Grief Felt 'Round The World
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Courtesy Raincoast.org |
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Credit NOAA |
In the Pacific Northwest, orcas have been mainstays in the coastal
waters from western Canada and Washington to as far south as California. First
Nation tribes such as the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Kwakiutl all have rich
cultures surrounding killer whales, or orcas, as depicted in stories, legends,
and artwork. In 2013, long after I had left the area, I remember reading the
story of tribal artifacts being moved from a museum in Seattle to the new
Suquamish Museum. This new museum was located not far from where I had been
living when I experienced those special ferry commutes. On this trip, as the
ferry approached the Bainbridge Island terminal, it was surrounded by close to
three dozen orcas from both the J and K pods. Whether they were giving their
blessing to the artifacts returning home or it was simply a happy coincidence, the scene would
have been an amazing thing to experience.
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Tlingit clan crest hat |
Among First Nation tribes, the killer whale symbolizes
family, romance, longevity, harmony, travel, community and protection. Orcas
travel in large groups of families, working together to protect all members of
their pod, while raising new calves with care. They often stay their whole
lives with the same pod, although there also are transient whales who live
outside the resident pods. Each orca can be identified by its unique dorsal fin
as well as saddle markings in white. The Center for Whale Research closely
monitors and documents each orca. In recent years, there has been a marked
decline in the number of chinook salmon, putting the pods into crisis and causing starvation and
death.
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Seattle Times |
Recently, the tragedy of J-35, known as Tahlequah, has been
broadcast around the world. She gave birth to a calf too emaciated to live more
than thirty minutes. Tahlequah was seen surfacing with the dead calf cradled on top
of her, something that had been observed in the past with other orcas. As
researchers started documenting this through photos, J-35’s story spread. It became clear how deeply she grieved, even though scientists were reluctant
to apply such an anthropomorphic term to an animal. Each day brought a new sighting of Tahlequah
continuing to carry her calf, mourning in a way no other orca had been observed
doing for so long. As daily updates were shared, the sorrow of the community and
those following the story around the world grew. During this time, many came to
learn of the deeper plight facing the critically endangered whales from the
southern pods. They are starving and at a real risk of disappearing in the very
near future.
The images and ongoing narrative elicited a deep sadness and
despair. It was as if our collective grief was being played out in the waters
off Vancouver Island. Mourning not only for a heartbroken mother's display of love and connection, but for a broken environment that has brought us to this point. Day by day, those who were keeping vigil with Tahlequah
reported she continued to carry and push her calf, while being accompanied by
the rest of her pod. If she dropped the calf, she would have to dive deeply to
retrieve it as her mourning procession continued. She was not ready to let go. By day 16, scientists were increasingly worried about her health and welfare, but would not step in to force her to give up her calf. On day 17, in a collective sigh of relief, it was over. J-35 said goodbye to her baby after traveling with her body for 1000 miles. She appeared in good health as she resumed chasing salmon with the rest of her pod, finding a way to resume some normalcy.
Her story struck so many,
especially mothers who have lost their own children. While our culture is not
very tolerant of grieving, especially prolonged grieving, it was as if Tahlequah
spoke to us all through her actions and conveyed the notion that this was her time and
she would take as long as she needed. It was a heart breaking reminder that grief is a part of life and there is no one way to express it.
A northwest artist, Lori Christopher, captured
this image so eloquently, in a way that struck to the core for so many who have
lived through their own grief, especially as parents. You can see more of her
story here and learn about the ongoing crisis of the orcas and what needs to be done to help them survive. Thank you Lori, for letting us share your painting.
Thank you Tahlequah for reminding us that a mother's love never dies.
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