The bear

Because of its apparent resemblance to man, the bear is an important character in North American narratives.

The bear is the animal whose soul is most similar to that of man and can understand both human language and the language of other animals. It is believed that the micmac are descendants of the bear, and the chippewa call it "old man with skin", "woman of the forest" or "wife of the hills".

Canadian ojibwa also see the bear as a woman and associate it with the rule. When the time of the first period arrives, the girls are given the name wemukowe, which literally means "who will become a bear", and during their time in solitude, mukowe means "she is a Bear".

In many myths, the bear is described as a human-shaped breed (often he walks upright and his skeleton resembles that of a man), but always carries his skins out of the house. There are many stories about a girl who travels with an attractive young man, but who realizes that he lives in a village of bears. She marries the young man, gives birth to two twins and returns to her village, where the twins take off their leather coats and turn into two beautiful young men with good luck in hunting.