The land in the Birchwood - Hayward area is part of the territory ceded to the Indians. As such the native Americans retain certain rights. The right to fish and hunt the local lakes and wooded areas is there as well as the right to govern themselves when present on an Indian Reservation.  In fact the Lac Coutre Oreilles Indian Reservation is just 12 miles north of Birchwood and 6 miles East of Hayward. The Lac Coutres Oreilles Indians are a band of the Chippewa Indian Tribe.

Because of the rich Indian traditions that exist in the Birchwood area, a bedroom at the Outpost is dedicated to the native American Indian. Among several other artifacts in the room there exists a 6'5" cigar-store Indian. It is made of wood, weighs approximately 200 pounds,  and is handsomely painted. It pays tribute to a  Indian named Running Bear.

Running Bear was a young Chippewa warrior who loved a pretty Indian maiden named Little White Dove. They were from different tribes, however, and these tribes fought with each other and because of this their love could never be.

The legend of Runnning Bear was put into song in 1959 and rose to become a #1 hit on the charts. Even today it exists as a classic of the rock-n-roll era of the late 1950's and 60's. The singer was an artist by the name of Johnny Preston. The lyrics and music were the result of a collaboration between J.P. Richardson (aka- The Big Bopper) and country music star George Jones. The song tells the story of the tragic ending to the lives of Running Bear and Little White Dove. For a slightly altered version of the song click on the album cover below.