: wholeness and integrity beyond death and seasons. Bears are like us and yet not. They are wild cousins of a sort.
Thus we tell stories of people who become bears and bears that are human. You may know the story of the girl who married a bear, which I learned from Oban the Storyteller. I don't know which nation she was part of Shawnee or Miami, or Delaware. Her family's clan was the mouse clan, but she did not like mice. Her name was Peesunt and she was the Chief's daughter. She was always combing her long black hair, waiting for people to say how beautiful it was, or to comment on how soft was her light brown skin. She believed that, as the Chief's daughter, and the prettiest girl around, that everyone should respect her. She did work as she should, but usually told others how to help her.
One day she went into the forest to pick berries with other girls. As they walked the others became nervous and started to sing softly. "Why are you singing?" asked Peesunt. "We don't want to disturb the bears, if we sing we let them know we are coming." "Ugh," said Peesunt, "Bears are lazy, ugly and smelly. I don't care if I disturb them." Her companions were shocked, "Don't say that. They will hear you and become angry." "Ha, I have work to do and no girly fear will stop me," she replied.
They came to a clearing with many berries, but after a while one of the girls said, "We must leave now; the bears will think we are greedy." Peeshunt said, "I want to pick more berries, why should I give anything to bears?" The other girls moved on, ignoring her. She thought, "I will go back and everyone will say ‘she has the most berries because she is the Chief's daughter.'" The others were glad to put a little distance between them and her because she was so bossy. So she picked until her bag was very full. However, when started back home the strap broke and berries spilled onto the ground. "Oh no," she cried, and bent to scoop them up.
Just then a handsome young man appeared, wrapped in a bearskin cloak. "Can I help you, Peesunt?" he asked. "How do you know my name?" asked the girl. "Everyone knows of beautiful Peesunt, the Chief's daughter. You are lovely, and very hard working, never resting. You must be her." "That is true" said Peesunt. "Everyone knows of my beauty, even men in other tribes."
When they had filled the basket again, the young man fixed the strap so Peeshunt could carry it. The forest was becoming dark. "It's too late for you to walk back to your village" the young man said. "My people would be honored if you would stay with us overnight." Peesunt vainly decided she was to be an ambassador of her father and accepted.
As they came to his village she saw other people hunched over, all wearing bearskin cloaks. They straightened up as she neared, but no woman would speak or look at her. At the center of the camp was a fire with the chief, a crown of bear claws. After everyone had eaten and sang and danced, the chief stood up and looked at Peesunt. "You will stay in this village forever and marry my young nephew, who brought you here." "I will not!" shouted Peesunt. But the chief seemed not to hear her and some men took her to her new husband's lodge.
Standing inside, scared and confused, Peesunt heard a little voice squeaking "Peesunt! Peesunt!" She looked around, but couldn't see anyone. Then she felt something tugging at her dress. Looking down, she saw the tiny Mouse Woman. She had never liked mice, but this one was speaking so she listened. "Peesunt. Listen to me," squeaked Mouse Woman "this is very important! I am your grandmother, the great grandmother of your clan. But these are the Bear People. The chief heard you say that bears were dirty and smelly and that you weren't afraid of them - and he was angry. You must show respect to your new husband and always be kind to him. If you don't, you'll be made a slave. If you try to escape the Bear People will kill you".
Peesunt understood the warning and changed her ways. She became respectful and obeyed her husband. She noticed that when the men left the village they turned into bears and when they returned, they became men again. She was no longer vain and proud. She worked hard and stayed with the Bear People for a long time. She gave birth to two sons, who were both half man and half bear. Peesunt's husband was kind to her and Mouse Woman taught her many things. But she missed her family.
One day, strangers were seen outside the village. Peesunt's husband told her the men were her brothers. "They found bear tracks beside yours when you went missing and they have killed some of my people since then. They have never stopped looking for you." He looked at Peesunt sadly. "I know you love them very much so I won't hurt them. I ask only that they treat me with respect as you have, Peesunt. They must not drag my body on the ground after they have taken my skin. Fine feathers must be placed behind my ears and red ochre rubbed on my back."
He stroked Peesunt's long black hair and said goodbye to his sons. She did not know what to do she was so afraid. Then he put on his bear cloak and walked calmly out of the village. Peesunt followed and saw him turn into a bear. Holding his arms out, he went to meet the brothers. They killed him without a struggle, then when they looked at the other bears including the two little ones beside her she burst into action. She rushed out to fall on the body of her husband. "Peesunt! Our sister! It's so good to see you!" shouted the brothers. Peesunt cried for her dead husband and with joy to see her brothers again. She made them treat her husband's body as he had asked and they took her and her two sons back to her father's village. So it is that the people of her tribe remembered how the daughter of their chief had married a bear and taught them to respect any bear that they killed. They followed her teaching and lived long and well on this good earth.
If we, in the woods and in our daily lives, nurture awareness of the interdependence of all life and the truth beyond all seasons, then even the bears may live in beloved community. At this time of equinox, as he paces the northern sky, watching us, reminding us of our health and wholeness, may we remember to be cuddly and fierce, wise and simple, brave and strong, just like Bear who has helped make us what we are.
