The Igloolik bear
![The Igloolik bear](https://www.historymuseum.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ours_Igloolik_bear-IMG2008-0215-0011-Dm-1024x708.jpg)
Canadian Museum of History NhHd-1:2655, IMG2008-0215-0011-Dm
This small ivory sculpture of a bear was carved during the Middle Dorset Period, between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago. The exquisite piece is both an emblem of shamanic transformation and an icon of a profound relationship between Dorset people and the polar bear.