4.5.1.5 Frogs Return Moon: Beaver (Sun Bear MWEA 51-60)

• Blue camas is plant kingdom totem
• Chrysocolla is mineral kingdom totem
• Color is blue
• Turtle elemental clan
• 4.5.1.5.1 Mineral Kingdom: Chrysocolla
  • Similar in many ways to turquoise, also often a by-product of copper mining
  • A hydrous copper silicate; ranges from a true green to greenish blue to a true blue
    • Shining glassy luster, and at same time an earthy look to the stone
    • Sticks to tongue, often way to distinguish
  • Like turquoise, used for adornment since early times, though not as valued
  • When found in true blue, its startling blue color and earthy luster
    • Give reputation as being able to help wearer balance elements of earth, sky
  • Considered a stone of good medicine; will help bring luck, good health to owner
    • Also considered to purify body, heart, mind, and spirit
  • Used historically, as well as today, for fetishes
    • Also to make nuggets which have and retain color often associated with turquoise
    • Tends to retain color better than turquoise
  • Like this stone, Beaver people appear lucky, though often as result of hard work
    • Have strong bodies, can enjoy good health especially if they wear their stone
    • Retain original color, or nature, unless a drastic change or event occurs
    • Travel in as systematic a way as possible; like to have familiar things around
    • Once decide to be your friend, they will not easily change their minds
    • Have ability to bring feeling of purity to things and people they touch
      • from loyalty, stability; willingness to treat relationships "purely"

• 4.5.1.5.2 Plant Kingdom: Blue Camas
  • A wild member of the lily family
  • Several types of camas grow in the US, essential to differentiate between them
    • In East is wild hyacinth, or squills, similar to blue camas
      • Smaller and has paler blue flowers
    • Blue camas has basal, grasslike leaves, 8-15" long
      • Brilliant blue flowers in early May on a single stalk, 3 sepals, 3 petals
      • Can grow to 3' tall, but usually stops at 2'
    • Death camas usually grows near blue camas; leaves, stem, bulb look like it
      • Has yellow or greenish-white flowers
      • Should NEVER be eaten, will make you very sick or worse depending on quantity
      • Said that bulbs and leaves leave a burning sensation when touched to tongue
    • To be safe, best to dig blue camas bulbs when in flower
      • Though bulb bigger if left until end of summer (mark it as natives do)
  • Staple food to Native people in many parts of the US
    • Marked edible plants when in flower with strips of bark
    • Returned to harvest bulbs when they reached optimum size
    • Cooked by digging hole, lining bottom and sides with flat rock, build fire
      • When rocks red hot, embers raked out
      • Etones lined with ferns, bush branches, other vegetation
      • Up to 100 pounds of bulbs placed in hole, covered with branches, soil, mats
      • Made small hole with stick to pour water in
      • Bulbs were allowed to steam for a day or so
      • When cooked, bark was stripped and bulbs pressed flat like pancakes
  • Smells like vanilla, tastes like brown or maple sugar; used to sweeten other food
  • Can be made into a molasses by boiling until water almost evaporated
  • Many early white settlers learned to use this bulb to spice up diet
  • Appears starchy but does not contain starch
  • Contains inulin, a complex sugar also found in dandelion root
    • Affects action of pancreas
    • Eaten regularly to maintain blood sugar level, avoid diabetes
    • If eaten excessively, can act as a purgative and emetic

