The Spirit (Kermode) Bear

There were several topics in the first 2 chapters of Touching Spirit Bear that I thought would be interesting to research, but the topic that interested me the most was the Spirit Bear. When Cole asks Edwin what there is to learn on the island, he replies by saying he can learn patience, gentleness, strength and honesty. Edwin tells Cole that “animals can teach us more about ourselves than any teacher.” He tells the fifteen year-old how the Spirit Bear has more pride, dignity and honor than most people. Cole declares that if he saw a Spirit Bear, he’d kill it. Edwin tightens his grip on Cole’s shoulder and tells him that anything he does to an animal, he is doing to himself.

“Spirit Bear” is another name for the Kermode Bear. It is name after Frank Kermode, who is the former director at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. It is a unique species of black bear, because one in every ten bears is either white or cream colored. The Spirit Bear only lives in British Columbia, Canada (Pacific Coast).

The term “Spirit Bear” is most likely connected to the First Nations tradition. They believed that these white bears were to be respected and protected. The Spirit Bear is called “moskgm’ol” by the Trismshian people. This term means “white bear.” The white color of the Spirit Bear may be caused by its inheritance of one gene for hair color.

A large part of the Spirit Bears’ homeland has been logged. The Valhalla Wilderness Society started a program in 1987 to establish a sanctuary for the Spirit Bears in the rainforest on Princess Royal Island. On February 7, 2006, an announcement was made that the First Nations and Province had agreed to increase protection for the bears on British Columbia’s north and central coast. They agreed to tripling the size of the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary and to creating a new SSCC (Spirit Bear Conservancy Complex). This reminds us that even animals have troubles. Spirit Bears are losing their homes, which you would think would cause them to be angry. They remain calm and respected bears.

Cole is going to have to live on the island only for a short period of time. He is going to have to live in the wild because he lit his shelter and supplies on fire. A Spirit Bear can live in the wild for more than 25 years.

Edwin says Spirit Bears have pride, dignity and honor. I wonder why he thinks this. Are Spirit Bears respected so much because of their color? They aren’t albino, because they have brown eyes and a brown nose, but they are all white. I wonder if they respect the bear so much because its like an angel (being all white). Did they get the nickname “Spirit Bear” because they look like a spirit?

Works Cited:

“Spirit Bear Facts.” British Columbia the Best Place on Earth. 2001. Province of British Columbia, British Columbian Government. 26 June 2007
http://www.bcspiritbear.ca/more_about_spirit_bear.htm.

“About the Spirit Bear.” Valhalla Wilderness Society. 2003. Valhalla Wilderness Society. 26 June 2007.
http://www.vws.org/project/spiritbear/about_bear/index.html.

“The Spirit Bear.” Valhalla Wilderness Society. 2003. Valhalla Wilderness Society. 26 June 2007.
http://www.vws.org/project/spiritbear/index.html.