The ceremony, organised by the Lummi Nation, is scheduled to take place on Friday, 10 December 2022. Lolita's ashes will be scattered in a sacred location, where she will be reunited with her ancestors.
The ceremony will be attended by members of the Lummi Nation and other Native American tribes, as well as representatives form the orca conservation community.
Here's what will happen during the ceremony:
1. Lolita's ashes will be placed in a cedar canoe
2. The canoe will be paddled out into the water by members of the Lummi Nation
3. A water ceremony will be performed by a Lummi elder
4. The ashes will be scattered in the water
5. A song will be sung by the Lummi Nation in Lolita's memory
The water ceremony is a way for the Lummi Nation to honor Lolita and to celebrate her return to her home waters. It is also a way for the community to come together in grief and to support one another.
Lolita was an orca that was captured in the Pacific Ocean in 1970. She was kept in captivity at Miami Seaquarium for over 50 years, where she was subjected to abuse and neglect.
In 2018, the Miami Seaquarium agreed to release Lolita to the Lummi Nation, but she passed away before the release could be completed.
Lolita's story is a reminder of the tragic treatment that many orcas have endured in captivity. Her return to her home waters is a symbol of hope for the future of orcas and other marine mammals.
