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to the Holiday Point Association Website! August 2007... BREAKING NEWS! Tribal Happenings on Holiday Point!! Our story begins in the distant past, before the settlers came to these parts, before the Schagticoke Nation came to these parts. There was a magical tribe of people of the earth known as the Yocknowhusunks, who lived and flourished here. They were a peaceful people who lived in harmony with nature and the animals that shared the earth and the waters with them. And they believed that their spirits were connected to the animals, the bear, and the eagle, and the wolf, and the deer, and others. They were divided up into clans, the largest and oldest one being the Black Bear Clan, and they lived in the area which roughly coincides with what is now the Holiday Point Community. For generation after generation they hunted on the land and fished in the waters of this area, and they shared their bounty with those who came after, even when it meant that their culture gradually faded into the memories of the few people who still chose to believe in them and their magical ways. Ways which were closely tied to the spirit of the Black Bear who once roamed these parts, and seems to be coming back once again. It is with the return of the Black Bear, that a resurgence of interest in encouraging the young people who live here to once again consider becoming members of the clan. And so it was on a warm Thursday afternoon, as the kids of Holiday Point Community became impatient with anticipation of what they hoped would be the coming of a new treasure hunt or adventure to fill their days as the summer season drew to a close. What they didn't know was that this year there was to be no fantasy treasure hunt. Instead, an adventure of much greater significance was about to unfold ... a chance to become members of the ancient and magical Black Bear Clan of the Yocknowhusunk Tribe! |
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      It read ... When the heat of summer rises high And the bear fills up the clear night sky Dreams of strength and bravery fill The hearts of all who have the will But dreams will fade if not preserved So catch them if you have the nerve The first step on the quest you seek Unless you feel that you’re too meek Is catch your dreams in a ring of wood Adorned so only your dreams could Be found and saved to then come true And serve to guide and follow you Use no tools to make your ring Adorn with feathers and with string And maybe beads and carving too Make sure it is the sign of you And give it to an elder one Before tomorrow’s midday sun It’s then you’ll find that which you seek The next step in your quest this week WOW! A DREAM CATCHER!!!! Most of the kids had heard of Dream Catchers, but no one had ever actually made one! Everyone knew that it would be a challenge to make one without the help of tools, but the instructions in the message were explicit - USE NO TOOLS. The kids set out to search for suitable twigs or brances to use to form a circle (or as close as they could come). It was much harder than it would seem. Some twigs snapped as soon as they were bent, others were so soft that they wouldn't hold their shape when bound and filled in with the strings that form the web that catches dreams and memories for it's owner. Each child worked on his or her own. Dream Catchers are very personal things, and in order to work they must be created by the person who will use them, and they must be decorated in a very personal way so that the spirit world knows who the device's owner really is. Each child formed a ring and bound it with colored string of their choice. They were all different sizes and each had a unique shape, never quite round, but always bound in a ring. Feathers and other touches were added by some to make them unique. And, each child was encouraged to take their creation home to complete it ... and to follow the instructions in the message to have it ready to give to an elder the next day. What they didn't know was that each Dream Catcher would be collected and carefully evaluated by the elders of the Clan. Evaluated to be sure that its creator is worthy of becoming a Black Bear Clan member. And that was Challenge 1 ... |
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Day 1 . . . Kyle, Tyler and Liam sat on the swing in the section of Holiday Point Beach known as "The Library". They had been casually looking around for signs that there might be a clue or a hint of what they hoped would be the start of another treasure hunt as had happened last year and the year before. Then they saw it! Pretty high up in a tree! What looked like some kind of a pouch or bag hung from a branch! Kyle climbed up to see if he could get it, and sure enough he did! He pulled it down and hollered out to all the other kids at the beach that he had found something ... something special! As the kids gathered around, they inspected the strange leather pouch. It was decorated with a crude drawing of a bear and the sun on one side, and the constellation the Big Dipper on the other. Someone then said, "Isn't the real name for the Big Dipper, Usra Major, which means the Great Bear?" Excitement grew as the pouch was carefully opened and it's contents pulled out onto a picnic table. Unusual things were inside! Feathers, and colored string ... AND A MESSAGE! It was on a very old looking piece of parchment, worn and dirty, but still readable. It was also folded in half kind of like a book. On one side was a picture, kind of like a petroglyph, of a bear with strange markings on its side. On the other there was a message that read .... In the old times, the people of the Black Bear Clan walked upon these lands and paddled on these waters. They lived on sacred grounds near the waters of the great river and on the hills and valleys beyond. The people of the Black Bear Clan gathered in the special place known as The Point where the land jutted out just above a valley where streams flowed from