Keeping It Weird in the Pacific Northwest, Part 10: All About Orcas

It wouldn't be the full story of the coastal Pacific Northwest if we didn't talk about orcas. In the tenth and final installment of her captivating Pacific Northwest series, Expedition Leader Kristina Disney discusses the past, present and future of these charismatic marine mammals, also known as killer whales or "blackfish" by First Nations people who have revered these agile hunters for centuries. While the orca readily captures hearts and imaginations, Kristina hopes that those who have followed the series will appreciate the many interconnections woven along the way. If we are to honor and protect orcas, we must do the same for the organisms of the rich and complex coastal ecosystem they exist within. In the words of Richard Wagamese, a writer from the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in Northwestern Ontario: “All my relations... it's meant as recognition of the principles of harmony, unity and equality. It's a way of saying that you recognize your place in the universe and that you recognize the place of others and of other things in the realm of the real and the living." That has been the overarching goal of this series—that we come away with a better understanding of the degree to which our choices affect so many of our “relations."


Originally presented September 28, 2022

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