The Bear Hearted Girl

A Cheyenne girl is sheltered by a family of bears during a spring snowstorm.

Mar 31, 2023

On a beautiful morning in early spring, I left my village for the freedom of the prairie. It had been a long winter, and I was so happy to be outside again that I bounded through the scrub grass like a young deer – reveling in the sun’s warmth upon my face. I glanced up at the wide, blue sky and spotted a hawk soaring overhead. I tried to imitate their call as my father had taught me. It must have sounded convincing because the hawk swiveled his sharp gaze down at me. I waved – and to my immense satisfaction – he dipped a wing in salutation. The hawk wasn’t the only animal I greeted that day. I also saw families of deer, rabbits, and squirrels. Like me, they too were enjoying the mild weather.

But it was not to last. The clouds crept in by mid-afternoon, and a gale blew fiercely over the mountains. Snowflakes spiraled from the sky, dancing wildly in the wind. By this time, I was at least an hour from my village. I knew I would never make it back home unless I found shelter. Through the haze of white, I spotted a hole in the rock face. A cave! I darted towards it – teeth chattering and face numb. Stumbling forward, I extended a hand to feel my way along the bumpy wall. The wind howled behind me like a mournful wolf. When I got further inside, I caught the musky scent of an animal. I wasn’t sure what sort of predator had made the cave its home, but I knew that I couldn’t turn back. No, I would have to brave it.

I came upon a niche that shielded me from the wind’s greedy grasp. Shivering, I drew my legs up to my chest. I thought of my family snug inside their tipi. Closing my eyes, I imagined myself there… my younger brothers and sisters would be telling stories around the fire, while Mama fretted that I was out in the storm. Papa and my older brothers were not inside yet… they’d be out looking for me. At least until the snow drove them back home. I scolded myself for straying so far from the village. I should have known that it was a false spring day. Trickster Coyote was surely having a laugh at my expense. I whispered a prayer to the Great Spirit, asking him for protection.

A scrabbling noise interrupted my thoughts. I could hear claws clicking against the hard ground. My heart took off like a rabbit, and I knew that whatever was coming would be drawn to the drumbeat inside my chest. I curled onto my side, making myself as small as possible. It was close now… I could smell the musk of its fur. The animal sniffed at my woven poncho – its snout pressing into my wind-tangled hair. The creature drew back and made a little grunting noise. My eyes snapped open once I realized what it was.

Slowly, I unclasped my hands and stretched out my legs. But when I started to lift my upper body, the bear cub gave a startled exclamation and stumbled backwards, landing with a thump on his furry backside. “Shhhhh, I won’t hurt you.” I held out my hand, palm up. He sniffed curiously at my fingers. His leathery nose was cold and wet. “Hello, Pahketa,” I whispered, rubbing the little bear’s head.

The scrabbling sound came again, and I knew that his siblings would be on their way. Two more lumbered up, letting out squeals of excitement. They started tussling with each other. One of them wrapped me in a hug, and I fell over, laughing softly. I joined them in their play – grateful to have earned their acceptance. After a minute or two, we collapsed into an exhausted heap. I draped my arm around one of them. The touch of his wet nose against mine made me smile. When the cubs got up and started walking away, one glanced back at me and let out a grunting cry.

‘Come on, follow me,’ he seemed to say, and so I did.

I could hear Mother Bear snoring as we neared the heart of the den. The cubs scrambled on top of her, yelling their hungry little milk cries. Mother Bear grumbled, but she rolled over and allowed them to nurse as she slumbered on. Perhaps she wouldn’t wake? My woven poncho smelled like her babies, after all. I only hoped it would be enough to disguise my scent.

One of the cubs finished his meal and ambled over, butting my side with his head. He made the same sound as before. I had no desire to approach his mother, but I knew that if I did not, he might keep bellowing and wake her up. I got down on all fours and crawled over to the cubs, who snuggled close to me as though I were one of them. Their furry little bodies made me feel safe and warm. I thanked the Great Spirit for leading me to the cave, and I asked him to keep Mother Bear slumbering peacefully while I waited out the storm.