the north to the south. And they lived in homes made of trees and animal skins and lived by the warmth of their fires. Mother Earth provided for all of their needs for food and shelter and clothing and tools. In the tribe the elders were the leaders and spiritual guides for all who belonged. And it was the elders who decided who would be chosen to join the Black Bear Clan, those who would one day become the next generation of elders to all of the people. It is a great honor to be allowed into the Black Bear Clan. But it is never easy to be accepted. Every year between the seventh and the ninth moon, the tribal elders gather to decide who might be given the opportunity join the Black Bear Clan. Before they can receive such an honor, young tribe members must go on the Black Bear Clan Quest, a series of challenges, which must be completed successfully. They are challenges to prove strength and wisdom, skill and agility, and one’s ability to be an independent leader and at the same time be a respected follower of the tribe and its customs. If you are ready to become one with the Black Bear Clan, you first challenge begins now . . .       |
     The message read as follows... The most important skill to know Is knowing how to track and show Your tribal brothers where to find Our spirit guide with whom we bind Our souls and life in every way Are with the black bear every day An elder of the tribe will show The ways of trackers, how they know The path the bear takes through the trees But only those who seek shall see And only those who make this quest Can see bear’s spirit dust at rest Listen well and train your ears And eyes and nose and have no fears For once you know the ways of old That were for many moons untold You’ll know the way to feed and dress The clan for whom you do this quest The man you seek comes from afar From lands of wind and western stars He comes to teach and guide and play But he’ll be here just one more day So seek him out and listen well To every word he has to tell Now go and find him – track the bear But don’t forget you must beware! SLITHERING WATER SNAKES!!! We're gonna track a BEAR???? A mixture of excitement and fear could be seen in the kids faces. The thought of tracking a bear was maybe a little more than they bargained for. And who was this elder who was going to help them? Who at the beach had come from afar? Well Mr. D's son and grandchildren were here from France! That must be it! But France is to the east!! Who else could it be? The kids began to question everyone about lands of wind and western stars. And then they talked to Steve Q. who, with his wife Lisa, came from Chicago to visit his parents, Paul and Bernie Q. Steve admitted that he was the elder who was going to show them the ways of tracking the Spirit of the Black Bear.        The path continued to wander, up the mountainside near Nick and Matt's house. Then it crossed over the the property next door where Mr. and Mrs. H. live. Down their driveway and across their lawn to where the swing set was located. It even looked to the kids like the Spirit Bear had taken a ride down their slide!! Then through a fence row, where more hairs were found. and up alongside the road toward the Holiday Point water tank. Some were beginning to think that this expedition was going to last forever!! The trail led around the water tank and across the parking area where Mr. K. parks his car. Then it lead back down the hillside. Through thick trees and over difficult terrain, our intrepid trackers tried to follow the mysterious spirit dust prints as they meandered along. Down and down they went into Mr. B's back yard and across to Mike and Julie H's house where there was clear evidence that a REAL BEAR and been there!!!! A tree stump that had been infested with termites had been gouged out so that the bear could get at the termites to eat them! Everyone started looking around a bit more carefully to be sure that the bear wasn't still around and getting ready to protect his food source! Around the back of the house and into the brush once again ... why can't bears stick to the roads!!!! The path then led down to Holiday Point Road and across the street the kids notices a huge boulder with a giant spiderweb on it which (they claimed) was dusted with the Spirit Bear Dust. Carefully they all climbed down to the road and (after looking both ways!) crossed over to the boulder and what they saw ... WAS AMAZING!!!!!!! RIGHT THERE! RIGHT ON THE BOULDER!! WAS ANOTHER PETROGLYPH OF A BLACK BEAR!!!!!! AND NOT ONLY THAT!!! THERE WAS A COOLER FILLED WITH ICE CREAM!!! HOW COULD THE SPIRIT BEAR KNOW THAT JUST WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT TO SUCCOMB TO THIRST AND THE HEAT ... AND JUST WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT TO ARRIVE AT THE BOULDER ... HOW COULD HE KNOW TO LEAVE A COOLER FILLED WITH ICE CREAM FOR THEM RIGHT BY THE PETROGLYPH!!!! WOW!!!!!! This trying to join the Black Bear Clan stuff is HARD WORK!!!!!! And that was Challenge 2 ... |
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Day 2 . . . The next day, started out with an elder of the Clan collecting the Dream Catchers that the kids had worked on the previous day. Each dream catcher was inspected and cataloged with the name of the child who had made it. Already the children were beginning to understand that this was not a typical treasure hunt. Gerome D. told the others that his Dream Catcher had actually captured and taken away the nightmares that he was having during his visit to Holiday Point from far away France. Clearly, there were magical forces in the air around Holiday Point! Once all the Dream Catchers were collected, Elder Al told the kids about how Spirit of the Black Bear would leave a messge each day, which would have to be found in order for those wanting to continue, to know what the next challenge would be, in their quest to join the Black Bear Clan. As it turned out, finding the message may very well have been harder than the challenges, or at least some seemed to think that! The kids searched high and low, all over the beach and the picnic area. They ran out on The Point and back to the Library. They even checked the trash, bear's like to rummage through trash don't they? Interestingly, they seemed to prefer to wander as a group, instead of spreading out to cover more territory. As a result, progress on finding the elusive Message Pouch was slow at best. But, persistence paid off and THERE IT WAS AGAIN! This time it was high up in a bush right on the water's edge by the west beach, an area not very often used by the community members. Loren W. found it and got it down from it's perch. Excitement broke out in the crowd of kids as they ran back to the picnic benches to see what the challenge for the day would be. As the Message Pouch was opened, they found a beautiful necklace - in the shape of a bear paw ... AND ANOTHER MESSAGE!!      