Legend of the Wyakin

River boat travel on the upper Missouri river was the best way to access the opportunities desired in the gold rush camps in 1865. Close living for long periods brought out social issues as well as diseases opportunities. Gold fever caused men to become irrational at times. Long-held Europial bigaties showed through in religions. These and other conditions caused the deaths of a Jewish couple from Spain and the abandonment of their son Cortez in the wilderness known as the Missouri River Breaks. Thirteen-year-old Cortez was grief stricken but his resourcefulness helped him to survive plus his willingness to accept the friendship of an ancient grizzly bear that he named "e;Modrables El Oso."e; The chance meeting of a Nez Perce Indian boy who was on a spirit quest and that spoke english created a friendship that helped both boys survive their isolation and created their lives together. El Oso attacked and killed a villain that was trying to kill Cortez, was shot tin the process. The Nez Perce boy was also shot, but survived with the care of Cortez to make it to his fathers hunting camp. El Oso survived the shooting but later became wyakin to Cortez. Cortez was adopted by the Nez Perce hunting band and he learned to become one of them and learn the life of a healer-shaman.