The original Indian Guides and Princess programs sprang from the efforts of Harold Keltner and Joe Friday in 1927. Their original vision guided many generations of fathers and sons/daughters.
In 2001, the previous sponsoring organization began removing the Native-American theme (and all such references) from their programs and literature. On August 1, 2003, the move was made official and the Indian Guides and Princess programs were replaced by a new program.
In an effort to remain true to the traditions and heritage of the original program established by Keltner and Friday, on August 13th, 2003, the leadership of the Yo-He-Wah Indian Princess Program and the Wichita Nation Indian Guides Program joined together to establish Bear Creek Federation, Inc.
Between the years 2004-2010, the Trail Mates, Tatanka Nation, and Caddo Nation organizations, all of North Texas, joined Bear Creek Federation. Today, total participants in Bear Creek Federation exceeds 2,500.