My friends in Canada, teacher Karen, and all her students will be following the Olympics as it kicks off in Vancouver for 2010!The paralympics will be part of the Olympics, along with special mascots, Sumi, Quatchi and Muk-Muk. Sumi is especially fond of the paralympics! Woo hoo!! Do check out their website to learn all about them and play games with them!! As a special gift to me, Karen sent me Sumi so we could have a picture taken together! So we sent a few pictures of me and Sumi at the park on this gloriously beautiful fall day today... as you can see in this post. Oh, what fun! Here is a little bit about Sumi:
Sumi is an animal spirit who lives in the mountains of British Columbia. Like many Canadians, Sumi's background is drawn from many places. He wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty thunderbird and runs on the strong furry legs of the black bear.
Sumi’s name comes from the Salish word “Sumesh” which means “guardian spirit.” Sumi takes his role very seriously. He works hard to protect the land, water and creatures of his homeland. Sumi is a great fan of the Paralympic Games. He’s determined to learn all the sports, so he can play and race with his animal friends all winter long.
Transformation is a common theme in the art and legend of West Coast First Nations. Transformation represents the connection and kinship between the human, animal and spirit world. Revered animals, such as the orca whale, the bear and the thunderbird, are depicted in transformation through masks, totems and other forms of art. The orca is the traveller and guardian of the sea. The bear often represents strength and friendship. And the thunderbird — which creates thunder by flapping its wings — is one of the most powerful of the supernatural creatures.
I think Sumi is a perfect friend for me and I'm so glad Karen sent him to me! You can even take the quiz to see which mascot you are most like... and yup, you guessed it, I was just like Sumi!! Arf-a-roo!!
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