A Man Called Buck

In 1933, a young man who had just graduated from Colorado College returned to his home town of La Junta on the eastern plains of Colorado. An only child, he had grown up in an atmosphere of love from a mother who in later years had her love returned by several hundred boys who called her "Ma". These boys followed her son, James Francis "Buck" Burshears, who had established and led an Explorer Post of the Boy Scouts of America for nearly 45 years, thereby enriching the lives of thousands of people -- three generations of boys, their families and friends.

Buck's love of his fellow man had led him to major in Sociology and Psychology, completing requirements for a Teaching Certificate. He worked briefly as a social worker, but that was not to be his calling.

Buck's youth had been strongly influenced by Scouting. He had joined at the age of 12 and had been caught up in its programs. He became the first Eagle Scout in the Arkansas Valley area in 1924 at the age of 15. He has served as an adult scout leader since that time. Scouting became his life.

Soon after college, he developed the idea of an Indian Lore program to be used in conjunction with the outdoor programs of the Boy Scouts -- all founded on the high ideals of the Scout Oath and Law. With an initial group of seven or eight boys, he began his program; he taught them the dances of the American Indians. They built authentic costumes and began to present dance programs for local audiences. Slowly, the dance group grew. Buck encouraged, helped, and inspired the boys; and he quietly dreamed and worked for greater things to come. There were ups and downs; he had to finance many of their expenses out of his own pocket.

His group became known as the Koshare Indian Dancers. "Koshare" (ko-share-ee) means "delight maker" after the clown-like figure in the ceremonial dances of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. His boys didn't just perform the dances, they studied the entire Indian culture, ceremonials, and beliefs. Their required reading included the thorough documentaries such as the Bureau of Ethnology Reports; they visited the reservations and pueblos to witness the great ceremonials; they learned the intricate craftsmanship required to produce the beautiful feathered and beaded costumes. With the building of their own costumes came the appreciation of the artisanship of these great peoples.