Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Given that this is a novel titled Touching Spirit Bear, it should come as no surprise that the mystical creature known as Spirit Bear is a large part of the book, particularly when it comes to Cole's transformation from an unapologetic delinquent to a reformed boy who's trying to do right by the world. When Cole first sees Spirit Bear, he's determined to kill the creature because he doesn't yet respect the natural world—or the forces that have brought him to this place:
Instead of fleeing, he bear shifted position to face Cole directly. Head hung low, it waited. Cole hesitated, then kept inching forward. It puzzled him that the bear would hold its ground. It must be bluffing. Surely it would turn and run. If it didn't, it would die. He intended to kill it. Didn't the stupid moron know that? (7.31)
Cole thinks of himself as this super tough guy and fails to realize that in the pecking order of the animal kingdom, Spirit Bear is definitely more powerful than him and definitely possesses the brute strength to kill him. When Cole attacks Spirit Bear, the animal responds by mauling him and leaving him weak and injured on the island. Although this is a horribly unpleasant and scary experience, through almost dying, Cole comes to understand that he is a part of the natural world. He has to respect his fellow living beings—like Spirit Bear—and live with them in harmony.
Speaking of fellow living beings, Cole is a living being himself. Part of what lands him on the island in the first place is a total loss of self-respect after a lifetime of abuse. Just as Peter loses his sense of self-worth when Cole treats him like he's worthless, though Cole doesn't realize it, he also suffers from a lack of sense of value. After being beaten by his dad for so long while his mom stands idly by, Cole resists digging deep to reform himself because, on some level, he doesn't believe himself worthy of reform. No one's ever told him otherwise, after all.
As Cole grapples with Spirit Bear and deference to his power, then, we see him grappling with his own value: He may not be able to beat a bear, but he can beat the demons he carries inside him from his terrible childhood. This—the ability to overcome his past and break unhealthy habits—is Cole's true power.