Creator Stories

The Bear Who Gives Himself

2009-10-16T06:21:00.001-04:00

The Bear Who Gives Himself

            As it was told to me, long ago, in the fall of the year, there was a man who became angry with everyone. This man left town, stormed out across the fields and wandered far up into the mountains. Toward nightfall, the man realized he was lost. The sky was overcast; no stars could be seen. Furthermore, the air was becoming increasingly cold. As heavy snow began to fall, the man started to panic. Frantically looking for some shelter, he found the low opening of a small cave in the mountainside on which he stood.
            It was warm in the cave.... unusually warm. It was too dark to see anything, so the man crawled around, feeling the walls of the cave to see just how big it was. As he got toward the back of the cave, the wall changed from hard rock to soft, warm fur. "Oh no! There's a bear in this cave!" cried the man as he crawfished toward the door.
            "It's alright," said the bear, "I won't hurt you. You may stay here with me. It's a warm, dry place. There's plenty of room for two. You can stay all winter if you like."
            So, the man stayed there, in the cave, with the bear. All winter he stayed. On sunny, warm days the man and the bear roamed the mountainside, looking for food. The man got used to eating the same sort of food the bear ate: berries, acorns, mice and grubs. On cold, rainy or snowy days, they stayed in the cave. Sometimes they talked quietly together. More often, they just slept. The man got used to that too.

            Then one day, the bear said, "Spring is coming. Soon, men will come from the town. They will find this mountain. They will find this cave. They will find me inside this cave. They will kill me and drag my body out of the cave. They will strip off my skin to make a warm covering for their children. They will cut up my flesh to take back and feed their families."
            "No Bear!" the man shouted. "This will never happen! We will leave this place! We will run! We will hide!"
            "HUSH!" said the bear. "It will happen, just as I have said. I give myself freely, that the people may live. And when the men come, they will want you to go back to the town with them. And you should go! It is time for you to be reconciled with your people. But, before you leave this mountain; there is one thing that I ask of you."
            "Anything, Bear," the man said. "You are my friend."
            "Before you leave with the men," said the bear, "go to the place where they have butchered my body, and cover my blood with leaves. Then, as you are walking down the mountain, look back over your shoulder. You may see something."

            Spring came. Flowers bloomed. The trees began to leaf out. Birds were building nests. Animals were giving birth to their little ones. It happened just as the bear said it would. One day men came to the mountain and found the cave. They killed the bear in the cave and dragged his bleeding body out into the sunlight. As the men were busy skinning and quartering the bear, the boys were busy exploring the cave. All of a sudden, a boy shouted out, "There's another bear in this cave! No, no, it's a man!"
            The man was pulled from the cave into the blinding sunlight. Immediately, the men recognized that here was their brother. "We thought you were dead!" they cried, and they wept as they hugged him close. "You must come back home with us," they all said.
            "Yes," answered the man. "I'll come with you, but first there's something I must do." With that, the man went to the place where the bear had been butchered. Gently, reverently, he covered the blood with leaves. As they walked down the mountain, the man glanced back over his shoulder. To his amazement, he saw his friend the bear rise up from the leaves, shake himself and walk away.

--
May The Creator grant you the wisdom to know Him as "friend".
Visit us at http://threefeathers.net and http://grandfathergreybear.com

Indin' Wisdom

2005-02-15T03:20:00.001-05:00

"There is no death. Only a change of worlds."
--Chief Seattle, SUQWAMISH AND DUWAMISH

The Elders tell us of the other dimension, the Spirit World. Our spirit in our bodies does not die, it only looks that way to our eyes and our brains. Some of our ceremonies allow us to see into the Spirit World. Death is only part of a process of life. It shows the transition into the Spirit World. The Elders tell us this is a joyful life journey.

My Creator, help me to understand both the seen world and the unseen world. Let me not be afraid of the world You live in.

SOMETHING EXTRA

Msit Nókmaq/All My Relations,

When we go into the Sacred Sweat lodge we can travel into a different world than what we are used to. To sit and watch the steam hurl out and the Ancestral stones steam after the door has been opened gives us an idea of new birth and how it all begins over and over. One can envision the beginning of this earth with the steamy air and silence.

When I open the door and go out I feel like I am entering a different dimension than the one I was in before I did the sweat.

This is what the Elders refer to as our rebirth from the sweat lodge because wecome out of the womb of Mother Earth and the center of all beings living and non living. This is a preparation for us when we pass from here. Gitsch

Manito-Creator, Wásóq-Spiritworld, Thank you for helping me to see life as a stepping stone to a better place of existence. Thank you for helping me to realize that all the people I know and love who passed on are out there on a vacation and one day we can meet again. Our Spirit beings have so much to do here but so little time to do it in. The stages of growth are absolutely amazing at times. Thank you for alowing me this Spiritual honor.

Welálin-ThankYou, MsitNókmaq, Chi-Miigwetch, MitaukeOyasin

2004-11-15T05:17:00.000-05:00

The circle of life...........we are all related

The Hunter and the Deer

One day in the fall of the year, a hunter went out to hunt.

He hunted a deer, and killed him.

As the deer lay very still on the ground, the hunter bent down to him and gave the customary tobacco as a gift to the deer.

As he rubbed the tobacco on the deer he spoke these words....
" Thank you deer, for giving your life today.
From your sacrifice my family will eat good meat all
winter long. For this, my family thanks you.

Also I thank you, for from your inner parts, I will make
pouches to hold things I need to carry with me.

My wife also thanks you, for when I take your skin from
you , she will make a beautiful dress, and she will be so
beautiful because of you.

My young son thanks you, because he has been learning
to play the flute , and from your long leg bone, he will now
be able to fashion a fine flute. As he plays lovely music
from that flute, we will think of you.

My young daughter thanks you, for from your antlers, I
will make her a beautiful wall hanging with feathers and
stones to make her world a little more beautiful.

My baby thanks you, for from your hooves, I will make
rattles. And deer as that baby laughs and smiles from
the happy rattle sounds, we will remember your
sacrifice paid for that baby's joy.

And upon your skull I will paint fine paintings, and make my home
lovely to sit in, for this I thank you..

And deer I make this promise to you today, to repay you
for giving these gifts to my family, especially the gift
of meat to keep us healthy and strong this winter....

When I die, my wife will bury my body, and upon my heart
she will lay 5 acorns. And as my body returns to the earth
and becomes a part of it, my body will feed those acorns
and from the mighty oak trees that grow...... I will feed
your children"

We are all related………….

Love

2004-10-04T04:14:00.000-04:00

Great Love Was Shown Today at Three Feathers Gathering as We Broke Bread (or had a meal together), made by our own hands!

Posted by Windwalker