More than 100 people came to the Amanda Gathering Area south of Yachats on Saturday to hear a presentation by Siletz tribal members of how they harvested a humpback whale that came ashore last November. (Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle)The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians hosted a community gathering Saturday in Yachats to speak about the harvesting of the humpback whale that beached itself last November north of Yachats. The event at the Amanda Gathering Area and was intended as a way to share the significance of the whale harvesting with non-natives.
A jar of oil and baleen harvested from the humpback whale that stranded north of Yachats were displayed Saturday during a Yachats event hosted by the Siletz Tribe of Confederated Indians. The tribe removed the whale’s blubber, bones and baleen for cultural use, but what exactly the pieces will be used for has not been decided yet. (Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle)Whale harvesting is a practice of coastal Native people for centuries that the Siletz had not performed in generations. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Congress revoked recognition of more than 100 tribes, including the Siletz, under a policy known as “termination” losing federal funding, services, and millions of acres of land. While the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians had their federal recognition restored in 1977, their fishing and hunting rights were not restored until 2024.
After days of community and marine rescue efforts were unsuccessful, it was determined by whale experts that the 10- ton, 28-foot juvenile humpback should be euthanized. The tribe had to work quickly to obtain a permit from the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and did not use any power tools to harvest the whale.
“Everything we did that day was done with love, intent and respect,” said tribal member Josh Rilatos.
Lisa Norton, the Siletz’s chief administrative officer, watched the tide as tribal members and Oregon State University researchers worked side-by-side. She watched as tribal members taught each other how to place their knife and make the necessary cuts. She was witnessing “in real time that cultural transmission of values,” she said.
“On the beach that day we gained so much back.”
— Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle
Siletz tribal members Josh Rilatos, from left, Todd Logan, Lisa Norton and Dylan Gorman told about their harvest of the humpback whale that stranded itself north of Yachats in November. (Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle)
Listening to the four presenters share their story of the whale harvesting event here in Yachats was so awesome for me. The whole event makes me feel closer to the Earth. Their expression of genuine emotions is priceless to me. Many thanks to View the Future for having the vision to share their story with Yachats.
David Diamond