Episode Summary
In this Community Voices episode of The BAGO Mic, students from Winnebago Public Schools interview Sean Bear II, a conservation officer with the Department of Natural Resources, about protecting the land, wildlife, and environment within the Winnebago community. Students ask questions about his work, his life growing up, and why environmental protection matters for future generations.
Mr. Bear shares how he became a conservation officer, explaining that while he did not originally plan to enter this field, he found purpose in protecting wildlife, enforcing conservation laws, and helping preserve natural resources. He discusses what a typical day looks like, including patrolling the reservation, monitoring hunting and fishing activities, and working to protect land and water resources.
The conversation explores Native values connected to the environment, including viewing the earth as something living that must be cared for and respected. Mr. Bear explains the challenges communities face with pollution, wildlife management, and protecting resources while also emphasizing the importance of accountability, education, and community involvement.
This episode highlights the connection between community, culture, and the environment. Mr. Bear encourages students to work hard in school, surround themselves with positive people, respect nature, and remember that small actions—like kindness and caring for the land—can create meaningful change for future generations.
Show Notes
- Conservation work and protecting wildlife
- Native values connected to caring for the land
- Environmental challenges facing communities
- Education and career advice for students
- Community responsibility and protecting resources
Key Takeaways
- Protecting the land helps protect future generations.
- Education can help solve environmental problems.
- Communities and nature are deeply connected.
- Small actions and kindness can create positive change.
Hainipi…
Sean: Hi everyone. Welcome to The BAGO Mic, powered by Student Voice, where students lead the way.
Easton: We are students from Winnebago Public Schools broadcasting from the Winnebago Native American Reservation in Winnebago, Nebraska.
Ky-Mani: This podcast is created by us for the world.
Sean: Let’s start by introducing ourselves. My name is Sean.
Ky-Mani: My name is Ky-Mani.
Easton: My name is Easton.
Sean: Today’s episode is about learning from someone in our community and understanding why protecting the land and environment matters. Before we begin, we want to share something we’re thankful for.
Sean: I’m thankful for my dog.
Ky-Mani: I’m thankful for him.
Easton: I’m thankful for the stuff my parents buy me.
Sean: Today we are here with Sean Bear II, who is a DNR officer.
Ky-Mani: We also think it’s pretty special because he is Sean’s dad.
Sean: We wanted to interview Mr. Bear because of his work protecting the land and environment in our community. Thank you for being here with us. Now let’s get into it.
Can you tell us about yourself and what you do as a DNR officer?
Sean Bear II: My name is Sean Bear. I’m Sean Bear III’s dad and I’ve been a conservation officer for eight years. We help protect wildlife, manage wildlife populations, deal with hunters, and issue hunting permits.
Sean Bear II: I never actually wanted to work in this field, but I seen it posted and then I applied for it. I got the job and now I love it.
Ky-Mani: Okay.
Easton: What were you like when you were our age?
Sean Bear II: I’d go out in the woods, run around with my friends. We’d go fishing, we liked to shoot rabbits, skin them, and that’s about it. Play in the woods.
Sean: What is a typical day like for you?
Sean Bear II: My day consists of getting to work, clocking in, checking my emails, and then heading out to patrol the reservation. When I’m patrolling, I’m looking for poachers, anybody hunting or fishing without a fishing license. I’m looking for anything out of the ordinary, anything wrong.
Ky-Mani: What is your favorite part of your job?
Sean Bear II: My favorite part of the job is getting to meet new hunters and deal with them. I get to see the deer they bring in, the turkey they bring in, all of that.
Easton: Okay. What is something challenging about your work?
Sean Bear II: The most challenging thing is not being able to fix everything we need to fix and having all the tools to do that. Whether that’s pollution in the water, air quality, stuff like that. You can’t really do everything about it.
Sean: What is something people might not know about being a DNR officer?
Sean Bear II: A lot of people don’t know that we can pull people over and arrest them.
Ky-Mani: Why is protecting the land important to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska?
Sean Bear II: Protecting the land for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is important because as tribes, it’s what we all rely on. It’s what we live off of. Whether that’s the animals feeding us, the plants we plant to feed our community, or the water.
Easton: What does the land mean to you personally as a part of the Ho-Chunk community?
Sean Bear II: As a community member, I think it means a lot because it’s the land that people lived on for many years and it provides for the tribe. We gotta take care of the land too.
Sean: How are nature and community connected?
Sean Bear II: Nature and community go hand in hand. Nature affects you and your community affects you. If you have a bad seed in the community, it’s kind of the same in the wild when something affects everything around it too.
Ky-Mani: What inspired you to care about the environment?
Sean Bear II: I guess I never really thought about it until I got into this job. Then that’s when I started thinking about it more as a whole.
Easton: Who influenced you or inspired you growing up?
Sean Bear II: There’s nothing really that inspired me in terms of the environment or conservation. But someone I looked up to was Bruce Lee. He’s a good motivator.
Sean: What traditions or teachings help shape the way you think about the land and environment?
Sean Bear II: I feel like just as Native people, we always try to protect the land. We think of it as living — like Mother Earth. Try to take care of the waters, take care of the trees, and it’ll take care of us.
Ky-Mani: What is something you are proud of in your work?
Sean Bear II: I’m proud that we get to protect the environment and species and make sure people aren’t overhunting animals and bringing down their numbers — even our turkey population and stuff like that.
Easton: What is one experience in your job that really stood out to you?
Sean Bear II: One thing that stood out was when we had to search for somebody in the woods because they were missing. What stood out was seeing the community come together and try to find that person — and even other communities helping too.
Sean: What are some environmental challenges communities face today? How can young people help protect the environment?
Sean Bear II: I’d say water pollution and air quality. For younger generations, go to school, learn how to make things better, and hold companies accountable.
Ky-Mani: What should students focus on right now if they want to be successful later in life?
Sean Bear II: Focus on school. Try hard. Listen to your teachers. Listen to your parents. Make sure you hang around the right people and the right friends.
Easton: What advice would you give students our age?
Sean Bear II: Almost the same thing. Try in school, listen to your family, have good friends, and have fun.
Sean: Why does your work matter to the community?
Sean Bear II: Because someone has to protect the land, make sure there’s no overhunting, and make sure people aren’t dumping stuff into the water or damaging resources.
Easton: Our last question. What is DNR?
Sean Bear II: DNR stands for Department of Natural Resources. Our title is Conservation Officer, but they go hand in hand. It’s basically the same thing.
Easton: How can young people in our community change the world?
Sean Bear II: I think everybody could learn to be a little nicer and a little kinder. That would go a long way.
Sean: Thank you for sharing your time and your story with us.
Easton: Thanks for listening to The BAGO Mic.
Sean Bear II: Thanks for having me.
Ky-Mani: Remember, your voice matters, our story matters, and you matter.
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