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Get startedThe Bear is My Father
Indigenous Wisdom of a Muscogee Creek Caretaker of Sacred Ways
Length
4 hours 44 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Darrell Dennis & Marie Hoffman
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Learn moreThe Bear Is My Father: Indigenous Wisdom of a Muscogee Creek Caretaker of Sacred Ways is considered a love story between Bear Heart and a community that stretches across the globe. This book celebrates the life, teachings and legacy of Marcellus Bear Heart Williams, a Multi-Tribe Spiritual Leader and author of the critically-acclaimed The Wind is My Mother.
Bear Heart (1918 - 2008), was a Muscogee Creek Native American Church Road Man with a talent for seeing people as individuals, and for making them feel seen and special in their own ways. The Bear Is My Father: Indigenous Wisdom of a Muscogee Creek Caretaker of Sacred Ways contains the final words Bear Heart wrote before his “going on” as well as contributions from friends and family whose lives were forever changed by Bear Heart’s presence and work. In this new book, Bear Heart uses stories of his youth and traditional medicine practices to convey lessons and knowledge about living in harmony and with respect for all.
Offering a mix of history and spiritual wisdom, The Bear is My Father is co-authored by Reginah WaterSpirit, Bear Heart's Medicine Helper and wife of 23 years.
When Reginah would ask Bear Heart exactly how he made his medicine, he always answered, “I don’t make the medicine, it was here before me. I’ve been entrusted to be a caretaker of certain sacred ways.”
Marcellus “Bear Heart” Williams (1918 - 2008) was one of the last traditionally trained medicine persons of the Muscogee Creek Nation. His teachings wove together the knowledge of many traditions as Bear Heart was an ordained American Baptist Minister, Road Chief, and renowned spiritual counselor. Speaking in 13 Native American tribal languages, Bear Heart was considered a Multi-Tribal Spiritual Leader and was called upon internationally for his healing work.
Bear Heart received formal education from the all-Indian Bacone College in Muscogee, Oklahoma. He later majored in Biblical Greek and earned a divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts.
Bear Heart’s wisdom, traditional medicine knowledge and spiritual compassion made him a sought-after figure. He prayed with President Truman, he spoke at the opening of the Smithsonian Native American Museum, and he was a spiritual counselor for firemen and their families after the Oklahoma City tragedy in 1995. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Bear Heart served on former President George W. Bush's Faith-Based Initiative Panel for the U.S. Department of Health's "When Terror Strikes" conference in New York, and he put down prayers with police and firemen at Ground Zero in New York City.
Bear Heart’s first book, The Wind Is My Mother, has been translated into 14 languages. His second book, The Bear is My Father, is co-authored by Reginah WaterSpirit, his Medicine Helper and wife of 23 years.
Reginah WaterSpirit was born in The Bronx, New York and moved to Southern California when she was 3 years old. She owned and operated a number of garment industry-related businesses, attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and traveled extensively in the United States and Europe as a young adult.
Reginah studied the Voice Dialogue method with Dr. Sidra Stone and the late Dr. Hal Stone, eventually becoming a facilitator and teacher in this field. Her interest in psycho-spiritual paths led her to New Mexico and eventually to Marcellus Bear Heart Williams, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation.
Darrell Dennis is an Indigenous Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter and radio personality from the Secwepemc Nation in the interior of British Columbia.
Reviews
“The Bear is My Father is good medicine. Ultimately, this is not a book about a deceased man; Bear Heart is here––a living ancestor who resides in the hearts of those he touched.
These pages retain the essence of his teachings, much like a drop of water taken from the ocean is still part of the ocean. This is a superb companion to the original The Wind is My Mother, and I recommend they be read together for maximum impact.” –– Glenn Aparicio Parry, author of Original Thinking: A ReVisioning of Time, Humanity, and Nature, and Original Politics: Making America Sacred Again
“Even if you never had the privilege of meeting Bear Heart or hearing him speak, you will feel his warm presence when reading these stories and get a feel for the depth of the man. The pearls of wisdom found in these pages can be spiritual guideposts for a good and fruitful life. I urge you to take a few steps down the path of this book and discover how much we all have in common.” –– Doug Alderson, author of Seminole Freedom and The Vision Keepers, Walking For Native Americans and the Earth
This is a book that subtly transforms its readers. Read it and let it teach you. This is a different way of learning. Learn from this book gently and effortlessly You may not even know what has happened, but it has. Trust it!” –– Sidra Levi Stone, PhD, author, psychotherapist and the co-creator of Voice Dialogue
“In The Bear is My Father, Bear Heart has given us a path into the spiritual wisdom inherent in the indigenous experience, by illuminating the deep Native American traditional perspective that everything is connected and related, and all is divine vibration.” –– Basil Braveheart, Lakota Elder and author of The Spiritual Journey of a Brave Heart
“This very important book on Bear Heart's life and wisdom helped me get to know and see the many seeds of healing sprouted from this native elder. Filled with many personal stories and teachings from Bear Heart, Reginah, and many others who were touched by his life, this book is a much-needed medicine to help us find our way in our world today.” –– HeatherAsh Amara, author of Warrior Goddess Training, Warrior Goddess Wisdom, and The Seven Secrets to Healthy and Happy Relationships with Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.
“What a heart-felt, uplifting, inspirational book! Much more than a memoir, Bear Heart’s own amazing story is amplified by memories and testimonials from his Medicine Helper and wife, Reginah WaterSpirit, and other friends and colleagues. Sprinkled with humility and humor, The Bear is My Father offers profound insights for best living, and remarkable examples of the intersection of science and the world of spirit.” –– Anne Hillerman, New York Times best-selling author of the Chee, Leaphorn, Manuelito mysteries
“Bear Heart and Reginah gift us with a glimpse of the nature of the Indigenous Spirit of healing, well-being and loving-kindness in their story of a life well lived, becoming a complete man, an authentic Indigenous Elder!” –– Gregory Cajete, Professor of Native American Studies and Language Literacy Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico