12/24/2025
Makwa and the Teachings of Fasting: The Bear and the Anishinaabeg
Among the Anishinaabeg, the Bear Makwa holds one of the most sacred places in our teachings and stories. The Bear is a powerful symbol of strength, healing, courage, and spiritual endurance. Those who carry the Bear Clan, known as Makwa Doodem, are protectors of the people and keepers of the medicine knowledge.
The clans, or gidoodeminaanig, are our bloodlines our sacred connections that link us not only to our ancestors but also to the animals, the Earth, and the spirit world. Through these bloodlines, teachings are passed down generation after generation, reminding us how to live in balance with all of Creation.
The Bear is known as one who walks between worlds the physical and the spiritual. Each year, as winter approaches, the Bear finds a quiet den deep in the forest and begins its fasting. During this time of rest, the Bear takes no food and drinks no water. While the body sleeps, the spirit of the Bear travels into the spirit world.
There, it gathers knowledge, healing, and renewal from the helpers and spirits that dwell in that sacred realm. When spring returns, the Bear awakens, bringing with it new strength and the wisdom of medicine plants that begin to sprout across the land. From observing the Bear, the Anishinaabeg learned the importance of fasting and the spiritual journey that comes with it.
The people saw that when the Bear fasted, it became strong in spirit and clear in purpose. It was through this example that the Anishinaabeg came to understand that fasting gii'igoshimo was a sacred way to seek vision and guidance. When a person fasts, they set aside food and water for four days and nights, walking in the footsteps of the Bear. They go into the forest or onto the land with asemaa (to***co) and prayer, asking the spirits to reveal their purpose. During this time, the faster humbles themselves before Creation, quieting the body so the spirit can become louder. The mind becomes clear, and the heart becomes open.
Through fasting, the Anishinaabe learns who they are meant to be and how they can serve the people. This practice is not only for personal vision but also for the health of the community. Just as the Bear fasts each winter for the renewal of all life, so too do the people fast to renew their spirit and strengthen their connection to the Creator. The Bear’s den is a sacred place a symbol of the lodge, of dreaming and rebirth. When we go to fast, our fasting place becomes like that den, a space where we shed our old selves and are reborn with new understanding.
The Bear Clan people continue to carry these teachings. They are the ones who defend the people, who know the medicines that heal, and who remind the community of its responsibilities. They walk with courage and humility, understanding that true power comes from the spirit, not from domination. When we speak of Makwa Doodem, we are speaking of those who remember that strength must be used for the good of all.
The Bear teaches that fasting is not about suffering it is about remembering our sacred connection. It is the Bear that showed us how to journey inward, to meet our own spirit and the Creator in that quiet space. Each time we fast, we honor the Bear’s teaching and the ancient relationship between the Anishinaabeg and the natural world. Through Makwa, we are reminded that healing, strength, and guidance come from within from the courage to face ourselves and to listen deeply to the voice of spirit.
The bear comes from the center of the Earth and was born from the roots of the cedar tree. It climbs up from the four layers of the earth. The bear is known as Naawayikamig manidook center of the earth spirits along with Naawayikamig animikii center of the earth thunder.
Story by: Joseph Ogimaawab Sutherland
Painting by: Jeffery George, Red Dog Art Studio
Artist Link: https://reddogartstudio.com
Mino Magoshan Gijigan / Happy Solstice! ❄️☀️
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