Orca

My mind keeps wandering back to a local news story from yesterday. A First Nations elder from Vancouver Island was killed, at the age of 68, in a canoeing accident. My friend told me that the coastal First Nations bands believe that when a Chief dies, that the soul becomes part of that of an orca. Not enough detail was given in the news article to satisfy whatever is niggling away at me, it's as though there's something we don't know, the departure for a whole detective story.
Chief Jerry Jack wasn't old in modern terms, and he was taking part in an inter-band race. I'm guessing he probably learned to canoe and kayak as soon as he could walk, if not sooner. The canoe turned over. I'm sure Chief Jerry Jack knew how to do an Indian roll or he wouldn't have survived to the age of 68. Of course, I'd like to think some supernatural force was involved.

In 2001, a male orca was separated from his pod and stranded off the west coast of Vancouver Island in Nootka Sound. The locals thought this was a female whale so called it Luna, but the First Nations band named it Tsux-iit. What's in a name? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot, but it symbolised the start of a tug-of-war over one Killer Whale.

The combined forces of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Vancouver Aquarium and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decided that they should attempt to lead Luna back to his pod and set about trying to do so. The First Nations Band, of which Jerry Jack was a chief, had decided that Tsux-iit was the reincarnation of another chief of their band, Ambrose Maquinna, since Tsux-iit had turned up just three days after Tyee Ha'wilth Ambrose Maquinna had died, promising that he would return as a kakawin (orca).

And so began a war between Fisheries and Oceans Canada et alia and the Mowachaht/Muchalaht band. DFO tried to lead Luna away, Mowachaht/Muchalaht nation got into their canoes and led Tsux-iit back. This went on for nine days, and then it seemed as though the superior technology of the Canadian-US 'rescuers' would prevail. The winds became so high that the First Nations canoists could not outrun the powerful motors of the ships. Luna was captured and put in a pen ready for transport.

The elders of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht told the band they must let Tsux-iit go, but to sing the paddle song of Tyee Ha'wilth Ambrose Maquinna to let the kakawin know that he was not alone. They stood and drummed and sang, proudly, tearfully, and the winds subsided and the sea grew still. The band took this as a sign and took to their canoes once more. As they did so, Tsux-iit escaped from his pen and was free again.

This was no story of two hard-headed sides trying to get their own way, here were two peoples who cared for the welfare of the animal but who had different views of what that should be. Each was willing to accept the judgement of Solomon for the good of the whale. The DFO backed off at this point and let the orca be.

Luna/Tsux-iit prospered in his new home, he ate salmon and played with boats like an juvenile male, ok, not so much the salmon-eating bit, but like any juvenile, he continued to call for his pod, so there was a sense of yearning that accompanied this physical well-being.

In March of this year, Luna/Tsux-iit was killed as he dove underneath a powerful tugboat with a six foot propeller. The crew were distraught, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht were distraught when they were given the news and they paddled out to the scene, not believing that Tsux-iit could be dead.

So, did Chief Jerry Jack go to his death to join Ambrose Maquinna? Was the death of the orca in some spiritual sense linked with the death of the Chief who had fought so hard to keep him in the bay?

I think that all one can really say is, let's hope to goodness that in the next couple of days, no more orca get separated from their pod and end up off the coast of VI.