A year after the remains of orca Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut were returned home to the Salish Sea to rest with her ancestors, local creatives are honoring her memory with the release of a children’s book and a celebration of community.
[Updated Sept. 17, 2024]
The Lummi people named the orca whale Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut, pronounced Ska-lee-CHUCK-ten-aught; she was also known as Tokitae and was called by the stage name Lolita in captivity in a seaquarium.
The launch event for a new children’s book will honor the whale as well as Lummi tribal members who campaigned for her release from captivity. The Sept. 19 book launch, at Sehome High School in Bellingham, is a free, family-friendly event. [Ed.: The evening is presented by authors Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley and Julie Trimingham; updated Sept. 17, 2024.]
Lummis view Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut and other Southern Resident orcas as members of their “qwe‘lhol’mechen,” meaning “our relations below the waves,” according to former tribal chairman Jeremiah “Jay” Julius.
“Her life had to have meaning. We felt it was important to tell her story,” said co-author Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley, president of the Sacred Lands Conservancy/Sacred Sea. “When we unveil the book, we’ll also acknowledge others who worked to bring her home. It’s an opportunity to stand everyone up and wrap them in a blanket.”
A blanketing ceremony is a Native American tradition that shows respect for those who have made an important contribution in their community.
Told in two languages
“Our Hearts Beat as One”/”Sa’le Q’ewet Netse’lh” is written in English and Xwlemi Chosen — the Lummi language — and includes a pronunciation guide for Xwlemi Chosen words and phrases that appear in the English text.
Translator Na’tak’ul’tan Tino Kurtz will read the story aloud in both English and Xwlemi Chosen at the event. Kurtz, a Lummi tribal member who works for the tribe’s culture department, translated the story in English to Xwlemi Chosen.
“Working on this project was such a joy,” Kurtz said in a release. “I am very happy to have a children’s book made in our language.”
The book launch is a wonderful opportunity to hear what the Lummi language sounds like, Kinley said. “That’s the most beautiful part of this experience; that the story will be read in both languages.”
Lummi community leaders will also announce a new scholarship that commemorates Ska’liCh’elh-tenaut’s legacy at Northwest Indian College.
Book launch participants will dive into the story of a young orca stolen from her family in the Salish Sea and sold into captivity. They will learn how Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut became a beloved performer and inspired people around the world to fight for her freedom, and how Lummi Nation worked to bring her home.
The book is based on a true story about Tokitae — a Puget Sound orca captured in the wild from Penn Cove in September 1970. The Miami Seaquarium in Florida then purchased Tokitae, where for more than 50 years she performed in cramped conditions.
In the curriculum
“Our Hearts Beat as One” meets the requirements to be a part of the Washington state school curriculum because it’s a bilingual book, Kinley said. All 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington state endorse the Since Time Immemorial Curriculum.
The Bellingham and Ferndale school districts will include “Our Hearts Beat as One” in their curriculum to supplement Native history lessons for students, Kinley said. “We hope children share Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut’s story with their parents.”
Background information about Southern Resident orcas, Native Sovereignty and Treaty rights, and the history of American Indian boarding schools are included in the book to educate readers.
The book also contains discussion questions and activities, Kinley said. Children can also color illustrations by LaClair while reading the book, and sign a pledge committing to protect and care for orcas and all living creatures.
Tables in the Sehome High School lobby will feature information, art and books from event co-hosts, who include Sacred Lands Conservancy/Sacred Sea, Village Books/Chuckanut Editions, Children of the Setting Sun Productions, North Cascades Institute, Allied Arts of Whatcom County and Salish Current.
Lummi writer Sharayah Lane will be at the event with copies of her children’s book “The ABC’s of Grateful,” while Nooksack storytellers Tammy Woodrich and Angela Latoi will be on hand to discuss their children’s book in progress.
“Our Hearts Beat as One” authors Kinley and Julie Trimingham, who is also with Sacred Sea, will take part in a question-and-answer session, along with Coast Salish illustrator Sienum Jason LaClair and translator Kurtz. They will also sign copies of the book. Readers can also purchase “Our Hearts Beat as One”/”Sa’le Q’ewet Netse’lh” T-shirts and tote bags from Village Books while listening to music.
Those unable to attend in person can tune into a livestream of the “Our Hearts Beat as One” event on YouTube (or use the back-up link in case of technical issues during livestream). The video will remain on YouTube for future viewing as well. [Updated with links Sept. 17, 2024]
“It has been one full year since Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut swam on to be with her ancestors,” Kinley said. “We can now celebrate her extraordinary legacy and honor the healing work that so many people did — working together — in her name.”
— By Catherine Skrzypinski
Also read in Salish Current: “Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut celebration is a call to action,” Aug. 28, 2023