The Bear is My Father

A notable and significant contribution to community, college, and university library Native American Biographies, Religion, and Demographic Studies collections and a supplemental curriculum syllabus, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that “The Bear is My Father: Indigenous Wisdom of a Muscogee Creek Caretaker of Sacred Ways” is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99) – Midwest Book Review

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.