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Image 10
Petroglyphs and Pictographs: Wyoming's Original
Artwork
Number Ten: Standing Bear Petroglyph
 This
fantastic figure is on a large, upright sandstone slab that stands
in the trail at the entrance to a petroglyph site. Most individuals
see it as a huge bear standing on its hind legs with clawed feet
protruding outward. In this position, the figure can be interpreted
as standing on guard at the gateway to the site. Other bears are
found in Dinwoody petroglyphs but these examples are all profile
views.
Figure 3: Profile view of
a Dinwoody petroglyph bear. This is the more common way bears
are shown.
Bears were important tutelary spirits for the Shoshone. The
Reverend John Roberts, founder of the Episcopal Church and Shoshone
Episcopal Girls School at Wind River, relayed the following account
about bears to Stewart Culin in1901. The account describes how
a Shoshone adept went to the mountains to pray:
“At the end of some days three animals appeared
to him: an eagle, a bear, and a badger. The eagle addressed
him and, taking off one of his claws, gave it to him that by
means of it he could command all the powers of the air. The
bear addressed him and, taking off one of his claws, gave it
to him that by means of it he could command all the powers of
the earth. Finally the badger addressed him and, taking off
one of his claws, gave it to him and told him by means of it
he could command all that was under the earth” (Culin
1901:17).
This ethnographic material describes the supernatural power
of three important visionary helpers found in the Dinwoody petroglyphs
in this exhibit (Number Three, Number
Four and Number Six).
The branching design to the side of the bear is not a common
Dinwoody form. It may be a plant, as there are other examples
of plants at this site (see Split Boy and Skeleton Person).
Reproduction of a tracing completed by Linda Olson with Wendy
Kimble and Sandra Tratebas. Research sponsored by Bureau of Land
Management – Worland and Minot State University.
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