Kermode Bear – Spirit Bear
Keywords:
Spirit bear, a connection to ghosts and spirits of the otherworlds, a call to practical animism, healing, strength, introversion, being unspoiled and pure in nature, purity, the past is a source of wisdom, peace, inner and outer harmony.
General Description:
The kermode bear is a subspecies of the American black bear, famous for its white/creamy colouring, usually found on the central and south coasts of British Columbia, in Canada (though they have been found elsewhere). It is not an albino bear, and they are not related to polar bears.
In Indigenous stories, the white kermode bear holds a prominent place, and as a result is known as the ‘spirit bear.’ Like other brown bears, they are omnivores, hibernate, and tend to live in forests near water sources. Due to the mostly pristine environments in which they live, they are not overly aggressive towards, nor scared of humans.
* The name moksgm’ol is given to the Kermode Bear by the First Nation peoples of the Tsimshianic language groups.