New York museum has major Cree medicine bundle

Lost for 50 years Page 1 The American Museum of Natural History in New York houses what could turn out to be one of the major finds for Plains Indian people. The museum possesses a Cree medicine bundle. Its whereabouts has been unknown to the public for more than half a century.

On September 6, 1934, noted anthropologist David Mandlebaum wrote to his superior in New York that he would soon be leaving the Sweet Grass Reserve in Saskatchewan but, before departing, he would receive a bundle," a bearskin worn by a noted chief in the old days - Big Bear."

He went on to explain in his letter that the man who was to give him the bundle was concerned with "finding a safe place for the bundle." The man in question is none other than Fine Day, who, as a young man in 1885, had been a Cree war chief during the 1885 Northwest Resistance.

Big Bear was one of the controversial Indian leaders during the struggles of 1885, in which Métis and Indian people sought redress from government for their woeful and inadequate conditions. The buffalo had disappeared, winters were severe, and crop failures were widespread. All these circumstances had left the western Plains Indians in a very serious state of deprivation and starvation.

In addition, the "iron fisted" conduct of the Indian agents and their hardline policies stimulated an atmosphere of universal discontent. As well, food rations from the agents were meagre and often spoiled. Big Bear first drew public attention in early April of 1885 when his band took over Frog Lake and, later, Fort Pitt. With the March 16, 1885, Victory of the Metis over government troops at Duck Lake, the Cree gained a new found confidence.

Neglected and destitute, Big Bear's band sprang into action. And, when the major skirmishes of 1885 were over and done with, it was Big Bear's band who held out the longest. For many weeks after the fall of the Metis'' headquarters at Batoche on May 12, Big Bear managed to elude approximately 1,000 militia who pursued him. After a few minor confrontations, the soldiers abandoned their chase for the wily chief on June 24, and eventually, he surrendered himself on July 2.

He was subsequently brought to trial, and sent to prison for two years only to die shortly after. As a personal protection piece, Big Bear was known to possess a medicine bundle which, today, simply consists of a bear claw mantle on red cloth, a plug of tobacco, and a bit of sweetgrass of which are encased in "an unusual number of (nine) calico wrappings" says the museum curator Dr. Stanley Freed. One question that looms large is that of the bundle's pipe. Where is it? Who has it?

We, at Windspeaker, will be looking into this matter further. Fine Day made reference to the bundle back in 1934 saying," the bundle will be spiritually powerful always and its strength will never die...Big Bear wore this bundle only in fighting...he always was in front and was shot at many times, but was never wounded."

Authenticity of the bundle comes in to question by non-Native authorities given the fact that it had dropped out of sight for nearly a half century. Dr. Freed says "there is some uncertainty that the bundle was actually Big Bear's because of the 50 year gap (1885-1934) during which the bundle was unaccounted for. It could have been lost or destroyed and possibly replaced by what might appear to be the one that Big Bear had owned.

Because no history of the bundle has been formally documented from the time when he was arrested up until the time that it came into Mandlebaum's keeping, its disposition may be subject to question. As a special field assistant who reported directly to former Curator-in-Chief, Clark Wissler, Mandlebaum's records indicate that he journeyed twice into Saskatchewan to "gather information concerning the history and life of certain Indian tribes."

On his excursions, he collected at least one bundle, that being one which was tagged "obtained from Joe Pimi, September 10, 1934 by Dave Madlebaum at Poundmaker Reserve, Battleford Agency."

Who was Joe Pimi? The records do not tell us and, so the answer eludes us. Mandlebaum's notes say that the bundle is that of Big Bear and he does have a reputation for honesty and integrity.

Now living in California, Mandlebaum is the same age, 80, that Fine Day was back in 1934 when he first gave the bundle to Mandlebaum. For those who know and understand Indian traditions, they will realize that even though the bundle may have been tampered with, that does not render it useless or powerless and it maintains certain value.

More than 50 years have passed since the bundle was first acquired by the museum in New York. Will it ever return to its people, the Cree? Do the Cree in Saskatchewan even know of its existence or whereabouts? Will they attempt to recover it and have it returned to its homeland and people?

As it sits peacefully among the museum's collection, the bundle provides a stark contrast to the contemporary situation of today's Indians whose moments of peace are scare and whose struggles to correct unpleasant conditions continue even if it is in a different manner than was the case in 1885.

(Acknowledgments and thanks are extended to Sandie Johnson of Maryland, U.S.A. for the ground work she did and for providing much of the information essential to this article.)