Bear Guardian of Navajo

guardian · United States · North America

Bears are significant in Navajo (Diné) tradition, where they are associated with healing and medicine. The bears figure in the Mountainway, one of the major curing ceremonies, and killing or disrespecting a bear is treated with care. The 'Bear Guardian' is a general label for this attested bear reverence rather than a single named spirit; bear beings appear in curing contexts.

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