The Lambton Heritage Museum is looking for name ideas for a black bear that's been wandering in parts of the county.
They're taking submissions until July 16, and the winner will be chosen by a jury on July 23.
Curator Dana Thorne said the bear has returned to its traditional territory at an emotional time for a lot of Canadians.
"A lot of people feel that the bear has come back to the community at a particularly difficult time as a lot of people are struggling with the news about the discoveries at residential schools. So, having this spirit animal in the area has really lifted a lot of peoples' spirits."
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/bear-movie_2vpZ3m8T.mp4"][/video]
(A black bear spotted in a field near Parkhill. July 2021. Submitted video)
Thorne said bonus points will be awarded for names that are highly creative, deeply meaningful, or in the Anishinaabemowin language.
Submissions can be made on the Lambton Heritage Museum Facebook page or by emailing heritage.museum@county-lambton.on.ca.
The museum remains closed, but is expected to reopen August 4 with a new exhibition called Nnigiiwemin / We Are Going Home.
Co-curated by Summer Bressette and Monica Virtue, it explores the relationship between colonialism and the loss of land by the Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point First Nation.
