Who was the first man to find a spirit bear?

The first recorded sighting of a spirit bear, also known as the Kermode bear, is attributed to the Indigenous peoples of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada. While there may not be a specific "first man" recognized in historical texts, the bear has long been part of the local Indigenous cultures, particularly the Kermode people, who have legends and stories surrounding it. The scientific community became aware of the spirit bear in the 1900s, with naturalist and conservationist Dr. Charles W. Meldrum documenting them in the early 20th century.