NEWS GLEAMS | Tokitae the Orca Dies; Washington and Canadian Wildfires Continue to Rage

A roundup of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

Tokitae the Orca Dies in Captivity Before Return to the Salish Sea

Tokitae, the last Southern Resident Orca whale in captivity, died last week at the Miami Seaquarium, just months before she was slated to return to the Salish Sea. She was 57 and had spent 50 years of her life in a tank. ICT reported, "Until 2022, she performed twice a day, year round, at the Miami Seaquarium. There, she is kept in an 80-foot-long and 35-foot-wide tank, with no ability to dive down and escape the sun."

Tokitae was captured off of Whidbey Island by a Washington man in 1970 and was sold to Miami Seaquarium for $6,000. Her name, Tokitae, meant "Nice Day, Pretty Colors" in a Coast Salish language, though she was renamed Lolita after captivity, for commercial purposes. In recent times, the Lummi Nation gave her the Lummi name Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut to represent the village in Penn Cove that she was originally taken from. The Seattle Times reported that an estimated 270 orcas were captured in the Salish Sea between the early '60s and late '70s, with at least 12 dying during capture and another 50 kept for display.

In March 2023, The Dolphin Company, the parent company of the Miami Seaquarium, announced an agreement to work with the organization Friends of Toki on an 18-to-24-month plan to return the orca to the Salish Sea. ICT, in conversation with the Indigenous-led nonprofit Salish Sea, noted that "Xwlemi Tokw, the orca's new Lummi home in the Salish Sea, will consist of 15 acres of protected area, with a 100-foot-wide, 250-foot-long and 30-foot-deep netted enclosure to house Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut. After years in a small, cement enclosure filled with chlorinated water, when Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut comes home, she will be in ocean waters, connected to the Salish Sea and the acoustic sounds of the ocean."

This agreement followed a motion by Lummi Nation in 2018 to bring the orca home, as the Lummi people consider orcas a vital part of their relations. Sacred Sea wrote, "In 2019, two individual Lummi women invoked the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and announced their intent to sue Miami Seaquarium if the Seaquarium would not agree to collaboratively work out a plan to safely bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut back home to her family in the Salish Sea."

They worked with Earth Law Center for legal representation in the repatriation effort and also worked with The Whale Sanctuary Project to "draft a comprehensive operational plan, grounded in and guided by Lummi ancestral wisdom as well as science, to safely bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home."

The sudden downturn in Tokitae's health came as a surprise to those who had been monitoring her status. An Aug. 18 joint statement shared by both the Miami Seaquarium and Friends of Toki read, "Over the last two days, Toki started exhibiting serious signs of discomfort, which her full Miami Seaquarium and Friends of Toki medical team began treating immediately and aggressively. Despite receiving the best possible medical care, she passed away Friday afternoon from what is believed to be a renal condition. Toki was an inspiration to all who had the fortune to hear her story, and especially to the Lummi nation that considered her family. Those who have had the privilege to spend time with her will forever remember her beautiful spirit."

Southern Resident Orcas continue to be critically endangered — a designation they first received in 2005 under the Endangered Species Act.

Washington and Canadian Wildfires Continue to Rage

Wildfires continue to affect air quality in Washington State, though the Seattle area is seeing some relief as of early Monday, according to a map and tracker from Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA), which maps air quality. Around the Puget Sound region, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has moved from the 151—200 AQI, or "unhealthy" levels, that it saw this weekend to 51—100 AQI, or "moderate" levels. However, the Air Quality Alert continues to be in effect through at least noon on Monday, encouraging sensitive groups to limit outdoor exposure and strenuous outdoor activity, as well as stay hydrated and cool in excessive heat.

The smoke comes from a number of surrounding wildfires. In the North Cascades of Washington State is the long-burning Sourdough Fire, which has burned 5,618 acres and is 12% contained. Near Spokane, the Gray Fire in Medical Lake was first reported on Aug. 18 and has grown to affect over 10,000 acres; it is also about 10% contained.

The two especially large Canadian wildfires, which continue to make global headlines, can be monitored via the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. The Southern Fort Smith Region wildfires were caused by a lightning strike and have prompted evacuations in Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. The McDougall Creek fire in the British Columbia city of West Kelowna has led 30,000 people to be evacuated from their homes; as of Sunday morning, the fire is an estimated 11,943 hectares, or 29,511 acres. Travel restrictions have been put into place for both Canadian wildfires, to reserve hotels and resources for those addressing the crisis.

Air filters are recommended for those who can attain them; filters can also be made out of a box fan. Air quality around the Puget Sound region is expected to improve significantly by Tuesday.

Donate to Maui Wildfire Recovery Through State-Vetted Methods

The Washington State Office of the Secretary of State has retooled its online relief portal, the Disaster Relief Center, to support relief and recovery from the Western Maui wildfires. It provides a number of links for one-time donations. A number of those organizations have been vetted through the portal; others that are listed are well-reputed community organizations, including the Hawai'i Community Foundation.

Starting with a brush fire influenced by long periods of drought and strong winds from a nearby hurricane, the wildfires grew quickly on Aug. 8 to devastate the historic town of Lhain. Over 114 people have been found dead as of Aug. 19, with an additional 1,000 still missing.

In 1802, Lhain was named the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, where its brick palace was a central seat of government for over 50 years until it relocated to Honolulu. The fires have resulted in the significant loss of cultural artifacts, damage to over 2,200 buildings, and over 14,000 people displaced to other parts of Hawai'i or the continental United States. Those not aiding in the recovery efforts have been advised to stay away from the western part of the island due to toxicity from the burnings. Recovery costs are estimated in the billions.

Those who are interested in giving through the Disaster Relief Center can visit https://give.wa.gov/cfd/Disaster-Relief-Center.

Other efforts currently supported on the Disaster Relief Center website include support for the victims of mass shootings and aid groups assisting Ukraine following the Russian invasion.

📸 Featured Image: Tokitae, renamed Lolita after captivity for commercial purposes, died last week at the Miami Seaquarium. Photo via Kamira/Shutterstock.com

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