And then I was asleep… lost in a vivid dream of a meadow humming with bees and birdsong. The cubs and I were playing joyfully together beneath a cloudless blue sky. A perfect summer’s day – a promise for the future.

* * *

When I woke in the darkness, I didn’t know where I was. The ground was hard beneath me, and a strange animal musk hung heavy in the air. It wasn’t until my hand brushed fur that I remembered. The false spring day; the snowsquall; the cave… so it hadn’t been a spirit dream! I stayed there for several minutes, letting my eyes adjust. Then I carefully disentangled myself from the pile of sleeping cubs and crawled away. I held my breath, waiting to see if the bears would wake. They didn’t, so I rose to my feet and left the den as quietly as I could.

The light at the cave’s entrance was a deep blue. Dawn was an hour away yet. My aching, hollow stomach growled its displeasure. I went outside to quench my thirst with a handful of snow. The melted water soothed my parched lips and dry mouth, but it left my hands numb and tingling. I shoved them beneath my armpits, trying to thaw them. I laid there shivering and wishing for the warmth of the cubs. Would they even remember me? Perhaps to them, I’d simply be a strange bear dream. But even if they forgot me, I never would.

The sun rose pink and orange – the color of a mountain dandelion. Once it was high in the sky, I set off in search of my village. The snow reached nearly to my knees, and I had to go slowly. A family of magpies shrieked raucously above me. I knew to follow their flight back home. Whenever it snowed, they would always head to our village and beg for scraps of food.

I had only been walking a quarter of an hour when I heard voices. The search party! I called out, but my voice cracked with disuse. I cleared my throat and tried again. This time, I was loud enough to be heard. My brothers shouted their affectionate name for me: Mokee’e – little woman. I answered, and a minute later, their horses appeared through the pines. I waved my arms and hurried towards them, tripping in my haste. I rolled onto my back, laughing with relief at being found. The sky was a brilliant blue. Not a cloud in sight.

“Are you hurt?” my eldest brother asked. I shook my head as he helped me to my feet. “Where have you been?”

“In a cave with some bears.”

His handsome face split into a grin. “Such a thing could only happen to you!” He lifted me onto his horse and climbed up behind me. “Tell us your tale, little woman.” And so I did as we rode back home. They laughed and shook their heads as though they couldn’t believe it.

Everyone in the village made a fuss over my arrival. I greeted them cheerfully, but when I saw Mama rushing towards me, tears filled my eyes. “Nahko’e!” I shouted, running to meet her. She pulled me into a tight embrace and kissed my hair.

“What happened to you, nahtona?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

“Mother Bear and her three cubs kept me warm inside their den.”

She pulled back to study my face. “Did they? Then I am grateful to Mother Bear for taking care of you when I could not,” she said, a smile crinkling her eyes. “Come, let’s get you out of these wet clothes.”

Once I was clean and dry, Mama wrapped me in a fur blanket and brought me cornbread and pine nut soup with venison. No meal had ever tasted as delicious as that one! Full and content, I drowsed in front of the fire until the sound of Papa’s voice woke me. My siblings chattered like a flock of magpies as they told him my story.

Papa’s expression was amused, yet proud as he gazed down at me. “Well, little woman, you have earned yourself a new name!”

And that is why I am known as Nahkohe’hesta’e, for I have the courageous heart of a bear.

Like two of my other stories, Of Men and Wolves, and Lost and Found, this one was also inspired by a well-known fairy tale (if you guessed ‘Goldilocks and The Three Bears,’ you’d be correct!) However, I wanted it to be a more realistic story about a Native American girl and how she received her name. In the Rocky Mountains, spring snow squalls happen quite often (it can even snow as late as May). When I was putting together the moodboard, I came across Jeremy Winborg’s stunning artwork. You can view the full-sized painting HERE. Thank you for reading! Please share it with a few friends – or leave me a comment if you would like to 😊

The Heart of Storytelling

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