Chief Little Back Bear was born in 1825 and passed away on January 29, 1885. It is said that he originated deom the Cypress Hills Area, migrating towards the land which would become File Hills. Chief Little Black Bear was one of the first to sign Treaty 4, and did so on September 15, 1874. When Chief Little Black Bear signed the treaty, his band consisted of 29 families. They settled in the File Hills area on a piece of land surveyed for them. The land was approximately 29,760 acres in size. Chief Little Black Bear had a wife and 3 sons, their names were Keepeasootamoo (Thunder Breath), Peekatch and Joe Assiniboine.
Little Black Bear’s Band of Cree & Assiniboine is located approximately 23 kilometers north of Balcarres, Saskatchewan and then 9 kilometers east.
Little Black Bear’s Band Logo – The Elements and Meanings
Little Black Bear’s Band’s logo is a combination of symbols and colours which bring together the most important and sacred components of our spirituality. Together the elements of the logo depict the spirit of our people and our relationship to the Creator. It must be noted however, that colours and symbols vary from Nation to Nation, Band to Band, and that this logo was produced to appeal specifically to the members of Little Black Bear’s Band.
The base of the logo represents a TIPI. The tipi symbolizes not only shelter and protection, but also community. Each point of the tipi represents a unit of people in the community. The NORTH POINT of the tipi stands for the CHILDREN, the SOUTH-WEST POINT for the ADULTS, and the SOUTH-EAST POINT for the ELDERS. The CONNECTION of the three points on the tipi also stands for the PASSING ON OF COMMUNITY VALUES FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.
Another element of the logo is the CIRCLE. The circle represents the continuity of life, from birth and growth, to leaving and rebirth. The circle has the power to conceive, nurture growth, heal, and connect this world to the next.
The BEAR’S PAW is our most powerful symbol, and is therefore placed in the centre of the logo. It describes the relationship of the Creator and all living things. The bear’s paw represents the direct lineage of the four natural gifts and the four kingdoms to each other and together to the Great Spirit. The bear, the man, and the Great Spirit are one in the bear paw.
