I met nice lady in the mountains who told me she was the last full blood member of the bear clan. Most of her family died of tuberculosis from colonisers. She wanted to tell us a story cause we had ears open to hear. We were travelling through the mountains and stopped in a town at a shop where we met her.
She was gathering berries on an island in the middle of a river. She looked up and saw a bear ( I think a black bear) and it was in an aggressive posture of bobbing it's head back and forth. She stood up and faced the bear and it stood there. She waited a long time so that the bear might leave. She knew to look up with a slight smile because it gives off endorphins so the bear would calm down and not perceive a threat or fear. If you look down and frown that gives off pheromones that signal the bear to attack, it signals vulnerablity and aggression.
After standing there a long time facing the bear she decided to take a step. As soon as she did the bear charged and swooped it's paw on her one side. She stood there another half an hour and took another step. The bear charged again and swooped her on the other side. She stood her ground. She then decided to wait as long as needed. So after standing for another hour and a half the bear finally left. She later looked on the internet to see what it means when a bear swoops you on the side like that. She found out that the bear is seeing if it can knock you over. If it succeeds in knocking you to the ground, you become it's dinner!!
I felt very lucky to hear this bear story from a full blood of the bear clan! The last full blood grandmother. She told me that she is an Earthwalker. The bear story confirmed that to be literally true. She was able to stand her ground and wait the bear out! With cougars the situation is different and you have to face the cat down and attack it when it attacks you.
When we left the grandmother gave me a special farewell greeting I never experienced before. She crossed her arms in front of the chest in an X and gave a sort of bow. I didn't expect that gesture and I gave a nod in return. I felt privileged and in a way welcomed by the bear clan. I was able to hear the story! It had an air of importance, this whole meeting a grandmother and hearing a story. Really made my day. My name is Arthur which meaning is also bear. I felt the connection.
I may not remember all of the details exactly. Just wanted to get the story out, to express the gist. I think about the story from time to time. I think about being an Earth walker too. Standing your ground is both literal and metaphorical. Perhaps one day I will have my own standing your ground story to tell. I do have a few stories. To me that's what social life, community and family is about - telling stories! This one made me think about our animal nature and human nature. She told me there are too many bears right now. The hunting stopped because some overhunted. Now there are too many. Perhaps I will meet her again and see how the bear situation is going in her region of the mountains.