This story was told by Makwa of Cree Indian/Irish descent, an elder of the Missanabie Cree First Nation. This is the first publication in written form. It was a sharing of stories between relatives and is a true teaching, which Makwa is happy to share with others as, “teachings are meant to be that way.”
“Respect and Understanding for Bears.”
“One day, a father and son went hunting on a Northern Reserve, looking for moose and partridge for their coming ceremonial feast. As they walked through the bush, the father shared Anishnabie teaching with his son, of where to walk, what to look for while hunting and showed his son the need to be connected with all things around him. The father shared with his son that we are all connected to all the wonderful things that had been given to all peoples.
As they walked further into the bush, the father suddenly stopped and told the son to be quiet and stand still. Suddenly, a mother bear and her three cubs appeared on the path in front of them. The son became excited and told his father to shoot the bears but the father turned to him and said, "Why would we shoot the bears? We don't need the meat and the young ones are out with their mother being taught in the ways of the bears, they mean us no harm".
The Father, then looked into his sons eyes and told him that he was going to approach the mother bear and talk with her, in a good and simple way. As the son watched, the father walked towards the bear in a non-threatening way, speaking in his own Indian language in soft tones. The mother bear sat on her haunches and listened to the man, all the while, grunting in response as the man spoke in the musical language of the Ojibwe people.
The father finished his talk with the mother bear and walked back to his son and told him that he had spoken with mother bear and shared with her that he was teaching his cub, just as she was teaching her cubs and that they meant no harm to them. He told his son that they would walk in a wide circle away from the bears and that they would do likewise.
As the father and son, continued their walk, the son understood then that he was indeed connected to all livings around him and he was not separate from the circle of life but is part of it. He realized also that humans and the four legged could still talk with each other and understand each other.
The most important lesson he learned that day was that it was wrong to needlessly take a four legged's life just for the sake of taking it when they were not hunting for bear. He learned to respect all life that day and was taught the simple Anishabie way of communicating with bears.”

Meegwetch
Makwa.

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