"Spirit Of The Grizzly" By Bev Doolittle

The Plains Indian had an intimate knowledge and deep respect for the animals that shared his environment. He especially coveted the courage, strength and hunting skills of animals like the eagle, wolf, and bear. By wearing the fur, feathers and claws of these great hunting animals he hoped to possess a part of their 'spirit'. I've illustrated a Blackfoot Indian, beside a cold mountain stream, who has truly wrapped himself in the 'Spirit of the Grizzly.'"

"Out of the mist rising
A young Indian comes riding,
Riding though bear country
Riding alone.
It is ealry spring, but there is snow on the gound
And a storm in the air.
The Indian wears a bearskin robe.
His name is Brave Bear.
Brave Bear has always tried to be like his name,
Strong, intelligent, brave.
He wishes that his guardian spirit could be
The grandfather of all bears,
The great grizzly.
Does Brave Bear
get his wish?"

- Bev Doolittle

"Prayer For The Wild Things" By Bev Doolittle

"If you spend a long time in a wild place,
You hear things, you see things
You didn't know were there.
In this wild place you might hear
Chief Eagle Feather's prayer.
He is thanking the Great Spirit
for the wild creatures
that share his world with him.
The four-legged ones.
The ones that swim in the water.
The ones who fly though the air.
Hidden, but near, the animals and birds
Pray with the chief, but not in words.
How many creatures can you
discover in this wild place?" - Bev Doolittle

"Wolves Of The Crow" By Bev Doolittle

"To be 'like a wolf' to the Indian was to become valuable in the world. Like the wolf, the Indian sought to be a strong individual and to provide well for his family and others in his tribe. He sought the wolf's stamina and his ability to track. 'Wolves of the Crow' is a painting of Indian warriors who have attained the honor of 'scout.' By wearing the sacred wolf skins, these Crow Indian scouts can call upon the wolf spirits to help them hunt, track, or to succeed on a raid." - Bev Doolittle

"Season Of The Eagle" By Bev Doolittle

"In the life of an Indian, every new day, every encounter with bird or beast, and everything he owned or wore had religious significance. The Indians prayed each day to the One-Who-Made-All-Things, the Crow Ah-badt-dadt-deah. Since all creatures were made by the Great Spirit, the Indian considered the animals and birds with whom he shared his home not only sacred, but brothers. Each creature had unique powers and skills and the Indians believed that God had placed them on the Mother Earth to teach them valuable lessons. The eagle embodied courage and speed, skills the Indians needed for successful war and hunting, and eagles were revered as messengers of the Great Spirit. In the highest passes of the Rocky Mountains, spring arrives late in the year. As the snow melts, swollen, rushing streams and rivers tell the Indians that passes to more fertile hunting grounds will be open. The melting snow patterns speak to the Indians also. These are messages from the Great Spirit. It is because of the Indians' special reverence for the eagle that I have chosen to incorporate him into my most resent painting, Season of the Eagle"

"In a remote mountain valley
where winter lingers into summer
the Great Spirit
sends messages of fair weather and good hunting
on the wings of a mountain
on the flight of a lake
This is the Season of the Eagle."
- Bev Doolittle

"Let My Spirit Soar" By Bev Doolittle

"My thoughts fly up like birds it the sky.

I am free. I can fly.

I go everywhere. I see everything.

Towering mountain ranges

and a tiny flower growing in the desert.

I see cities and highways and a fallen tree

I see a grandmother telling a story to a child.

I sit quietly

But my thoughts fly up like the birds in the sky.

Only I know where they go.

When you sit quietly,where do your thoughts go?

What do you see?" - Bev Doolittle