This is a pendant of White Bear Lake, a well known spot in the Twin Cities metro area. It is one of the larger lakes near the cities, a great spot for all kinds of recreation. White Bear Lake and the city of White Bear also have a very long history, both for Americans that settled in the area, and for the Dakota and Ojibwe that used to inhabit the region. The legend of White Bear Lake tells the story of two lovers, one Chippewa, the other Sioux. The Chippewa Brave saved the Sioux woman he loved from a white bear on Manitou island where they usually met, but was himself killed by the bear. According to “Indian Legends of Minnesota” by Mrs. Carl T. Thayer, as the Sioux people came to his rescue “they saw the brave sink his knife into the bear. But too late, they both fell to the ground dead. Slowly, as they watched, the spirits of the brave and the bear rose from their prone bodies. It is said that even today, as night falls, the spirits of the bear and the brave wander the Island eternally in search of each other.”
The contours of this lake are so appealing to me on many levels, I’m so happy with how it turned out and hope that it helps to embody all the history and beauty surrounding this unique lake.
