Big Bear's Den 
Indians,
American Indians,
Native Americans,
First Nations,
Indigenous Peoples,
Aboriginal Americans,
what ever you call them,
much of the world is fascinated by them
and wish to be one.
This site is for everyone that wants to know about Eastern Woodland Indians
of the 18th and early 19th centuries, in particular, the Shawnee.
I trust this site is will be of help to Boy Scout Order of the Arrow Dancers and Reenacters
and the Boonesboro Village Progrm at Camp Daniel Boone.
Europeans had often thought that somewhere in the world must dwell a noble race, remnants of that golden age before man became corrupted by civilization.
As reports of Indians filtered back to Europe, a distinguished French philosopher
of the late sixteenth century, Michelle de Montaigne ...concluded that
the Noble Savage has at last been found, in
the American Indian.
"Words that import a lie, falsehood, treason,
covetousness, envy, detraction,
were not heard among them."
Michelle de Montaigne
@ www.davidwrightart.com
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The Banner above is a Link to My On-Line Store.
My name is Shemaqua in Shawnee; 'Big Bear' in the words of the Shemanese (Long Knives a.k.a. WHITES). I am of Shawnee, Cherokee, Scots, Scots-Irish, Irish, English, Welsh, German, French, and Dutch decent (1/4 of my ancestors were Shawnee and Cherokee). I am a STROKE SURVIVOR and a professional Living Historian. I present programs on 18th and early 19th century history, culture and crafts and portray people of the period of both Indian and European decent. I am an instructor for the Boonesboro Village Program at Camp Daniel Boone near Asheville, NC for the Boy Scouts where I teach Indian crafts and culture for two months each summer. I try to be historically accurate, not politically correct. Native American is not an 18th century appellation. By the kinder people of the day 1st Nations (the modern Canadian appellation) citizens were referred to as Indians and that is the term I will use throughout this site. You will find a more complete Biography on my ABOUT ME page.
BE-ZO-NE'
(Shawnee for Greeting)
The 2009 season at Boonesboro Village was fantastic!!!
Our third year of having campers with us in the village was a success and tremendous fun.We added a new craft to the program in 2009.
Ms. Deborah Sands brought her pottery to the village and oversaw the construction of a kiln.
We are already making plans for the 2010 Season and you should too.
Already Scouts are signing up for the 2010 program at
Boonesboro Village and Camp Daniel Boone.
Camp Daniel Boone is a Boy Scout Camp Located in the Great Smoky Mountains ~ 45 minutes west of Asheville, NC.
It is a Protector and TEACHER
Learning
is what you will find here in
BIG BEAR'S DEN
TO ALL READERS UNDER HIGH SCHOOL AGE.
PLEASE LET YOUR PARENTS AND/OR TEACHERS SEE THIS SITE. TRUST ME.
IT COULD BE A MAJOR HELP TO YOU AND IT'S JUST A GOOD IDEA TO LET
PARENTS AND TEACHERS KNOW WHAT YOU ARE READING ON THE WEB!!!
Note for Parents
The opinions expressed in this website are those of the author and do not represent the view of any particular tribe or other individual. Nor do the Links that I have on this site necessarily represent the views of this author. Some of the pages in this website are quite large and may take a few moments to load, especially if you have a dial-up connection to the web. The Wiki Links near the top and bottom of most pages are to foster further research. Both are excellent sources for information and words you may not 
understand. If you think of things you would like to see added to this site, let me know and it will be considered. Throughout this site you will find numerous links to other sites with useful information. All of the text links will be in WHITE, ITALICIZED and UNDERLINED (This is not a text link.). If you see numbers following the initial link, each one of those numbers is an additional link. While I cannot vouch for every site being up and running all the times, I do try to stay on top of the active and inactive sites. If you find any broken Links, please let me know. In addition to the sites linked in my text, please visit my LINKS page where you will also find an extensive Reading List. Many more useful links will be found there. I am under some limitations as to how big the site can be unless funds can be raised to support the project. If you are able to make a contribution to the cause, email me to notify me of your intent and I will be in touch. I will not be available during the months of June and July as I will be at Boonesboro Village all of those months and possibly a week or two on each end. Your help in this regard will be greatly appreciated! Thank You!
It is my desire to make this site as "Kid Friendly" as possible. The language I use is rated for an eighth to ninth grade reading level and may cause a mental stretch for some younger children. Hopefully they will come to you for things they do not understand. The mental stretch is intentional. I feel it is part of the educational process. I also wish to point out that some of the sites I have linked to deal with some contemporary "Indian Issues" and may be difficult for some younger children to comprehend. Please don't be afraid to discuss these issues with your children and please email me if you need any help with talking points. While I have reviewed each of these sites myself and have not yet found any major problems, I would like for you to email me if you find any language on any of the sites that you find objectionable and the removal of that link will be considered.
SPECIAL NOTE for YOUNG READERS!!!
You will notice a lot of links to things multiple times. This is so you will actually click on one of them.
They are there for your edification.
Also, especially with the names of Indians, you will notice that
I switch back and forth between their name in their own language and
what they were known by the Whites. This is done just so you will learn both names.
Interesting Fact - How did the "New World come to be known as "America?"
From "Word Origins - An Exploration and History of Words and Language" Wilfred Funk, Random House(c)1950
"Amerigo Vespucci, or Americus Vespucius, ... the Florentine navigator... In the year 1503... sent his old patrons, the then ruling Medici of Italy, an account of his four alleged voyages to the New World ... His narration of the supposed voyage of 1497 was translated by a young geographer and map-maker, Martin Waldseemueller ... The young author had been so deeply impressed by the writing of Americus Vespucius, ... that he labeled a piece of the land America, ... The origin of the name, Americus, is Germanic. ... and the connotations of the name are heroism and leadership ..."
Interesting Fact - If you put the two Interesting Facts above together, American Indian means "God's Heroic Leaders ."
Interesting Fact - The "New World" isn't new. The first human habitation of the Southern Continent has been dated to 33,000 years ago,
the Northern Continent to between 12 and 15,000 years.
Interesting QUESTION - If all the "New World" inhabitants came across the Bering Sea "Land Bridge," how did the first people
get to the Southern Continent without coming from the north??????????
Interesting Fact - The use the words "alleged" and "supposed" when I am writing of Amerigo is because, the best evidence now says that Amerigo Vespucci was a liar and never sailed to the New World. He probably sailed to North Africa or the Canary Islands, sat around for awhile went back to Italy and reported to the
de Medici's that he had mapped the New World after stealing all of the work of Columbus.
You will find a lot more
Interesting Facts
throughout BIG BEAR'S DEN!
"We must be united
We must smoke the same pipe
We must f fight each other's battles
And more than that, We must love the Great Spirit."
--Tecumseh --
-His appeal to other tribes to join his confederacy.-
If for any reason the email links throughout this site do not work you may reach me by email at
shemaqua@bigbearsden.org,
snail mail me at the address below;
Shemaqua
127 - A King Henry Way
Williamsburg, VA
23188-1903;
or call me at 757.253.6999,
or send up a smoke signal, use a drum, or communicate telepathically.
(I wouldn't count on those last three.)
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Use of any of the information presented on this site without the website owners consent is strictly prohibited.