A Mother Black Bear and Cub
Ethnographic Notes
A mother black bear and cub, in Lakota called mato sapa (strangely, this common term is omitted from Buechel, 1970). It is notable throughout this ledger that only black bear are depicted, but no grizzlies. The brother of Black Road, named Stinking Bear, “was a noted bear medicine man and used a bear paw in his healing ceremonies” (One Feather, 2014). Compare Plates 16 & 15.