Dec

The Bear Tattoo

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Bear

The Bears consider the free spirit, as free as the wind. While the pair is considered a gentle giant, eating berries. The ferocity of the bear can be terrifying.

For some reason, people acquaint the mother bear protecting her cubs more ferocious than any other animal. Possibly due to the size of the bear, the mother bear is more intimidating, though no less ferocious than a smaller mother animal.

Some of the attributes of the bear are gentle strength, nurturing, protection, freedom, courage and power. To say that bears are unpredictable is almost an understatement. Most wild animals are unpredictable, but for some reason, unpredictability is associated more with the bear.

Even peace loving tribes revered the mighty bear spirit. The bear had all the attributes a great warrior could want. The strength and courage of the bear are venerated to this day.

A great Shoshone medicine man after having witnessed what he thought to be a clan of bear dancing, started what is known as the sun dance. This dance has the bear, or the symbol of the bear at the center of the dance. The Sundance is for strength, protection and fertility of the try.

For the Sioux, the bear symbolizes healing. A legend says when a mother bear was nearing time to deliver her cubs, she rested on a redwood sorrel. The plant told her if she would eat of the plant. She would have the strength to finish her journey before she delivered. The Sioux medicine people now encourage pregnant mothers to eat of the sorrel plant, to give them strength.

For the Cree peoples, the bear is a symbol for a successful hunt. Many pre-hunting ceremonies were to honor the bear and thereby ensuring a successful hunt.

Bear medicine is very powerful to all native American tribes, and the spiritual connection between them. The bear shows us how to be brave as well as cautious. The bear also stands for confidence and victory. The bear also teaches us, harmony and balance.