ECHO - NAKODA A rare white grizzly bear who became one of the most recognizable bears in the Canadian Rockies. She was named after the Stoney Nakoda people. Her name means "friend." When I painted her, I wanted to capture her exactly as she was— including the dark stripe across her hump and back that made her unmistakably Nakoda. I named the painting Echo because the reflection felt like the lasting imprint she left on the people who knew her story. In 2024, Nakoda was struck on the Trans-Canada Highway and later died from her injuries. The news devastated the people who had spent years watching over and protecting her. She wasn't just a bear—she had become a symbol. Her story may be over, but the echo she left behind remains.
