The Refuge Tree. When a mother black bear leads her cubs away from a den, her usual destination is a big tree where the cubs can take refuge from danger. Around Ely, that tree is typically a white pine over 21 inches in diameter.
caste. 1. (noun) A stratified system of categorization based on a status conferred at birth (ascribed status) due to an personâs descent in which individuals do not have mobility due to custom or law. Example: JÄti in India. 2. (noun) A group and the individual members of a group within a caste.
The term caste is not an Indian word. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is derived from the Portuguese casta, meaning race, lineage, breed and, originally, 'pure or unmixed (stock or breed). There is no exact translation in Indian languages, but varna and jati are the two most proximate terms.