British Columbia is home to 198 First Nations, a statistic that gives it the distinction of having more First Nations than any other Province or Territory in Canada. Each of those First Nations have their own unique languages, histories, spiritual beliefs and cultural practices. The four host First Nations are:
1.) Lil'wat
2.) Musqueam
3.) Squamish
4.) Tsleil-Waututh
As a collective, those First Nations are known as the Four Host First Nations (FHFN,) and they have lived in the Vancouver or Whistler area for literally thousands of years. These First Nations are integral to this part of Canada's culture, history and traditions, but beyond that, traditional First Nations creatures served as the inspiration for the design of the mascots that will be an important marketing tool throughout the 2010 Olympic Games.
There are three actual mascots and their side kick.
*MIGA -
Miga is a sea bear who lives with her family pod beyond Vancouver Island, but near Tofino, British Columbia. She is part Kermode bear ( a rare cream colored or white sub-species of the black bear which is unique to the central west coast of British Columbia,) and part killer whale.
All summer long, Miga hangs out with the local surfers, joining them as they ride the waves. During the winter, she comes to Vancouver, sneaking on shore to seek out adventure. She once saw humans "surfing" on the snow, (at least that's what she thought they were doing,) and right then, she decided she had to join in the fun.
Since then, snowboarding has been her favorite winter sport. Her big dream is to land a corked 720 in the half pipe one day. Although she knows it will take a lot of practice, she is hopeful that will be able to accomplish that.
Miga's favorite food is wild salmon in any form, but in particular, salmon jerky, BC roll and smoked salmon.
According to First Nations legends, Kermode bears are also known as spirit bears and they were turned white by Raven in order to remind people of the Ice Age.
*QUATCHI -
Quatchi is a young Sasquatch who lives in the "mysterious" forests of Canada. He loves all winter sports, but his real passion is ice hockey. He dreams of becoming a world famous goalie someday. The trouble is, he's kind of clumsy on account of his size, but he is so enthusiastic about ice hockey that no one can question his passion. Besides that, he knows that if he works as hard as he can, and if he always does his best, he might just be able to achieve this dream.
He always encourages his friends to tag along with his on his journeys across Canada. He often tries to recruit people to play hockey with him or shoot pucks at him. (This gives him the practice he needs to become a world famous goalie.)
Quatchi's hobbies include hockey, of course, photography and travel. He really loves food and is always eager to try new things. His favorite color is chill blue.
The Sasquatch teaches people about the natural wonders of the world, seeking to inspire them to imagine the possibility that there might just be more undiscovered creatures living in the Canadian wilderness.
*SUMI -
Sumi is an animal guardian spirit, and a rather unusual character at that. He lives in the mountains of British Columbia. His background is both unique and diverse: he wears the hat of an orca whale, he is able to fly because he has the wings of a mighty thunderbird. He has the strong furry legs of a black bear, and they enable him to be quite the runner.
The name Sumi comes from the salish word "Sumesh" which means "guardian spirit.) Sumi is very serious about his role and strives to protect the land, the water and all of the creatures of his homeland. He wants to learn all of the winter sports so that he and his friends can play together and have races. He is a big fan of the Paralympics.
One of the common themes of west coast First Nations is transformation. It represents a kind of kinship and connection between the animal, human and spirit world. Among the most revered animals are the bear, the orca whale and the thunderbird. That reverence is often shown as these animals are depicted in their transformation through masks, totems and other native forms of art.
Orca is the guardian of the sea and the traveller. The bear is used to signify friendship and strength. The thunderbird comes by its name because of the sound it creates when its wings is regarded as one of the most powerful supernatural creatures.
These three mascots are derived from elements of the myths, legends and traditions that are so much apart of the First Nations. These mascots represent an attempt to introduce the world and to viewers of the Olympics to some of the very important indigenous cultures of British Columbia that have been around for thousands of years.
SOURCES:
Miga
Quatchi
Sumi