Bear Brigade
Prescott & vicinity
Joseph Reddford Walker
A Wabanaki Legend
Now in the Old Time there lived a boy called Sigo, whose father had died when he was a baby. Sigo was too young to hunt and provide food for the wigwam, so his mother was obliged to take another husband, a jealous spiteful man who soon came to dislike his small stepson, for he thought the mother cared more for the child than for himself. He thought of a plan to be rid of the boy.
"Wife," said he, "it is time the boy learned something of the forest. I will take him with me today, hunting."
"Oh no!" cried his wife. "Sigo is far too young!"
But the husband snatched the boy and took him into the forest, while the mother wept, for she knew her husband's jealous heart.
The stepfather knew of a cave deep in the forest, a deep cave that led into a rocky hill. To this cave, he led his stepson and told him to go inside and hunt for the tracks of rabbit. The boy hung back.
"It is dark in there. I am afraid."
Bears mostly live alone, except for mothers and their cubs, or males and females during mating season. Bears form temporary groups only when food is plentiful in a small area. A male and female may live in an overlapping home range, each defending their range from other bears of the same sex. Male young usually leave their mothers to live in other areas, but females often live in an area that overlaps that of their mother.While many bear species do go into a physiological state called hibernation or winter sleep, it is not true hibernation. Bears have a large body with powerful limbs. They are capable of standing up on their hind legs. They have broad paws, long snouts, and round ears. Their teeth are used for defense and tools and depend on the diet of the bear. Their claws are used for ripping, digging, and catching. A bear's eyesight is probably similar in acuity (sharpness) to the human eye. Black bears, and likely other bears, have color vision to help them identify fruits and nuts. A bear's fur is long and shaggy. Fur color varies among species, ranging from white, blonde or cream, to black, and white to all black or all brown. Colors of a bear's fur can also vary within species. For example, American black bears may be black, brown, reddish-brown, or bluish-black.The Joe Walker Rendezvous is scheduled for April, 2009. Location will be the same... off Fairoaks Road, Northwest of Prescott on Williamson Valley rd. Plenty of space for Primitive camping & limited space for tin tipi's.A potluck dinner will be held Saturday night. Early camping will be available if anyone wants to arrive & set up.Joe Walker Rendezvous 2006
