[Bob Pfenning mural]

Mural of ceremonial flag for the Bear Dance (A yokoli) by Bob Pfenning in downtown Quincy. Bundled tassels of maple fiber were used to make a ceremonial flag, yokoli, used in the important spring ceremony known as weyda boyem, which includes the relatively well-known bear dance. The maple tassels are usually dyed with a series of horizontal bands, using a reddish orange dye from the bark of alder trees. The mural reads, “Long before the white man came to this land the Maidu performed the Bear Dance (Weda) each Spring. This ceremony, which is performed to this day, is a spiritual and social gathering. It honors the creation, the World Maker and the earth while paying homage to the grizzly bear and rattlesnake. Prayers are said at sunrise and everyone is asked to speak their heart. This mural is dedicated to the Maidu and the spirit of harmony that the Bear Dance evokes.” Quincy, California.