MedicineBear ...  was many things..  an outdoorsmen,a indian spirit,a mountain man who could identify any plant.. a wood craftsmen,legends keeper and more.MedicineBears Grandfather (on his mothers side) "Robert Cohee" was a full blood .We have papers leading  us to Pine Ridge and others from MedicineBear  that he was Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge South Dakota,although this has been disputed(by saying he was cherokee)No papers have turned up saying thus as of it and we yet keep his "I'm Proud To Be Lakota" bumper sticker on his vehical.If papers ever turn up otherwise we will post it..... We feel the heart is as important as ones blood.... we know the heart is what is important,it is the spirit and how one walks the walk and is from day to day that says if they are indian or not.... if they are selfish and cold blooded or kind and respectful. Or Real.Some would argue this but we chose not to argue about this but rather ask why there is yet terrible tradgidies continuing among our indians here in our nation and among our poor and needy.Arguing about races does nothing to help a dying planet.... but speaking up and out does.
 It is because of the atrocities we strive even more full heartedly for those issues Medicine Bear himself cared about as well.

MedicineBear  tried to grasp his heritage,more so when his mother(Thelma) said to him on her death bed(Do Not forget Your An Indian) and thus he never forgot and bravely he continued unto his death dying with the spirit of a warrior,even in the face of ridicule and poverty. and yet honerably he lived and  died  a legend to many many people in this area.The day of his funeral there were so many cars you could not see the end of them. He was special in his own right.Daily he lived like an indian. We know of no-one in comparison here who could have lived like this unique man but an indian soul. He lived in a rustic worn down timber that was once a Gas Station.

He lived and died as bravely as a warrior in his circumstances could.He had no running water the majority of the time near the end, and he lived like most of us would not even camp.Nightly he went to sleep with a bear blanket or indian blanket after smudging or singing or hearing  a song. He made his own clothes,his own jewelry,his own everything almost. If you have ever watched the movie "SKINS" it is the best example i can give you on how this man was.How shocking it was to us when this movie came out as it resembled medicinebear to a T. Even the way the house looked...looks like Bearland..the way he danced,the way he spoke.. and oddly enough it came out the same year medicinebear died and the man whom played him was one of  medicinebears favorite actor(Graham Green)This movie is a must to see so you can grasp the way things are.This was medicinebear. Uncanny as it was it is the most acurate discription we can give you of Medicinebear.Even his wife sat in silent  awe upon watching this movie as it was sooooo like this man.

MedicineBear's real name was Robert Vincent Putman. Born of a father who was a commercial Fisherman. Family was from Belleview,Ia. Grew up knowing how to hunt.. trap and fish and passing it on down to his own children and grandchildren.

He had two brothers(that passed on before him) and one sister.

He loved the outdoors..tree's,plants,wildlife.  He could tell you the name of every plant.. every tree,every bird,every animal and the sound of every bug, bird or howl in the night. One of the finest hard to find, nowadays kind of man's man. He enjoyed chinese food and cooking,baking and making things from scratch.

Wasn't a very tidy kind of fella but he knew where everything was and if it was old,rare or unusual he prolly had it.  And he knew how to sew just as well as he knew how to use a tool.

He liked the  Black Lodge Singers and danced every chance he could to them at whatever given Pow wow and  he had his own too. The last one being one week prior to his passing. He enjoyed visiting and entertaining people.

He had Bearland for at least 17 years,often changing course of how it was. At one time there was a petting zoo there. He had Chinese Pigs,Chickens,Rabbits,Ducks,Goats,Geese,a Peacock and  a Bear(Leroy) thus how Bearland got it's name.  He used to take Leroy over the bridge to Iowa to the dike and have people pay ten bucks to wrestle the Bear.  No worries... his back teeth were takin out and he was declawed. All he could do was hug ya big if he wanted to.  Leroy was put to sleep sometime ago as he got a tatse of one of the barn cats at medicine bear's daughter's place.  Long live Bearland... someday perhaps there will be another bear.

MedcineBear was a Marine having served more than two years. Honerably he served his country as bravely as he lived.

He had a fond liking to whiskey and was prone to hours,days and even weeks of binges. His health in his later times went downhill. Much atributed later due to living arrangements.  He never recovered nor did he ever stop drinking. He went home leaving behind him many friends that once occupied some of his time at BearLand. Days now gone but not forgotten. He had many friends. Scarecly a person who doesn't know him or at least heard of him. For he was a rare individual.Drinking or not... he was a good man. Though alcohol got the best of him it also served as lesson for all of us. Alcohol has taken many a good people. 

In his younger years Medcine Bear was one of the best dancers in town. Not just pow wow dancing but the mushey kind you'd see in the old movies. He also loved Johnny Cash(who was a Cherokeee),drums music and singing and playing the drums himself. Was good at most any kind of art and had an imagination that could only be matched to a genious. 

Excentric  and ahead of his time(he had saggin in before it was in)... he enjoyed reading and learning and i think through out his whole life he took greatest pleasure in learning as he was always reading something. Always feeding his brain.

And he liked documentry type shows and once was even known for bringing home chocolate covered ants and pigs tongue and bear oil. and mud and medicine leaf and whiskey was a cure all for almost anything. And who cares for tents when you can sleep in the great outdoors.  Yes... he was a man of true natural desent. Loving the land and riding life's trail to it's fullest.

He loved traveling,trucks and T.P's and could cut out someones name in wood faster that one could run and still tell you what your name was even if he hadn't seen you in a coon's age.

One of a kind.  That's it....

I think anyone who ever met him and knew him for any amount of time could honestly say he taught them something.  Cause i think that is what he was here for.

His Legacy lives on....long live Bearland....

You will be missed MedicineBear..but  it is a joy to know...

Your education lives on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aho!

 

 

 

Memorial photos etc.

******MedicineBears Last PowWow

**Relatives of Medicinebears

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