Under the watchful eye of Steve Q. their new guide, off went the kids to track the Spirit Bear, not really knowing what to expect or what there were going to find. They were advised to look for clues that the bear had been around the vacinity of where the pouch had been left. It didn't take long for several kids to shout out that they had found a bear paw print. But it was kind of strange, there was white dust all around it that Julia M. said smelled like Dunkin' Donuts! All the kids gathered around and looked at the print. But, something was VERY strange indeed! ONLY THE KIDS AND STEVE COULD SEE IT! All the other adults tried and tried but only saw ground, and leaves, and moss, and stuff! Then they realized, it was because Steve was holding the necklace with the BEAR PAW AMULET!!!! As soon as he passed it to another adult, he could no longer see the print, but now they could!!!!!! IS THAT WIERD OR WHAT!!!! Some kids were totally spooked, and some kids didn't believe it. They thought the parents were kidding. So a picture was taken and is shown here ... and .... well ..... You be the judge! Steve tried to explain that although he had never experienced it himself, he had heard that the Spirit Bear leaves footprints surrounded by Spirit Dust which can only be seen by those who are supposed to see. In this case it must have been that the Spirit Bear wanted only the kids who were trying to join the Black Bear Clan to track his wanderings ... The kids followed the path indicated by the mysterious footprints, and the parents followed the kids since they could not see anything other than the natural surroundings. There were some things that everyone one could see though. There were broken twigs and branches. AND, there were hairs ... BEAR HAIRS ... that must have been left behind when the Spirit Bear scratched himself on some tree bark or a fence! According to the kids, and Steve as he held the amulet, the Spirit Bear wandered along the shoreline to the north, up and down through the rocks and trees. Then he turned onto someone's dock as if to go to the water to perhaps get a drink or catch a fish. Along the way everyone encounterd a BLACK BEAR PETROGLYPH!!! - right there on a stone where the Spirit Bear would have passed by!!! Liam said, "I'm getting weirded out!!!!" while the other kids looked on in awe. Did the Spirit Bear draw this, or had it been here for a long time and just marked the Spirit Bear's path? No one would ever know for sure! Many of the kids still didn't believe that only they could see the Spirit Bear prints. So the used their hands to circle the spot where they said a particularly large print was located and another photograph was taken .... still no indication to the adults that anything was there that didn't belong there! It will be interesting to see if the kids who could see the prints can see them any more, now that they have completed that part of their quest!      |
      HUH???????? It was immediately clear that the Drum Communication sheet was gonna be important to understanding the written messages as well as drum beats. This must have been the Spirit Bear's way of telling the kids that they needed to learn how to decode these messages for some future purpose. So off they went to translate the codes. Each of the four messages was taken by a small group and they worked as teams to get all four translated. Fortunately the messages were numbered so that the kids could put them back together into one coherent ... well ... at least understandable ... well ... English ... message. It read as follows ... The making of drums and knowing the way To use them to talk to a friend far away Is one of the things that must be in hand Before you can become one of the clan First you must make one from what you can find A cylinder, skin and some lengths of strong twine It’s not all that hard but it takes strength and skill And delicate fingers and a strong sense of will I did you a favor and placed on a shelf All that you need except for yourself In the red building where lots of stuff stays Use no new tools just follow old ways And when you are done you will then have to show That reading this message was not all you know A drum will sound out you must listen well Decipher the message that I have to tell Toppling Tee Pees! After all that work doing the translation of the messages, now the kids were going to have to build a drum ... from stuff that seemed to be stored in the shed at the beach! So off they went to see what was in the shed, and they found heavy cardboard cylinders, and drum heads, and twine ... and the drum building project began! It looked pretty easy at first, but it quickly became apparant that it was harder than it looked. Strings got tangled, it was really hard to thread the twine through the holes in the drum heads, and whose idea was it anyway to make a drum by making a bunch of loops that would be tightened at the bottom with another piece of twine? Amazing as it sounds ... everyone did in fact get their drum made. And even more amazing was that they actually worked and everything!! TOTALLY COOL!!!!     