By Scott Walker (WGNS and SmallTownBigWorld.com)

His long black hair stood out among the tourist that lined the streets of lower Broadway in Music City. He wore a single grizzly bear claw around his neck adorned with a turquoise stone.He walked with a purpose, strong and proud. He stood about six foot two, if not taller. As we talked he confirmed that he is a Native American Indian.

I shot a few photos of him and in conversation he said that he plays both lead and bass guitar around the Nashville area.

History tells us that Native American Indians thought of the grizzly bear as being a mighty force, which they are. No doubt, it is one of the most powerful and fierce animals to come up against in the woods. Some Indians today wear a grizzly bear claw from their neck as it is thought to ad protection to them and bring good health.

In fact, the grizzly has long been a part of American Indian rituals and celebrations.

At one point, there were about 50,000 grizzly bears living in North America. Today, the numbers are thought to be less than 2,000.

Native Americans Population:

The National Congress of American Indians reports that 2.9 million American Indian or Alaska Natives live in the United States today. That number accounts for 0.9% of the total U.S. population. Alaska has the highest population of American Indians followed by Oklahoma and then New Mexico.

Old Lodge Skins in the movie Little Big Man stated: "This boy is no longer a boy. He's a brave. He is little in body, but his heart is big. His name shall be "Little Big Man."

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