Bear Dance

2008 SCHEDULE

Lena, Mississippi :Next Bear Dance:

Saturday June 21, 2008

6th Annual Summer Solstice Celebration and World Soul Retrieval Day

Russellville, Arkansas:
TBA

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(protocol and other information below)

THE BEARS CEREMONIAL DANCE

Free Admission - No Vendors

The Bear Society of Arkansas, and the newly formed Bear Medicine Society in Mississippi will call the bears several times a year to celebrate the Bears' healing ceremonial dance.  

The Bear Dance is an ancient ritual performed by many nations from coast to coast.  The dance performed here follows the  Southern Paiute and other southern desert traditions.  (We understand that this is the only place outside of California where this ancient dance is currently performed.)  

The dance begins with the 'calling of the Bears' to the four sacred directions.  The head Wingman tells the story of the great Bear and instructs the audience in what to expect.  Singers and Drummers then enter the fire circle and begin to tell other stories of the Bear in ancient song. 

Wingmen (Bird People) escort the Bears into the fire circle and continually cleanse them throughout the dance.  They also assist in keeping the Bears tame and apart in the event two or more begin to quarrel.  

The Bear's dance movements tell intricate stories and prayers as the beautiful rhythmic songs emphasize the strength, courage, beauty and the special healing medicines of the Bear.  An Elder Wingman will narrate the stories and interpret the meaning of various movements and songs for those who have never attended. 

This is a very sacred shamanic healing ceremony, not an entertainment.
As such, there are certain expectations of the participants:

Please do not enter the Arbor area before the Ceremonial Bear Dance.

The audience is invited to participate in the dance twice during the ceremony.  Those with weakness of either the body, mind or soul are encouraged to enter the circle.  Sacred objects and  medicines placed on the fire circle stones should not be touched or moved. 

Children in the supervised presence of an adult, are welcome, indeed, celebrated guests.

No cellphones or other electronic devices allowed in ceremonial areas, no exceptions. The ceremonies are not to be recorded in any way.

No chatting, please! A respectful, prayerful, and attentive silence should be maintained throughout the Bear Dance Ceremony, though participants are encouraged to join in the songs, if they feel moved to do so.

You are encouraged to fast and ask to enter the sweat lodge before ceremonies begin.     

In the Sweat Lodge, women wear dresses and men wear cut-offs.  Hydrate and fast before arrival.   Potluck meal to follow - Bring a dish or other food/beverages, if you wish to participate.  

The sweat lodge here follows Yokuts, Cherokee and other traditions as may be the case with the ways of the water pourer.

All Drummers and Singers Welcome.

Alcohol and other drugs are strictly prohibited. 

Directions To Russellville:

From Exit 84 on I-40 East at Russellville

Take Exit 84 on to Hwy 64 – go toward Russellville

Turn RIGHT onto AR-331. 0.75 miles

Stay straight to go onto US-64/E MAIN ST. 0.24 miles

Turn RIGHT onto AR-326/PRAIRIE GROVE. Continue to follow AR-326. 1.50 miles

Turn RIGHT onto AR-124/AR-326. 0.93 miles to Buie Lane on Left.Total Estimated Time: 11 minutes Total Distance: 6.53 miles

Contact us for more information.

NOTES ON THE BEAR DANCE
by Jim PathFinder Ewing
Excerpted from November 2006 Newsletter "Keeping in Touch..."
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November 2006:
We have just returned from putting the Bears to bed at Russellville, Ark., so the newsletter is a little late.

Each year, we awaken the Bears in the Spring and each Fall we put the Bears to bed. We will awaken them at the Spring Equinox.

We have a number of new subscribers, so the recap, we belong to the Bear Medicine Society of Arkansas, which “dances the Bear” for the healing of all people and the Earth. Some people Sundance; we dance the Bear.

The ceremonial dance was begun by Clarence Atwell Sr., the spiritual elder of the Tachi Yokuts Tribe in California. He was worried about his people, about alcoholism, about divorce, poverty, abuse. He went upon the holy mountain there and was given a vision, to bring back the Bear Dance to the people.

Doc Davidson, “Chanter” in our tribe, was a drug and alcohol counselor working with Native peoples in the California Prison System, living with the Yokuts. He began as a “wing man,” that is, one who keeps the Dancers purified while they perform the dance, and learned the dance, and was given permission to bring the Dance to Arkansas when he moved back there to be with his family. He completed his seven-year commitment to dance last year, when we went with him to the Yokuts Reservation to dance with them, in honor of the occasion. We hope to go to California again in the coming year.

When we awaken the Bears in the Spring, it will begin my fourth year to dance in the seven-year commitment.

Becoming The Bear

In the Dance, the dancers wear bear skins and “become” the Bear. They “take on” all the ills of the people assembled, and the ills are transmuted into healing power. It is not the dancers who heal the people, but the healing power of the Bear. The wing men keep the dancers bathed in sage smoke, so that the dancers themselves don’t “take on” the illnesses.

