Description

This Haida Bear Mother Pendant is hand-carved in yew wood by the Haida Master Carver Ron Russ. The pendant has four abalone onlays in the eyes of the bear and the woman above. The pendant is an interpretation of the Bear Mother Story.

The Bear Mother story is a legend shared by many people on the Northwest Coast, most notably the Haida, Nisga’a, Gitxsan, and Coast Tsimshian. It tells the story of a woman who disrespected the bears when she was out berry picking, who was subsequently kidnapped and forced to marry the son of a bear chief. She gives birth to twin bear cubs who inherit a mix of human and bear features. The story emphasizes the importance of honouring and respecting animals, and deals with the subject of transformation and travel between the human and non-human world. — The Bill Reid Centre, Simon Fraser University

Find more information about and examples of The Bear Northwest Coast First Nations symbol.

The size of the pendant is about 2 1 4 inches or nearly 6 centimeters long and 2 1 4 inches or close to 6 centimeters wide. The leather rope necklace is not included.