• 4.5.1.5.3 Animal Kingdom: Beaver
  • Outside of man, only animal capable of changing its environment drastically
    • In order to provide for its own peace, security and contentment
  • Largest rodent in US, second largest in world after South American capybara
  • Adults weigh 30-70 pounds, never stop growing; up to 3' long
  • Its body is amazingly engineered to suit habits and habitat
  • Land mammal that spends a lot of time in water
    • Lungs and cardiovascular designed to allow it to store oxygen sufficient to remain underwater 15 minutes or more
  • Large, broad, flat, scaly tail serves as rubber when swimming
    • As balancer when working on land
  • Front paws very nimble, can hold branch and turn like we eat corn from cob
    • Enable it to carry mud and leaves necessary for its construction work
  • Rear paws webbed and as large as a ping-pong paddle when extended
    • Give it amazing swimming speed and ability
  • Brown fur dense, kept waterproof by oil secreted from its musk gland
  • Teeth large, high crowned
    • Capable of repairing/replacing themselves if lost or hurt
    • A must for an animal that cuts down many trees for eating and building
  • Folds of skin behind incisors seal mouth
    • Allow underwater work without risk of drowning
  • Valvelike ears and nostrils automatically close when underwater
    • Clear membranes shield eyes
  • With such magnificently adapted bodies, might expect them to be everywhere
    • Have few natural predators and amazing defenses against them
    • Hunted for fur, long used to make gentlemen's hats
    • Also for musk gland, which secretes castoreum, regarded as cure-all
      • From at least the time of early Greeks until the 18th century
      • Castoreum contains salicylic acid, a main ingredient in aspirin
      • Also was and still is used as fixative in expensive perfumes
    • Driven almost to extinction by 1800s from the demand for their pelts
      • As late as 1907, average annual catch in northwest about 80,000
      • By 1912, it dropped to 17,000 - lucky for both humans and beavers
  • Beavers helped the water table
    • Were of great value to fishing, wildlife, vegetation and aesthetics
    • This due to the dams and lodges they built to protect and keep comfortable
    • Amazing log constructions, shored up by mud and leaves
      • Maintained old ponds, created new ponds, where plants and animals could live
      • Dams and canals the work of natural engineers
    • Canals can extend 700 feet or more, usually on a number of levels
      • With locks at intervals maintained proper water level
      • Used for floating a log into pond for sufficient material for food, repair
    • Dams built to ensure deep body of water of fairly consistent level year round
      • Provided safety from predators, place to keep food for winter
  • Trees are the staple of the beaver's diet; eat leaves and sweet inner bark
    • Use logs for construction; favorite is quaking aspen bark
  • Beavers don't talk much; an occasional bark, his or squeal
    • Usually make a soft mew, but only in their lodge
    • Slap water with tails as a warning of danger
  • Mate for life, usually live in colonies of about 5; are effective parents
    • Keep children around for 2 years, or until next litter of kits
      • then run them off; kits must find own mate and lodge
    • Mother runs father off when kits born, until they are able to get around
      • He spends time with other husbands also asked to leave
  • Old males sometimes become surly
    • Some people believe that beavers in colony then hold council
      • Decision of whether or not to drive disharmonious one off
    • Such old beavers usually live along in a bank den, won't go find a lodge

• 4.5.1.5.4 Color: Blue
  • The brilliant blue of the camas flower or of the pure blue chrysocolla
    • Signifies physical tranquility and psychological contentment
    • Comes from a feeling of peace and happiness
    • Necessary feelings for Beaver people to be able to work with their medicine

• 4.5.1.5.5 Moon: Frogs Return Moon
  • Second moon of Wabun to the East
    • Gives Beaver people a gentle prod toward constantly growing
    • A spring moon during which all things on earth begin to stir and grow
    • Impetus is necessary to prevent Beaver folks from getting caught too rigidly
      • In ideas of contentment coming from complete stability
    • Being under Wabun also encourages them to go beyond material level
      • Seek whatever spiritual illumination they can find

• 4.5.2.5.6 Elemental Clan: Turtle Clan
  • Increases rootedness and stability of Beaver people, intensifies many other traits
  • Have to firmly guard against becoming too stubborn or unmoving in any thoughts, feelings or actions
    • Or can very effectively block flow of life's sustaining energy
  • Beaver people complement those of the Snake clan
  • They are most easily compatible with fellow members of the Turtle clan
    • Snow Goose and Brown Bear; and with Frog clan, Cougar and Flicker people

Introduction: Page One ~ | ~ Page Two ~ | ~ Page Three ~ | ~ Page Four ~ | ~ Page Five ~ | ~
~ | ~ Sacred Altar ~ | ~ East ~ | ~ South ~ | ~ West ~ | ~ North ~ | ~
Inner Circle: Owl ~ | ~ Cougar ~ | ~ Hawk ~ | ~ Coyote ~ | ~ Wolf ~ | ~ Bear ~ | ~ Raven ~ | ~
Outer Circle: Snow Goose ~ | ~ Otter ~ | ~ Cougar ~ | ~ Hawk ~ | ~ Beaver ~ | ~ Deer ~ | ~
~ | ~ Flicker ~ | ~ Sturgeon ~ | ~ Bear ~ | ~ Raven ~ | ~ Snake ~ | ~ Elk ~ | ~ Blue ~ | ~

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