In the first part of the book, Touching Spirit Bear we meet Cole Mathews. Cole is a 15 year old boy who robbed a hardware store and bragged about it at school. A boy named Peter Driscal told the police about what Cole did. Cole denies it and beats Peter up by bashing his head against the sidewalk. Peter now has major brain issues because of what Cole did.
Next we meet Garvey a parole officer in Minneapolis. He tries to help Cole because he thinks that he is doing good by helping others. He is trying to turn Cole around. Garvey suggests Circle Justice to Cole. Circle Justice is an aboriginal group of people that tries to gather in a circle or group heal a person making the offender and the victim solve their problem together.. If they didn't try Circle Justice the offender would have to go to jail. When Cole agreed to do the Circle Justice lots of people showed up including Peter. Garvey. Garvey suggested sending Cole to a remote island in Alaska so he can he can spend time thinking about what he did.. Everyone agreed and Cole is sent to the island by himself.
One of the reasons why Cole is so angry in life is his Dad beats him when he is drunk. Coles Dad agrees Cole should go to the island and sends him with hunting supplies and items for survival. Cole gets angry and thinks that the gift is just a pity gift to make his parents feel like they contributed in some way. Cole is not pleased with this gift so he decides to burn everything. Garvey and and Edwin and the Elder Tinglet (one of the aboriginals) would come back soon to check on Cole Cole wanted to get off this island before they returned. Cole starts to swim off the island. He finally realizes that he has gotten nowhere so he gives up, swims back to the island and he is numb and cold. Then he sees a white glowing bear. called the Spirit Bear. He gets annoyed at its presence and throws a rock at it. When he turns to get his hunting blade the bear disappears. Later Cole spots the bear staring at him. He grabs his knife and starts to walk up to the bear until he is very close. He expects the bear to run in panic but instead the bear fights back clawing at Cole and seriously injures him. Cole blacks out and wakes up injured. When Cole wakes up he realizes that he can't move anything only his hand. He sees seagulls eating his flesh. For a couple of days it rains or shines. Cole is stuck sitting in pain, helpless. Then Cole spots the spirit bear and is scared that the Spirit Bear is going to finish him off. Instead the Spirit Bear sits and waits and stands near Cole. Cole grabs a wad of the Spirit Bears fur. Minutes later the bear walks towards the water and swims away. Garvey and Edwin come to check on Cole, see that he is injured and take him to a hospital. They thought that Cole had a tree fall on him but actually it was a bear attack. When Cole is about to be loaded on an airplane to a better hospital, he tells Garvey and Edwin about the Spirit Bear. Edwin and Garvey think that its not true. Cole was about to show them the wad of Spirit Bear hair but then decides that he doesn't need to prove anything. He doesn't need any more proof than his words. Cole decides he wants to try to and stop spending his life being so angry. .
I am REALLY enjoying this book :D
Next we meet Garvey a parole officer in Minneapolis. He tries to help Cole because he thinks that he is doing good by helping others. He is trying to turn Cole around. Garvey suggests Circle Justice to Cole. Circle Justice is an aboriginal group of people that tries to gather in a circle or group heal a person making the offender and the victim solve their problem together.. If they didn't try Circle Justice the offender would have to go to jail. When Cole agreed to do the Circle Justice lots of people showed up including Peter. Garvey. Garvey suggested sending Cole to a remote island in Alaska so he can he can spend time thinking about what he did.. Everyone agreed and Cole is sent to the island by himself.
One of the reasons why Cole is so angry in life is his Dad beats him when he is drunk. Coles Dad agrees Cole should go to the island and sends him with hunting supplies and items for survival. Cole gets angry and thinks that the gift is just a pity gift to make his parents feel like they contributed in some way. Cole is not pleased with this gift so he decides to burn everything. Garvey and and Edwin and the Elder Tinglet (one of the aboriginals) would come back soon to check on Cole Cole wanted to get off this island before they returned. Cole starts to swim off the island. He finally realizes that he has gotten nowhere so he gives up, swims back to the island and he is numb and cold. Then he sees a white glowing bear. called the Spirit Bear. He gets annoyed at its presence and throws a rock at it. When he turns to get his hunting blade the bear disappears. Later Cole spots the bear staring at him. He grabs his knife and starts to walk up to the bear until he is very close. He expects the bear to run in panic but instead the bear fights back clawing at Cole and seriously injures him. Cole blacks out and wakes up injured. When Cole wakes up he realizes that he can't move anything only his hand. He sees seagulls eating his flesh. For a couple of days it rains or shines. Cole is stuck sitting in pain, helpless. Then Cole spots the spirit bear and is scared that the Spirit Bear is going to finish him off. Instead the Spirit Bear sits and waits and stands near Cole. Cole grabs a wad of the Spirit Bears fur. Minutes later the bear walks towards the water and swims away. Garvey and Edwin come to check on Cole, see that he is injured and take him to a hospital. They thought that Cole had a tree fall on him but actually it was a bear attack. When Cole is about to be loaded on an airplane to a better hospital, he tells Garvey and Edwin about the Spirit Bear. Edwin and Garvey think that its not true. Cole was about to show them the wad of Spirit Bear hair but then decides that he doesn't need to prove anything. He doesn't need any more proof than his words. Cole decides he wants to try to and stop spending his life being so angry. .
I am REALLY enjoying this book :D
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