I was seven years old, and I can still remember feeling so small and insigificant sitting next to this amazing man.
I could feel his honor and taste his pride.
He never smiled at me, but his voice was calm and soothing as I listened to his words.
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He explained to me a story of honor names, things I would do, places I would see, people I would meet.
He gave me my very first name in our band, he was Cherokee, and very very proud.
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He explained to me that though my mother was Comanche, mixed with White, that I should not allow others prejudices to inflict or instill in me, the same anger that had been instilled into others.
And I find myself today thinking back to the 2 meetings I had with this great man, and I smile.
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He had seen horrors of his people, horrors of the White man, and still he could tell this small seven year old that prejudice was wrong, and that hate begat more hate.
I never really knew my Great Grandfather, and now that he is gone, he will simply be called by the one name that he shared with me, and part of the name he gave to me as he told me what a help I could be in this vast, cold and angry prejudiced world.
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Wado Iron Bear
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~BearClaw~
They were symbols of family of pride, and if ever a man I knew had pride, it was my Great Grandfather.
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To some, the Totem Poles were eye catching, towering some more than 80 feet high.
The orginal creators of these fascinating poles were mostly from the Northern Pacific
Coast tribes who lived along narrow strips of rugged mountainous land.
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Some of the Totem Poles were carved of tall red cedar trees, their amazingly accurate figures were that of animals, birds and fish.
Each design carved into the totem pole signified some aspect of the tribe's family, or relative to that.
Therefore, the Totem Poles became known as a sort of "family album".
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Some people have said that Totem Poles were not much different than the European Coat of Arms that family's wear with honor, dignity and pride.
These heraldic poles were placed in front of some homes to proclaim the social standing of the family.
Others were used as mortuary poles with a section removed to hold the ashes of an important person.
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In part, people who used the bear as an emblem did not do so because they worshipped the bear, but because it was associated in some way with their family or clan.
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These emblems, whatever they might be, held only pride and kinship in the Totem Poles, they were not designed as forms of religion.
The more frequently used symbols on the Totem Poles were the, Eagle, Raven, Bear, Hawk, Thunderbird, land Otter and the Frog.
