Introduction : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], p. 443 POMO BEAR DOCTORS BY S. A. BARRETT INTRODUCTION One of the most concrete and persistent convictions of the Indians of a large part of California is the belief in the existence of persons of magic power able to turn themselves into grizzly...
Weapons And Their Use : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], WEAPONS AND THEIR USE A bear doctor usually carried one and sometimes two elk-horn daggers, called "b" a", literally "elk horn." Such a dagger was from six to ten inches in length and was made by pounding at its base and breaking off the large end...
Assistants : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], ASSISTANTS A bear doctor must always be assisted by some one. He usually hired some female relative who could be trusted to secrecy. She wove for him the water baskets which formed part of his costume and cooked for him the special food which he must...
Origin Account : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], ORIGIN ACCOUNT The following tradition was obtained in January, 1906, from an old Eastern Pomo man and his wife. The husband stated that he had himself been a bear doctor at one time in his life. In his later years he became a noted practitioner...
Communication Between Bear Doctors : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BEAR DOCTORS Informants state that the various bear doctors all over the country knew each other. 18 Two or more of them often met by chance at some spring or other secluded spot in the mountains, and at such times discussed...
Title Page : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS IN AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY Vol. 12, No. 11, pp. 443-465, plate 7 July 11, 1917 POMO BEAR DOCTORS BY S. A. BARRETT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY [1917] Cover PLATE 7 POMO BEAR DOCTOR'S SUIT...
Panther Doctors : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], PANTHER DOCTORS While the bear doctor was the most important of magicians, there were also mountain lion or panther doctors, who were also possessed of considerable power. Very little was learned of this class of medicine man save that the head part...
Acquisition Of Power : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], p. 452 ACQUISITION OF POWER Even as late as the closing years of the nineteenth century many of the Pomo were convinced that bear doctors were still active; this in spite of the fact that the whites had at that time long possessed complete control...
Rites Over The Suit : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], RITES OVER THE SUIT When the suit was put on for the first time by the bear doctor, the following elaborate ceremony was performed. The assistant took up his position in the center of the practice ground, having on one side of him four hundred...
Summary : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], SUMMARY 1. The origin of bear doctors is assigned by the Pomo to the mythical times before men existed, when birds and mammals possessed human attributes. The first bear doctors arose from a relatively insignificant incident, which led one...
The Magic Suit : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], THE MAGIC SUIT The suit of the bear doctor, called "gaw", was made as follows: First, an openwork basket was woven of white oak twigs to fit the head and with openings for eyes, nose, and mouth. Disks of abalone shell with small openings to permit...
Hiding Places : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], HIDING PLACES Since custom prescribed that every person leaving a village told where he was going and the purpose of his mission, it was difficult for a bear doctor to get away, undetected, for the pursuit of his nefarious practices. All his...
Comparison With Yuki Beliefs : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], COMPARISON WITH YUKI BELIEFS The ideas that the doctor is actually transformed into a bear, that bear hair grows out through his skin, and that he comes to life after having been killed--ideas found among certain California Indians 19 have not been...
Comparison With Miwok Beliefs : * "Pomo Bear Doctors", by S.A. Barrett, [1917], COMPARISON WITH MIWOK BELIEFS The Northern Sierra and Plains Miwok called bear doctors "sulik mko". These shamans donned, bearskins, but, like their Yuki colleagues, had bears as spirits and exhibited their powers publicly. Like the Yokuts bear...
