Ted closed the door!Ted must have read the update last night. Since the picture in last night’s update, taken at noon yesterday, Ted moved his straw to the back of his den, closing the back door, while opening the front door so his Den Cam and viewers can see him. Way to go, Ted. All in a period of 24 hours and 15 minutes.
There has always been high interest in the Bear Center doing a Native American bear exhibit. We have considered working with the local Bois Forte Band of Ojibways on that. Toward that end, we had the head of the local Native American Heritage Center be the speaker at one of our annual meetings. She was great. One of the members of our Advisory Board was a Spiritual Leader of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibways until he recently died. A Native American exhibit is still a goal as mentioned in last night’s update.
We were happy to see encouragement in one of the comments we received today. “In the update tonight, you were describing plans for exhibits, and specifically bears in our culture. In regard to "...the story of how Native Americans revered bears...", May I suggest that in your exhibits you use nomenclature that refers to Native folk and their spiritual practice and traditions in the present as well as past tense. Native Americans are still here, and even in this modern age some practice their ancient ways and revere bears and use bear medicine still, here and now. Thanks so much for the amazing thing(s) you are doing. I am so grateful for your work!”
Laughing Bear (Portland, Ore)
Great advice! Thank you.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.