Lummi Indian Business Council 2665 Kwina Road Belungham, Washington 98226 (360) 312-2000

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LUMMI INDIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL 2665 KWINA ROAD BELUNGHAM, WASHINGTON 98226 (360) 312-2000 DEPARTMENT DIRECT NO. September 21, 2017 Andrew Hertz, President and General Manager Miami Seaquaflum 4400 Rickenbacker Cswy. Key Biscayne, Florida,33 149 Dear Mr. Hertz: We first want to extend our thoughts and prayers to you, your family, your employees, and your community, along with our fervent hopes for a speedy recovery from hurricane Irma. It is foremost in our thoughts. I am writing with regard to the killer whale Tokitae (“Lolita”) now at the Miami Seaquarium. We are requesting a meeting with you at your earliest convenience to determine how we can work together to secure the release of Tokitae. We have been following this issue with great interest for some time now and believe it time—past time—to make arrangements for Tokitae’s return to her natal waters in the Salish Sea (Puget Sound). Her pod resides in the traditional territory of the Lummi people. The killer whale (qw ‘e lii ‘ol ,nèchen in our language) is a close relative. We have many songs, oral histories, and ancestral teachings about qii’ ‘e iii ‘ol méchen. The recent experience of hurricane Irma, and the likelihood of such hurricanes becoming the new normal for Florida’s south coast, only underscores the importance and urgency of securing her return. We are taking the lead on this issue, coordinating a task force that includes prominent marine biologists, whale sanctuary managers, film makers and documentarians, local, state, and national elected officials, tribal leaders in both the United States and Canada, and the philanthropic community. We are currently in negotiations to purchase the area in the San Juan Islands that has been identified by experts as an ideal location for her rehabilitation and her ultimate reunion with her mother and the others in her native pod. The Tokitae sanctuary is in the heartland of our traditional territory and is an area frequented by her pod. The Lummi governing body voted unanimously in support of a motion to secure the return of Tokitae. In addition, we have been instructed by our elders and ancestors to ensure her return to the safety of her family and are prepared to do everything necessary to bring her home. Respectffilly yours, Kurt Russo, Ph.D. Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office Lummi Nation Email: kurtr(Wlummi-nsn.gov.

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Captive Orcas
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