The kids were regrouped and the drumming lesson began to what was clearly wild enthusiasm over the prospect of having to have a class right there on the beach ... where they would otherwise be doing things like swimming and playing in the sand and anything else but having a class. But, as it turned out, they got interested when Al B. brought out his drum and began to show them how to communicate. First he described that there is the equivalent of a drum "ringtone." The steady PUM pum pum pum PUM pum pum pum PUM pum pum pum was explained to be like the ringing of a telephone. When one hears the "ringtone," they are supposed to respond in the same way to let the drummer know that the "call" is being received. Then the original drummer stops, followed by the responder stopping, and then the message can be sent. Messages are sent as a series of two number sequences for each letter of the alphabet. The one sending the message has to be VERY careful to ensure that the correct letters are being sent. And, the one receiving the message as to pay very close attention so that they can get the entire message. For our beginning beaters and their bongos, this proved to be pretty hard. A pause between each set of beats representing one number made sure that it was properly separated from every other number, and things had to go pretty slowly because it was difficult to keep up ... just the same as it is difficult to learn sign language or to write at first. But, with some practice our soon to be Clan Members were able to send and receive messages with only minor problems. The elders were pleased. And, having kept the kids from their play time long enough, it was decided that they could go off and enjoy the rest of the day. But, they'll never know for sure when a message might be forthcoming, so they will need to be prepared for when it does .... anywhere ... anytime ... And that was Challenge 3 ... |
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Day 3 . . . The third challenge began much the same as the first two. The kids had to try and locate the Message Pouch that was left for them by the Spirit Bear. This time it was located under the bottle cap container on the counter near the beach. Being seasoned challengers by this point the kids gathered quickly and opened up the Pouch which on this day contained a ball of twine, and FIVE MESSAGES!, sort of ... more or less ... the kids weren't quite sure what to do at first. The first message was on another piece of parchment and read as follows ...  The other five sheets, which were all on white paper contained the following messages ... 35 34 15 44 23 15 33 11 31 24 34 22 35 21 14 42 45 33 43 11 34 14 31 34 35 52 24 34 22 44 23 15 52 11 54 44 35 45 43 15 44 23 15 33 44 35 44 11 32 31 44 35 11 21 42 24 15 34 14 21 11 42 11 52 11 54 24 43 35 34 15 35 21 44 23 15 44 23 24 34 22 43 44 23 11 44 33 45 43 44 12 15 24 34 23 11 34 14 12 15 21 35 42 15 54 35 45 13 11 34 12 15 13 35 33 15 35 34 15 35 21 44 23 15 13 32 11 34 44 52 35 21 24 42 43 44 54 35 45 33 45 43 44 33 11 31 15 35 34 15 21 42 35 33 52 23 11 44 54 35 45 13 11 34 21 24 34 14 11 13 54 32 24 34 14 15 42 43 31 24 34 11 34 14 43 35 33 15 32 15 34 22 44 23 43 35 21 43 44 42 35 34 22 44 52 24 34 15 24 44 43 34 35 44 11 32 32 44 23 11 44 23 11 42 14 12 45 44 24 44 44 11 31 15 43 43 44 42 15 34 22 44 23 11 34 14 43 31 24 32 32 11 34 14 14 15 32 24 13 11 44 15 21 24 34 22 15 42 43 11 34 14 11 43 44 42 35 34 22 43 15 34 43 15 35 21 52 24 32 32 44 23 42 15 15 24 14 24 14 54 35 45 11 21 11 51 35 42 11 34 14 41 32 11 13 15 14 35 34 11 43 23 15 32 21 11 32 32 44 23 11 44 54 35 45 34 15 15 14 15 53 13 15 41 44 21 35 42 54 35 45 42 43 15 32 21 24 34 44 23 15 42 15 14 12 45 24 32 14 24 34 22 52 23 15 42 15 32 35 44 43 35 21 43 44 45 21 21 43 44 11 54 43 45 43 15 34 35 34 15 52 44 35 35 32 43 25 45 43 44 21 35 32 32 35 52 35 32 14 52 11 54 43 21 35 45 42 11 34 14 52 23 15 34 54 35 45 11 42 15 14 35 34 15 54 35 45 52 24 32 32 44 23 15 34 23 11 51 15 44 35 43 23 35 52 44 23 11 44 42 15 11 14 24 34 22 44 23 24 43 33 15 43 43 11 22 15 52 11 43 34 35 44 11 32 32 54 35 45 31 34 35 52 11 14 42 45 33 52 24 32 32 43 35 45 34 14 35 45 44 54 35 45 33 45 43 44 32 24 43 44 15 34 52 15 32 32 14 15 13 24 41 23 15 42 44 23 15 33 15 43 43 11 22 15 44 23 11 44 24 23 11 51 15 44 35 44 15 32 32        So.... off they went to practice their drumming skills. All across Holiday Point the sound of thumping and bumping could be heard coming from the enthusiastic drumming of our intreped adventurers. Although they were supposed to practice drumming in code and trying to learn to communicate with their drums, some seemed to be totally satisfied with using their drums as a fashion statement. Others, worked hard at learning a Native American version of The Wall ... or was that Inna Gadda DaVida? Actually, for the most part, the kids worked at practicing their drums and trying to figure out how to tighten the drum heads so that they would play louder and more clearly. As they practiced, they waited ... waited to be called back to learn the details of exactly how drumming works and how people could communicate with such a simple device. There were no batteries, no keypads and no ringtones, or so they thought!    |
