Call the Bear's Inn home for the night

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You'll get more than just a good night's sleep when you stay at the Bear's Inn located in the heart of Six Nations of the Grand River territory. Lisa Johnson and her husband Tim welcome you into their family during your stay and if you're in the market for a history lesson, just ask.

Opening a bed and breakfast was possibly the furthest idea from the Johnsons' minds 13 years ago as they traveled through Cooperstown, N.Y. When it came time to stop for the night, the Johnsons realized that all the hotels were full. They wandered upon a bed and breakfast, which opened up for them in the middle of the night, and they loved the experience.

"They had all the home touches and fresh linens," Lisa said. "That's when the seed was planted for the Bear's Inn."

Lisa Johnson remembers vividly the day they opened the inn.

"It was my birthday, April 28, 1993," she said. They started with one log building constructed from white pine, called Bear House, which included six guest rooms, an exercise room, community kitchen and meeting room. Johnson remembers thinking to herself at the time, "if you build it, they will come." And they did. That summer, she had tourists come from England.

Only two years later, the Johnsons were ready to expand. In 1995, Heron House was built out of cedar in the same style as Bear House. This expansion added another eight guest rooms to the Bear's Inn.

Another building, Beaver House, which used to be their personal residence and business office, is now a guest house that is occupied on a long-term basis.

Pictures telling the history of Six Nations line the walls of both the Bear and Heron houses.

"We wanted the buildings to have an art gallery feeling about them," Johnson said. As well, each of the 14 guest rooms reflects a theme that is culturally relevant to Six Nations.

Guests may stay in the Brant's room (named after Joseph Brant); the Poet's room (reflecting famed Mohawk poet, E. Pauline Johnson), which doubles as the bridal suite; the Runners room; the Wampum room or the Jay Treaty room, to name a few.

The Three Sister's room tells of the significance of the three foods of the Haudenosaunee people?corn, beans and squash. One gentleman guest was so thrilled to stay in this room, but voiced his disappointment to Johnson the next day at breakfast.

"Not one sister showed up," he said.

The meeting room at Bear's House is locally very popular. A lot of organizations make use of it and Johnson offers catering to the groups as well.

Ten years and thousands of visitors later, the inn has grown to include another building, Wolf House, which houses the business office. Easily mistaken for part of the inn, some guests request to stay there.

Most of Johnson's visitors find her through word-of-mouth advertising or on the web at www.thebearsinn.com.

"I get a lot of emails," she said. "A lot of reservations are taken over the Internet." The majority are summer tourists from April to October, and the balance are visitors from other First Nations coming to Six Nations for training, weddings, funerals, visits or sporting events.

July is the busiest, as the inn is booked to full capacity for the Six Nations powwow.

The Bear's Inn employs two full-time and three part-time people year-round.

According to Johnson, the life of an innkeeper is fascinating.

"I have lots of stories," she said. "It's interesting to meet so many different people. My only complaint is that I do eight to 10 loads of laundry per day and never sleep in."