The Bear Dance celebrated in Indian
Canyon is a ceremonial dance lasting all night starting at 7
pm and ending at 7 am. People dress up in Bear skins
and dance around the fire. It has ceremonial
significance for both the participants and the audience.
The healthy dancers who are healers absorb the pain the
suffering of those needing help, and then get rid of the
pain. The healing nature of the dance makes it
inappropriate for curiosity seekers.
References and Links to
other Sites talking about Bear Dance
Five Views: A History of American Indians in California
describes Mankins Ranch, also known as the Janesville
Bear Dance site, located southeast of Highway 395
near Janesville, California. The Bear Dance, a
Mountain Maidu Indian ceremony, takes place each spring.
Prior to the 1900s, its purpose was to share food among the
Indian people, and to celebrate life. The Bear Dance also
symbolizes the celebration of the beginning and connecting
of all beings, both animate and inanimate. People
participating in the dance share food, prayers, and
thanksgiving for their world, as well as respect for the
right of the bear and the rattlesnake to co-exist and to use
the same environment. Another important aspect of the Bear
Dance is the cleaning of the outward body with medicinal
wormwood immediately following the ceremony.
Historically, the
Ute bear dance
was a spring festival that celebrated the end of winter.. as
the bear awoke from his long hibernation. Today the Bear
Dance is held in June to accommodate more visitors during
the summer season.
Utah Division of Indian Affairs -- White
Mesa Ute Board annual
festivities begin on or around the Labor Day weekend with
the "Bear Dance." The Bear Dance is a social dance which the
people celebrate to welcome the coming of Spring. But as the
Bear Dance season ends, the White Mesa are the last
Ute community to celebrate the event that signifies
"Thankfulness."
Legends:
The Utes had a story about how they first learned the Bear
Dance. They said that a man went to sleep and had a dream
about a bear. He dreamed that if he would go the a place in
the mountains, a bear would teach him something of great
strength. When he woke up, he went up to the mountain and
saw a bear dancing back and forth. The bear spoke to the man
who listened to his words of wisdom and then the bear taught
him how to do this dance and to sing the Bear Dance song.
The man came home and taught the dance and song to his
people.
AMONSOQUATH TRIBE OF CHEROKEE
website describes how the
Bear Dance is performed in modern times.
Some
Whimsical Bear Dance sites (links obtained from Google)
Bear Dance - A page dedicated to honoring
bears - submissions ...
KOALAS IN HADERA WOODSby Elisha Porat.
INCOMPREHENSIBLE by Summer
Breeze. I LEAVE THE LAIR by David Jackson. ...
www.motherbird.com/beardance.html -
18k -
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