    He pulled a large pile of branches out of the back of his truck and instructed the kids to begin by stripping all of the leaves and twigs off the branches in order to fashion a fishing pole. While that was being done, Julia M. and Gabrielle R. volunteered to go get worms. So, Norm led them to the area near the Holiday Point Shed where the trash bins and various other barrels and things are stored. He moved a barrel out of the way .... and .... Great Gobs of Worm Goo!!!, there were dozens of the little creatures right there on the ground. The girls, showing a remarkable sense of sharing and tribal spirit, reached right down and scooped up plenty of the slippery, slimy night crawlers into a plastic bucket for everyone to use. Now hooks were another matter. In times of old, an indian might fashion a fish hook out of a piece of bone or perhaps whittle one out of a piece of dried hardwood. But, since our intrepid adventurers had only a few hours, improvisation was going to be the strategy for the day. It was decided that the easy and safe thing to use would be paper clips. What's that you say??? Make FISH HOOKS OUT OF PAPER CLIPS???? YUP! Actually, they're ideal to use as fish hooks with novice fishermen. They are easily bent into a hook and have no sharp points or barbs to snag fingers or other body parts. And not only that, but they make it easy to un-hook a fish after it's been caught in order to throw it back into the water. As it turned out, it wasn't quite as easy as it sounded. Bending them into an ideal shape was kind of tricky. Make the hook too big, or too small and the fish could easily steal away the bait and swim away. The hook had to be just the right size for the fish being caught, which were mostly Sunnies and Bluegills. With their poles made, and their hooks properly bent out of paper clips, and a good length of thin string tied to each, they were ready to go! Except of course, for one minor detail. The hooks needed to be baited! ... WITH WORMS!!!!!!! This turned out to be the most difficult skill to master. Many kids just could not bring themselves to cut the worms into "bite sized pieces" and getting them on the hooks (especially beacuse they were not sharp) proved to be quite difficult. They kept slipping and slithering out of the way. Clearly the worms did not like the idea of being used as bait!. But eventually, all the hooks had bait and the kids dipped them into the water to see if any fish could be caught. The fish could be seen through the relatively clear water as they immediately took up the bait!. Excitement welled up among our freshmen fishermen when their poles dipped as the fish grabbed onto the worms in the water!. Unfortunately, time after time, the wiley fish seemed to get the upper hand. They would swim up to the hook, grab the worm and dash off before the child could jerk up on the pole to set the hook and pull the fish out of the water. This fishing stuff was proving quite a lot harder than it looked.      And that was Challenge 4 ... |
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Day 4 . . . As with the each of the preceeding days of their Quest to become members of the Black Bear Clan, our exuberant enthusiasts of energetic exercises to test their expertise were once again sent off to (hopefully) find the Magical Message Pouch that mysteriously reappears every day with a new message and a new challenge. Amazingly enough, their skills seemed to be improving as the effort took only about ten minutes before the pouch was discovered hidden in the ash barrel near the barbeque grills. The new message read as follows: There is an old saying that . . If you give a person a fish You can feed them for a day But if you teach a person to fish You can feed them for a lifetime! Fish are a main part of the Black Bear’s diet. So, it is important for a member of the Black Bear Clan to know how to catch fish to provide food for the tribe. And, it is not only the ability to catch fish, but also the ability to make a fishing pole or spear to make it possible to catch fish. The next challenge for consideration to become a member of the Black Bear Clan is to make your own fishing pole out of a strong, but flexible branch from a tree, some fine string and something that can be used for a hook. Then find some bait and go fishing! The elder known as “Grandfather Fisherman” can help you to learn what to do and how to catch fish. Listen to him well, for he has long time experience in providing for the needs of his tribe. And don’t forget to keep you drum close by because you never know when you might receive a message from another member of the tribe! Almost in unison the kids yelled out, "We're gonna learn how to fish????? EEEEWWWWWWWW!!!! It was hard to tell which kids were excited and which kids were about to lose their lunches. But one and all agreed that if that was the challenge, then fish they would! But who was the elder known as Grandfather Fisherman? Who would be the person who would teach them how to make a fishing pole and a hook and how to bait it with ..... WORMS??????? DOUBLE EEEEEWWWWWW!!!! Several kids pondered, but two in particular knew right away who would be their teacher and guide. Nick and Matt immediately went to their own grandfather, the one who had already taught them to be expert fishermen and asked if he was going to help all the other kids learn what they already knew so well.      Alyssa M. CAUGHT ONE! She was so excited she wasn't sure what to do ... So, she passed her pole over to one of the other kids. AND THEN ... SOMEONE HAD TO GET IT OFF THE HOOK!!!!!. Grandfather Fisherman and Matt helped to remove the fish, and the other kids got to inspect it. For many this was the first time they had ever seen a wild fish up close and personal. The rest of the kids started fishing with renewed vigor. But alas, although they were biting with a vengence, the fish just seemed to be too clever for our novice nautical hunters. No other fish were caught until Matt and Nick's dad caught one about a half hour later. The thing is though, fishing is kind of relaxing, and you get to hang out with your friends on the dock and enjoy the warm day and the cool water. As a result, all the kids came to realize that fishing isn't just about finding food ... it's about enjoying the day and doing something that has been done by generations of Bear Clan Members before them.    |
