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The Bear is My Father: Indigenous Wisdom of a Muscogee Creek Caretaker of Sacred Ways
“The Bear Is My Father” is a heartfelt tribute to Bear Heart and his global community. It celebrates the life, teachings, and impact of Marcellus Bear Heart Williams.
Bear Heart (1918-2008) was a Muscogee Creek Native American Church Road Man. He was known for recognizing and valuing individual uniqueness. The book contains his final writings and testimonials from those he deeply influenced. Through stories and traditional medicine, he taught how to live in balance and respect all life.
Co-authored by Reginah WaterSpirit, Bear Heart’s wife and Medicine Helper for 23 years, the book blends historical and spiritual insights. When asked about making medicine, Bear Heart said, “I don’t make the medicine, it was here before me. I’ve been entrusted to be a caretaker of certain sacred ways.”
About the authors
Bear Heart
Marcellus “Bear Heart” Williams (1918 – 2008) was one of the last traditionally trained medicine persons of the Muscogee Creek Nation. His teachings wove together the knowledge of many traditions as Bear Heart was an ordained American Baptist Minister, Road Chief, and renowned spiritual counselor. Speaking in 13 Native American tribal languages, Bear Heart was considered a Multi-Tribal Spiritual Leader and was called upon internationally for his healing work.
Bear Heart received formal education from the all-Indian Bacone College in Muscogee, Oklahoma. He later majored in Biblical Greek and earned a divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts.
Bear Heart’s wisdom, traditional medicine knowledge and spiritual compassion made him a sought-after figure. He prayed with President Truman, he spoke at the opening of the Smithsonian Native American Museum, and he was a spiritual counselor for firemen and their families after the Oklahoma City tragedy in 1995. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Bear Heart served on former President George W. Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative Panel for the U.S. Department of Health’s “When Terror Strikes” conference in New York, and he put down prayers with police and firemen at Ground Zero in New York City.
Bear Heart’s first book, The Wind Is My Mother, has been translated into 14 languages. His second book, The Bear is My Father, is co-authored by Reginah WaterSpirit, who worked and traveled with Bear Heart as a medicine helper for 23 years. They eventually married in a spiritual ceremony in Oklahoma.
Regina WaterSpirit
Reginah was born in The Bronx, New York, and relocated to Southern California when she was three. Reginah managed businesses in the garment industry and studied at UCLA. She also traveled widely across the USA and Europe as a young adult. She learned the Voice Dialogue method under Dr. Sidra Stone and Dr. Hal Stone, eventually becoming a facilitator and instructor.
Her interest in psycho-spiritual practices led her to New Mexico. There, she met Marcellus Bear Heart Williams of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation. At 42, Reginah began a transformative journey with Bear Heart as his medicine helper. They traveled across the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada for 23 years. They married in a spiritual ceremony in Oklahoma and co-authored “The Bear is My Father,” published in 2022.
Currently, Reginah uses Voice Dialogue and art therapy to foster self-awareness and interpersonal understanding. She is a member of The Earth Tribe, dedicated to recognizing humans as one among many species.