Bear Islands

The Bear Islands form a tiny group of black basalt outcrops in James Bay, southeast of the Belcher Islands. Bear Island and the Two Cubs Islands rise from cold, shallow water exposed to long winters, shifting ice and strong currents. Seals, fish and seasonal ice made the surrounding waters valuable to Cree and Inuit travelers.

Cree families used James Bay through seasonal hunting, fishing and trapping routes, reaching islands by canoe in open water and by sled over ice in winter. The Belcher Islands and nearby coasts supported similar movement. Small islands gave shelter and landmarks even when they could not support settlement.

From the seventeenth century European traders entered Hudson Bay, and company posts followed in the next century. Metal, cloth and firearms entered Indigenous exchange, while furs moved toward the bay. The Bear Islands remained a minor maritime waypoint important for safe travel and resource use.