     ARE WE GONNA BE SICK?????? Clan elder, Roseann D. assured them that they weren't going to be sick, and explained that a Medicine Bag is a special pouch, similar to the Message Pouch, that each member of the Black Bear Clan has, to keep and carry objects that have magical or spiritual significance to its owner. Medicine Bags are very personal and must be made by hand by their owner, or at least blessed as part of a special ceremony to ensure that they contain the spirit energy of their owner. Only then can they bring comfort, security and luck to the person who carries them. With that in mind, Roseann D. also told them that the first part of the challenge was to get the first items that would go into their Medicine Bag. The first item to be chosen was one of the objects that was in the Message Pouch and provided by the Spirit of the Black Bear to the kids participating in the Quest. Beginning with the finder of the Message Pouch, Alyssa M., each child selected either a stone or an arrowhead to be the first item to be kept in their Medicine Bag. Next Clan elder Al B. gave each child two special gemstones. Although they were similar to the kind that are often found on the beach, washed up by storms onto the sand from the bottom of the lake, these gemstones were clear clearly very special and different. One looked like it was made from Green Jade a very rare and special mineral not normally found in this area. The other was kind of a light green translucent color, with a green shape inside that looked like a bit of captured spirit, frozen in frosted glass! The kids were amazed at their beauty and uniqueness as they added them to their collection of special, magical items. Next Roseann D. told each child to go off and find an acorn. When they returned with them, the tops were pulled off and the kids were instructed in the ancient technique of using an acorn cap as a whistle. Some got it right away, while others had to work hard to find just they right way to hold the cap and then just the right way to blow across their thumbs as they held the cap in place. When it worked a shrill whistle rang out that could be heard over long distances. It was explained that this would be useful if they ever get lost in the woods. Next, they were told to go and find a twig from a Black Birch Tree. The only problem was that no one was quite sure which of the many trees around was a Black Birch! So ... Roseann went along to help them find one. As it turns out ... you can tell a Black Birch tree by the unique scent of its bark when it is stripped from a twig or branch. Each kid checked out various trees without success, but once they found it ... they knew the scent right away. That's because the unique scent is just like ... ROOT BEER!. Roseann went on to explain how Black Birch twigs not only smell great, but they are also very useful as ... TOOTHBRUSHS!. We wouldn't want our newly commissioned capable clan companions to get rotted teeth or bad breath when lost in the woods now, would we???     Their attention was turned to the plain white tee pee positioned in middle of the picnic area. According to the message received, what seemed to be an eternity ago, the message read ... And once you’ve found your spirit guide You then must find a place To rest and stay through rain and cold And share life face to face Members of the Black Bear Clan Live in homes of wood And fabric woven of strong cloth They’re warm and dry and good Each one reflects who lives within Each one a story tells About their life and who they are Whose spirit also dwells So take some paint and practice now For when a home you make Using things done on this quest The memories you’ll take So ... out came the paints and brushes! And, each of the kids took up the task of decorating the tee pee with their own personal creative spirit in order to practice for the time when they might be required to make a tee pee of their own.     And there were INSECTS There were SUNS and STARS and MOONS There were LINES And there were SPLOTCHES There were even shapes like SPOONS There were HANDS And there were FEET There was even one big SNAIL There were RED THINGS There were GREEN THINGS Some with BLUE and YELLOW TAILS Even cute little Amanda Took up a brush to show That her imagination Could also ebb and flow       A wonderful and inspiring symbol representing the 2007 Quest to Become Members of the Bear Clan had been created for all time .... And that was Challenge 5 ... |
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Day 5 . . . There were a few days of bad weather, and although the Black Bear isn't bothered by a little rain or cold at all, the Quest was put on hold until the sun and milder temperatures returned. So, after a few days off, the kids returned to the beach to continue their Quest and started looking for the Magical Message Pouch again. They quickly noticed that there was something new at the beach which looked like a tee pee, except that there were no markings or decorations on it at all, just a plain, empty canvas wrapped around poles in a circular pyramid shape. Our ever insistant investigators of imaginative hiding places didn't hesitate to search the unusual structure to see if it contained the Message Pouch, but it didn't. And, the kids were told that they would understand more about why it was there once they did find the new message for today's challenges. This time they found it under an aluminum plate in the area of the beach known as The Grassy Knoll. Alyssa M. was the first to uncover it and she brought it back to the picnic tables to be opened and checked for interesting contents and a new message!. The pouch contained a bunch of strange stones and arrowheads!, as well as what looked like a couple of paint brushes!. The message which was also inside read as follows: Challenge five has many parts All linked to life each day Things that each one in the tribe Must have along the way First a place for magical things A medicine bag you’ll make To carry amulets, charms and rings That everywhere you’ll take The things that mean the most to you The things that spirits mark And things that help protect and heal And comfort in the dark Each totem, charm and amulet You find and then you keep Tells of the force that’s deep within Your spirit very deep And once you’ve found your spirit guide You then must find a place To rest and stay through rain and cold And share life face to face Members of the Black Bear Clan Live in homes of wood And fabric woven of strong cloth They’re warm and dry and good Each one reflects who lives within Each one a story tells About their life and who they are Whose spirit also dwells So take some paint and practice now For when a home you make Using things done on this quest The memories you’ll take       Each was given a circular piece of leather and some colored string and shown that there were small slits in the leather all around the edge. The leather was unusual all by itself. It looked and felt like leather on one side, but was a smooth black cloth on the other. Perhaps it was a symbol that this pouch was being made for use by a member of the Black Bear Clan! Their special magical items were to be placed in the middle of the circle, along with any other items that each child felt was special or magical to them. The list of items that were in each child's Medicine Bag were:
