Just floating an idea…

It has been more than a century since Oregon residents could view a local sea otter anywhere outside of an aquarium. On Saturday, Nov. 12, the Oregon Chapter of the American Cetacean Society welcomes Peter Hatch of the Elakha Alliance for a discussion on indigenous uses of marine mammals and the project to restore sea otters along the Oregon Coast.

Sea otters play a critical ecological role as a keystone species of the kelp ecosystem, which means they have a disproportionately large effect on their environment. They have been missing from Oregon’s ecosystem for 110 years, but that’s only a fraction of the amount of time they thrived here. Hatch will share the history of sea otters in Oregon and their strong cultural ties to coastal tribes.

The Elakha Alliance is an organization that is working towards an Oregon Coast 50 years from now where people will co-exist along with a thriving sea otter population and a robust and resilient marine ecosystem.

A member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Hatch is the secretary of the alliance. He received his BA from Brown University and worked at the National Museum of the American Indian before taking his current position as historical researcher and cultural resources technician in the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Cultural Resources office.

He has been fishing, clamming and crabbing in Lincoln County his entire life, and wants to ensure that his descendants can always do the same.

This is an educational program to learn directly from a Native American — there will not be any debate on whaling or sealing and comments and questions must be respectful.

The presentation begins at 10 am via Zoom. For more information and the link to register, go to the American Cetacean Society, Oregon Chapter page on Facebook.