I watched the Bears dance for two years before Spirit moved me to become a Bear dancer. It frightened me what they were doing because, having some knowledge of energy medicine, I saw how dangerous it is; that dancers could easily “take on” the dis-eases and become ill themselves. It is not an easy way of energy medicine. The dancers must “become” the bear, and stay “in” being the Bear. To falter can be dangerous and instantly debilitating. So, the role of the wingmen is vital: to keep the dancers “clear” of unwanted energy, and to help keep them grounded between the songs, so that the dancers don’t “go off” into Spirit place and not come back. It is important for the dancers themselves to stay “in” the Bear, and not falter, but also for them to stay reasonably grounded between the songs. It’s a difficult dance; and, after three seasons, I’m starting to feel somewhat comfortable with it, though each dance requires full attention.

Each dance is different, as well; some are relatively easy, some are quite difficult. Often the dancers will “take on” something and have to be taken by the wingmen to the sacred fire, where they may cough up dis-ease, or even collapse, if their connection with the Bear is not certain. The dance requires four “sweats,” or time in (Asi/Inipi) Lodge; two to prepare, cleansing of unwanted personal energy; one immediately before the dance to open connection with the Bear; and a fourth after the dance as a “clean-up sweat” to remove any remnants of unwanted energy that may have attached during the dance.

During the dance, the women of the drum sing sacred songs to keep the dancers in Spirit. This year, Waya started drumming. It is a sacred duty, and in addition to having to impeccably know the many songs, the drummers/singers must keep the energy flowing in a good way, so that the dancers are floating on the songs, their connections kept cleanly.

The Drum is Sacred

The drum is sacred and the women are guardians of it. They keep the drum, and it is good that women do this because their connection to the Earth Mother is so strong. They keep the men who are dancing in balance.

There is a protocol to becoming a drummer and singer that is as important and sacred as being a wingman and a dancer. All have their part to play in the dance. The wingmen, for example, must constantly be present and attuned to the dancers. My beautiful brother Medicine Bull, for example, is a wingman who is a great healer. He carries his wing wherever he goes, helping to heal people outside of the dance, as well as during the dance. In shamanic terms, he uses the wing to remove unwanted spiritual intrusions that can cause dis-ease. It is always a joy to dance having Medicine Bull as a wingman, because he carries his medicine wherever he goes; and I feel safe dancing knowing he is there.

The singing of the women is beautiful music, as well as being powerful spiritually. They evoke Spirit, creating the right harmonies with song to connect all with Creator. The songs are sacred and ancient, handed down. When they begin the first song, which is a request for the Above Beings to allow us into their world, I feel the Bear coming over me, transporting me to another place where there is no sorrow, only peace and wholeness. It is a beautiful place, so that when dancing, there is no “time,” and no pain. We may dance for hours on end, but it will seem like only a few minutes, watching the Moon wheel overhead, and the stars speaking to us, the sacred fire our only connection with this world, the whole Earth as one being.

One time, we danced at a place where the ground had been bush-hogged, and the rough-cut grasses were like knives, but I was oblivious to it; I only learned that my feet were bleeding when I went into a visitor’s travel trailer and left bloody footprints. But, exhausted after the dance, I collapsed into sleep and danced in Dreamtime with the Bear, the guides, spirits, ancestors, angels until the sun awoke me. That morning, there was no mark upon my feet; totally healed, not a scar, not a scab. The Bears had healed them.

In traditional way, there is no fee for ceremonies such as this. We are always glad to perform the ceremony for healing of the Earth and all beings. We perform the dance at festivals and ceremonies at no charge or remuneration of any kind; we do have certain requirements such as a suitable place to dance and availability of Asi/Inipi (sweat lodge) to prepare for the dance, and camping space or motels nearby so we’ll have a place to lay our heads.

Dancing Your Power Animal

This year, too, Waya learned to dance the Wolf, her power animal and totem, and so she now is a dancer, too; opening the way before the Bear dance begins. In sacred dances, it is not uncommon for Wolf dancers or Gourd dancers to prepare the grounds spiritually before the festivities begin. Gourd dancers are usually veterans of war, warriors, who bring their power to clear the grounds for peace. Wolf dancers epitomize that power, watching out for the people, the perimeters, always guarding from danger and bringing good energy in.

In the shamanic way, we are taught to dance our power animals; we do this to honor them. Anyone can honor their power animals, and I highly advise it, to keep your connection strong. Our power animals guide and protect us; they are always with us. It is good to honor them, by keeping pictures of them around, thinking of them, thanking them, or dancing them. To dance your power animal, allow yourself the time and space to “be” with your power animal – whether it be a bird, fish, whatever – and while listening to a drumming tape, or having someone drum, allow yourself to be guided into a dance. Even if only for a few moments, it can be powerful and refreshing. (My book, “Clearing: A Guide To Liberating Energies Trapped in Buildings and Lands” tells how to create sacred spaces, anywhere; the next book, which is coming out in the spring, expands on that to include simple healing ceremonies anyone can do, including dancing.)

Note: Two more of Pathfinder's books have come out since this article was written, both of interest to anyone wanting to learn about shamanism and indigenous people's healing ceremonies and how they can work in our contemporary times.