Martin High Bear biography update:

Photo of Martin High Bear and his horse

For the past two internships, we have gifted copies of the Martin High Bear biography to our interns and assigned chapters for them to study. Then during our classes, we discussed what they learned from him. In our third Health and Wellness Resilience class, after interns read the chapters on Martin’s Three Spiritual Lives, they discussed Martin’s journey to become a medicine man and his struggles with alcohol. They explored themes of trauma, cultural identity, and healing, particularly through the lens of embracing one's traditional heritage and gifts. The interns shared personal reflections on Martin’s life and on their own coping mechanisms and the importance of having supportive role models to guide them through challenging times in their lives. One intern shared her emotional response to the depiction of Martins’ people's lack of freedom to overcome the historical injustices they faced, including forced relocation and land flooding during the Depression. In response, the group reflected on how Martin was able to accept disappointment and learned to adjust through his spiritual insights, including his teachings on healing and the spiritual nature of plants.

His vision of the Seven Commandments from the Sacred Buffalo Calf Woman are intended for the benefit of Martin’s people as they continue to restore their traditional cultural values and spirituality. However, we realize they also have valuable lessons that our interns, actually all citizens, can learn from. We have observed how his biography is helping create transformation in the lives of some of our colleagues and so we encourage other community members to read it. 

One reader gave it a 5.0 out of 5 stars and then commented, “There are many ways to save money by following Native Americans’ tradition of using different herbs, trees... This book also shows how you can unite our world by following the ancient teachings of Native Americans and the Buffalo Calf Woman’s Seven Commandments. There was nothing I disliked about this amazing book.”