An Acoma/ Laguna/ Sioux Indian known for his drawings in graphite, sometimes highlighted with acrylic paint. Often he wrote explanations of the events depicted on the backs of paintings.

Bear worked as a hospital orderly as well as a painter. The artist created murals for the Barelos Communicty Center. Bear was given a solo exhibition at the Heard Museum in 1964. Public collections including his work are the Museum of the American Indian (Heye Foundation in New York) as well as the Museum of New Mexico in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Typically the artist signed his paintings and drawings "JBear".