Earlier this month, the body of a juvenile gray whale was found washed onto a beach in Bandon on the Southern Oregon coast. Bite marks on the body suggested it was likely killed by orcas, which hunt gray whales. Typically, reports of a beached whale would trigger a response from government officials to authorize the collection of samples to determine the cause of death.

But in this case, officials at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department went one step further. Realizing the cultural significance of this discovery, they alerted the Coquille Indian Tribe, whose ancestral lands span the Southern Oregon coast. According to Tribal Chair Brenda Meade, “within an hour or so” about 50 Tribal members had assembled at the beach to take claim of this “gift” and honor it with an intergenerational ceremony that included prayer and song. Meade shares details from that special day on the beach, and how the whale continues to provide sustenance for the Coquille Indian Nation on the eve of the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its recognition by the federal government.