Bear Ghost of Mi'kmaq
Within Mi'kmaq tradition from the Maritime provinces of Canada, the bear ghost represents the residual energy of bears that have passed on or the manifestation of a person's spirit in bear form after death. The Mi'kmaq believe that certain individuals, particularly powerful shamans known as buowin, can transform into bears both in life and after death. These bear ghosts are considered guardians of specific territories and sacred sites, serving as reminders of the thin boundary between the physical world and the spirit realm. They appear most frequently during seasonal transitions