In the end, each child had their own Medicin Bag, to keep with them for all time and to hold their most prized magical possessions and spiritual objects as they go through life.     CREATIVE THEY WERE! Several kids painted their hands, in order to transfer their hand prints onto the tent. Kelly Q. even painted the bottom of her foot and added her footprint to the decorations. It was quite a challenge for her to get her foot up onto the side of the tent in order to make the imprint, but with the help of one of her fellow clan initiates, who pushed out from the inside, her footprint came out perfectly! And then there were bear paw prints. Not the invisible spirit kind like on the tracking expedition, but painted paw prints in black and variety of colors.      With splatters on her face Didn't let the messiness Put her out of the race There were things that flew And flowers too And some things none could tell But everyone one Who worked on it Declared that it was swell! It didn't matter whether one Was outside or within Each shape and color Made the tee pee All it could have been    |
   The final challenge in your quest To join the Black Bear Clan Forces you to do your best At least the best you can The most important thing to do Each and every day Is build a fire to keep you warm Cook food and light the way Use no tools but those they had In times that came before Sticks of flint and force of will And wood and nothing more WOW!!! They were being asked to build a fire!!! WITHOUT ANY MATCHES????? And that shiny metal bar must be a flint, whatever that is. One of the elders explained that a flint is a special mineral that when struck by a sharp object creates a large spark. And not only that, but this particular bar was SPECIAL. The small rod on the side was actually the flint, and the much bigger part was a block of Magnesium. Magnesium is a metal with very special properties. When finely sliced or cut pieces of it are exposed to a flame or spark, they will burn VERY brightly and hot. It was further explained that flash bulbs used to contain Magnesium wire because they gave off so bright a light when they burned. Most of the kids looked at each other with puzzled faces, like, what's a flash bulb??? After some basic instructions, the kids gathered bits of leaves and twigs and other stuff to use as kindling, as well as some wood to use once a fire was started. It took a LOOOOOOOOOONG time, but sure enough (with a little bit of adult help) a spark caught and ... THE FIRE WAS LIT! The kids were so excited, they almost forgot to keep feeding it and it almost burned out! But fortunately, they gathered more wood and a good steady fire that lasted all evening burned bright and warm.       She explained how they came to live in this area and how they are a linked to the Iraquois Nation which is made of many, many tribes all throughout the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. She also taught the kids several indian words including the Schaghticoke word for anyone who is not indian (do you remember what it was?), and da-lah which means good bye. Even the adults who were present for the festivities of the day gave their complete attention to her soft spoken words as Evening Star gave them a greater appreciation of Native American culture and the ways of the Indian Tribes.      All of the kids participated in the ceremony, although some squirmed a little bit as the smoke filled their nostrils and eyes. Evening Star started with her own sister, in order to show the kids what the ceremony was all about. She then stood before each child and waved the Smudge Stick over their heads and around their arms, and body. As she waved the stick, she spoke softly as she chanted to the spirits to bring good fortune and protection to each child and their belongings. Even Ed H. and Bernie Q. participated, and were smudged.      |
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Day 6 . . . The kids all knew that something big was happening when they all came down to the beach on the sixth day of the quest. There was the tee pee that they had painted the day before, and there were picnic tables set with table cloths, and even the community tent had been put up. Was there to be some kind of swearing in ceremony? Were they going to be given another challenge? No one was sure ... except that there was definitely something in the air. As with every other day of the quest, they were first required to find the Magical Message Pouch which would contain their instructions for the day. It took a bit longer than usual, but after a while, Liam found it hidden in a tree near the horseshoe pits. He called all the other kids in the quest and they gathered around a picnic table to see what their latest message from the Spirit Bear. was to be. Everyone listened and watched as Liam opened the pouch. As expected, there was a new message, and SOMETHING ELSE!! It was a strange looking shiny metal bar about four inches long and an inch wide and about a quarter in thick. Running down one side was a darker and rougher metal rod. No one was quite sure what it was ... so they decided to read the messge first for clues. The new message was on an old piece of parchment, and once again there was the Image of the Spirit Bear in the center of the page ... just like on all of the other messages!     