The American black bear is common all over BC. Grizzly bears live mainly in mountainous areas of the mainland. Kermode bears , also known as Spirit bears, are a rare white-furred strain of black bear found only on a couple of islands in Northern BC. 

Bear is one of the most common figures in crest and shamanic art as well as myths of Northwest Coast Peoples of BC. It is considered to be a close relation of humankind, perhaps because of physical characteristics such as size, appearance and expression, and behaviors such as standing on two hind legs, gathering plants and berries, fishing and nurturing young.

As a close relations the bear is a link between the human and non-human animal realms, as well as between the secular natural realm and the divine or supernatural. Because of their strength and fierceness, bears are frequently the guardians, protectors and helping spirits or warriors.

Thanks to its ubiquity, the bear is often a subject for any aspiring artist in British Columbia.