If you’ve spent any time in northeast Wisconsin’s Native communities, then you’ve likely met Larry Patrick Madden. Known to many by the English translation of his Mohican name Maxkweeno, Madden’s presence induced smiles and proclamations of, “The Bear Man!”
Whether dancing in his homemade bear regalia at a powwow, chatting with the host of PBS’s “Wisconsin Foodie” at the Indian Summer Festival in Milwaukee or leading conversations about language and culture reclamation across the Badger State, Madden practiced what he referred to as the “lost art of visiting” with those he met. Often, his visits were a mix of quick witticisms, uplifting conversation and contagious, uproarious laughter.
On Nov. 19, Madden unexpectedly walked on to the spirit world, creating a bear-man-sized hole in the hearts of many friends like me. I know I’m not the only one who’s missing people who’ve passed on this holiday season, but I’m taking comfort in reflecting on all the things Madden taught me.
Madden was a student of mine at the College of Menominee Nation, but he was the type of adult learner who shared as much knowledge as he acquired. From mentoring his classmates struggling to juggle personal and academic challenges, to offering a rich explication of a 100-year-old poem written by an Indian Boarding School student, Madden’s enrollment in a course made the experience better for everyone.
After he graduated, I worked with Madden on a variety of projects, including traveling theater productions for the Oneida Arts Program, media reviews for “Let Me Be Frank” publications and Menominee pageants for CMN.
Soon thereafter, Madden had my cell number, and we started speaking every few weeks. What I thought were intended to be calls for me to advise him on various projects transformed into ones where we played the role of sounding board for each other’s ideas. Madden’s…


Mohican Young Star Academy, a youth residential treatment facility an hour northeast of Columbus, Ohio. [Nate Smallwood for The Marshall Project]

-Mostly SunnyTonight
Eric Cao’s painting. All photos provided by Cameron Dedrick.
K. Jai Hutchins’s painting.
Adi Helbert’s painting.
Riley Cline’s painting.
Olivia Brannon’s painting.
