Greetings,

My name is Gerry Niedermaier, and I became an apprentice of Sun Bear’s in 1984 when I was living in Tucson, AZ. He was a very special and powerful person and we were able to spend a lot of time together when a group of us went on Sacred Pilgrimages to the Mayan ruins of Palenque, in southern Mexico and Tikal, in northern Guatemala, in 1985. Powerful things happened during the many days of ceremonies there and I am still so grateful to Sun Bear and the Bear Tribe Medicine Society for these gifts. He remains in my heart to this day.

I am a Medicine Pipe Carrier and water pourer in the Sacred Stone People’s Lodge. Like many brothers and sisters, I was gifted to learn from Grandfather Wallace Black Elk, Bear Heart, Wind Daughter, Wabun Wind, Ralph Red Fox, keeper of the Cheyenne Morning Star Sacred Bundle, Huichol Indian Shaman Don Jose Matsuwa and his adopted son Brant Secunda, and Page Bryant.

I am old and grey now and live with my wife Connie, whom I met in 1985 during a Medicine Wheel Gathering in Washington, D.C., on the northern shore of Little Bay de Noc, in Gladstone, MI. Yep, that makes us Yooper’s!

The snows are receding now and some of the spring birds are returning to our feeders. The winged ones are very special to me.

Peace and harmony to all of you. And perhaps our paths will cross one of these days.

As Sun Bear would say “It’s all good.”

Walk in balance,

Gerry