Bear Hearts Legacy and Vision Quest Interview with Courtni Hale
In this interview with Mike “Two Bears” Andrews we will talk about a very special Native American a lineage, handed down from a beloved Native American Medicine Man named Bear Heart. Bear Heart’s book, entitled “The Wind is My Mother” sold 100,000’s of copies and during his life he led thousands of people in Vision Quest. Mike is my Pipe Teacher, Collaborator in fun adventures such as the Ak Kaan (Skywalker) maze that we built in Albuquerque, NM with AcTah and Patricio Dominguez.
We will start off discussing with Mike’s lineage which is through Bear Heart and also Basil BraveHeart. We will then talk about my experience with him keeping fire and assisting him as I studied and his tradition. We discuss Chaco Canyon, an ancient archaeological site in north western New Mexico where people came for millennia to Dance, hold Sacred Ceremony and meet up from the far points in the Arctic and all the way from South America. This mysterious place gives us a clue about how the lives of our ancestors were and how they viewed the world. We will discuss what it means to be a pipe carrier and more about the tradition that I am part of.
I highly recommend Mike Andrews as a kind and caring Leader of Ceremony and have personally seen miraculous things take place during Vision Quest in Cloudcroft, NM.
Part 1:
Courtni Hale introduces her guest, Mike “Two Bears” Andrews. They talk about their Native American lineage, which is handed down from a Native American Medicine Man named Bear Heart.
Part 2:
Mike discusses nature in Mexico and how we are connected to the medicine wheel. We never know what we are supposed to be doing. When she was on a trip, she got in an argument with someone and found an eagle eye, who she brought to her guest. He received the name Eagle Eye. Mike and host discuss their friendship and having a sense of humor. It’s not about the power over, it’s about the power with. They discuss community and how to put together a happy, healthy community. So much of the culture is about laughing at the other, but we have to honor perspectives. Peace is not the absence of conflict but rather the resolution of conflict with love. We have been in a power culture rather than working together. We need to love each other, and things will work out. Mike talks about what the south means to him: community, the blood, sex, love, fire, energy, the mountain, the jaguar.
Part 3:
Courtni and Mike discuss the pipe ceremony. Mike has been a pipe carrier for almost 30 years. He talks about his go-to ceremony and what a pipe is. The bowl represents the universe, and the stem represents humanity in Bearheart’s universe, but every pipe has different meanings. Bearheart has a specific pipe form. With a pipe, it is a formal prayer. One has to have a 4 year commitment before one can carry a pipe. They discuss how one becomes a pipe carrier. Courtney talks about what she loves about vision quests. Mike urges people to keep a journal of their experiences. They discuss the west and what the different energies.
Part 4:
Courtni and Mike talk about the power and importance of the medicine wheel and symbolic language. They discuss the lack of fear of death in their culture and the comfort of the cycles of life, perhaps because they are more one with nature. Courtni and Mike talk about what leads them to their spiritual path. They also talk about the process and creation of the sun dance process and Mike talks about its influence on him and how he experienced spirits. Both discuss Chaco Canyon and their discovery of how it became their favorite place.
To hear interview click here!