Just as the fire settled in and the kids finished celebrating their success in the most recent Challenge to become A Member of the Black Bear Clan ... A strange, dark car pulled into the picnic area. No one recognized the occupants ... and as the car pulled to a stop and the people got out ... everyone looked on in surprise! Two of the visitors were dressed up as INDIANS!!!!! They came up to the tee pee and between it and the fire, they set out a blanket, a basket, a drum and some other items that were at the same time mysterious, interesting and beautiful. One woman was dressed in a dark brown dress that looked like it was made of some kind of animal skin, probably deer skin. It had fringes and she was decorated with feathers and beads and all kinds of interestng stuff. She looked sooooo ... COOL!!!! And, she introduced her self as Evening Star and told the kids that that is her Indian Name. She went on to explain that this wasn't just a costume, but she was a real indian and a member of the Schaghticoke Tribe which is the indian tribe that has lived in this area for many generations. She also introduced her sister, Megan, and explained that all members of the Schaghticoke Tribe are given their Indian Names as part of a special ceremony, that was due to take place for Megan in a few weeks. Only true indians can go through the ceremony to receive an official Indian Name. Although, people who are not part of the tribe can take part in their ceremonies and celebrations as guests. Evening Star further explained that she had heard that the Spirit of the Black Bear was in the area and that there was a celebration of the Black Bear Clan of the ancient and mystical Yocknowhusunk Tribe taking place. So, they decided to join in and share some of the culture, history and stories of the people who lived here long before the outsiders came from across the sea. The kids were totally captivated by the two mysterious guests who appeared so suddenly on the last day of their Quest to become members of the Black Bear Clan! A brief ceremony was held during which each of the kids were given back the Dreamcatchers that they had made on the first day of their Quest. The Dreamcatchers were created by each individual child in order to bring them good luck and good fortune, and freedom from dark spirits that might come in the night. Then, Evening Star held up a beautiful stick with a carved handle and a red covering. She told the kids that it was the Talking Stick and in their ceremonies, the person who holds the Talking Stick is the one who is permitted to speak. Each time someone wants to speak, they must request the Talking Stick and wait until it is received. Evening Star then passed the Talking Stick to each child, and asked that they say their name and anything else that was on their mind at that time. Most kids just said their names. They were a little intimidated by the presence of these two women and their powerful spirit energy.     First she described the importance of a Medicine Bag and how each tribe member carries one with those things that have the greatest spiritual and emotional significance to them. In addition to personal items, each bag contains a bit of Tobacco and a bit of Cedar, two items which are considered sacred to the indians of the Schaghticoke Tribe. Even though the kids had made their own medicine bags just a day earlier, Evening Star explained that those were for their relationship to the Black Bear Clan, and she was giving each of them one from the Schaghticode Tribe that they should carry and keep to themselves, and not let anyone else touch, as long as they live. She then proceeded to pass out beautiful red and brown Medicine Bags to each person in the circle around the fire, including those adults who wanted to participate in the ceremony. Each child checked out their new, wonderous possession. The Tobacco smelled funny, and the Cedar smelled nice. Both were in a small pouch of their own to protect them. Evening Star then took some of each from her own pouch and tossed it into the fire. She explained that this was a symbolic gesture to share the power of the Tobacco and Cedar with the Spirits. She then moved on to performing the Smudging Ceremony.    It was an unusual moon. It was a soft reddish color as it rose in the sky, like it was taking on the spirit of the fire that the children had built as part of their final challenge. Everyone took a moment to admire its beauty, and think about the vastness of the universe all around us. The ceremony continued one child after another, until every child in the circle had been smudged. Then, Evening Star returned to her blanket and sat down. All of the children sat down as well, each in the traditinal indian seating position with their legs crossed in front of them (all except Ashley who was wearing a skirt!). Evening Star then pulled out an old book which was filled with stories and fables that had been shared through the generations within the Schaghticoke Tribe. All together she read three stories from the book. They were stories that told a message or had a moral, not all that different that the fairy tales or fables that are a part, in one form or another, of every culture. And when she was done, Evening Star rose from her blanket, thanked all of the children for being so attentive and well behaved, and then as quietly as they had arrived ... they were gone. Darkness had come, and the fire had died down. And, the families of the children began packing their cars to go home. It was a special night, full of magic and the special presence of the Spirit of the Black Bear under the light of a Red Summer Moon.  in the place where the ... Yocknowhusunk Tribe once lived... one warm summer week in August ... in the year 2007. |
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