Mato - The Bear spirit

The Mato, the bear is the first medicine man, they know the roots and plants. When a bear is sick he will go dig up a medicine and eat it. To the Lakota the bear has great power and strength. The Bear Spirit (who is of the tobtob : good spirits) and has great wisdom was able to protect the people. The Bear Spirit was responsible for giving the people medicine to heal their sick, there were also bear dreamers who doctored the sickly these doctors were the Mato Wapiya. In old days there was a special lodge with sacred bear designs only the bear men could enter. The Bear Spirits that came to the people were known only to the bear men and their names were kept secret, as their names were too sacred to be spoken, the Mato Wapiya would prepare amulets and medicine bags for families and these provided the family protection,health, and long life. These medicine men were the surgeons of our time as they could perform surgery, set bones, or repair broken bones and ligaments. The bear doctors took care of the worst injuries. Before doctoring they painted their body and put on their sacred bear robe.These men would also prepare war shields with their special designs of the bear given in dreams.The last known Bear Doctor in the Pine Ridge area we knew of was a man named Looks Twice. However, many medicine men still know this medicine and have the bear bundles; tobtob the bear still comes to help doctor sick people.