Makwa

Makwa — the famous bear of Ojibwe tradition, remembered for an act of care that defied fear. According to stories passed down through generations, Makwa found a small child lost in the forests of the Great Lakes. Instead of turning away—or turning violent—the great bear gathered the child into his world. He shared food, offered warmth, and guarded the child as carefully as any of his own cubs.

The Ojibwe are an Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region of North America and part of the Anishinaabeg nations. Their culture is rooted in oral tradition and a deep spiritual relationship with nature, where animals—especially the bear—are seen as teachers, healers, and protectors rather than symbols or myths. Within this worldview, Makwa is not an exception, but an embodiment of what the bear represents.

In Ojibwe belief, bears are closely linked to medicine and healing, and the Bear Clan traditionally carried the responsibility of protection within the community. Makwa’s story endures because it teaches that true strength does not dominate—it shelters. The wild, when met with respect, can become a guardian.

This Advent story reminds us that care can cross boundaries, and that even the most powerful among us are measured by how we protect the vulnerable.

Where strength shelters, life endures.

Source:  Bear Doctors: Tracing the History of Bears as Healers, University of Iowa Working Paper
https://iro.uiowa.edu/esploro/outputs/workingPaper/Bear-Doctors-Tracing-the-History-of/9984287154902771