When the Washington Capitals signed Ethan Bear, they acquired more than a young, solid defenseman with upside. Bear is also a champion of his Indigenous heritage and proudly displays it where he can.
Take for instance his hockey sticks with the Capitals. Instead of using his name in English, the rearguard has his last name spelled out in Cree syllabics: ᒪᐢᑲᐧ.
The discovery was made by reader Ginevra Bridges, who attended Tuesday’s Capitals-Penguins game at PPG Paints Arena.
Bear, who grew up on Ochapowace Nation in Saskatchewan, has made a point over his NHL career to celebrate his Cree culture and language. While playing for the Edmonton Oilers in 2020, he swapped out his usual jersey nameplate for one displaying Cree syllabics during an exhibition game, becoming the first NHL player to do so.
“It will be an honour to wear this jersey tonight,” Bear said then, per NHL.com’s Ryan Frankson. “I feel like I will be wearing it for all those Indigenous players who came before me and those Indigenous kids dreaming of playing in the NHL.”
The move earned praise from Cree Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, who highlighted the impact of the choice.
“As the International Chief for Treaties 6, 7 and 8, and a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, I cannot express my gratitude enough to the Edmonton Oilers and the National Hockey League for this most positive act of Reconciliation,” Chief Littlechild said.
He later explained the significance of the name.
“Coming from Maskwacis (Bear Hills), in our culture, we have a naming ceremony on which we rely for self-identity and positive self-esteem. It took us many years at the United Nations to secure the right to use our writing system Cree syllabics and to use our language for our own names for communities, places and persons.
“The spirit name in Cree for Maskwa is also one of our sacred teachings of courage and that is what the bear represents. Ethan brings all of us great pride with his strength and natural ability to overcome challenges. This is significant and people everywhere will be reminded when they see the syllabics on Ethan’s jersey to have courage, be confident and be brave.”
Sports store Pro-Am quickly sold out of jerseys with the specialty nameplate after Bear wore it on the ice. As of 2024, fans can still purchase Carolina Hurricanes jerseys with the syllabics through Pro-Am.
Bear’s contributions to his community go far beyond just his gear. Since the age of 20, Bear has run a youth hockey camp in Ochapowace Nation, returning for the camp’s sixth year last summer.
“I left home when I was 14 to give myself a chance. And I when I was younger I felt that pain, that loneliness, that sadness that goes with sacrifices. I think, deep down, I didn’t want other native kids, who are going to go out of their way to put themselves in the white community to give themselves a chance to succeed, to feel alone or unsure if they can do something,” Bear told The Province’s Patrick Johnston.
Headline photo: @ginevracb/Instagram
