Precursor to Doctrine of the Orca

A fisherman named Itukuchuk oiled the skin of his kayak by the edge of a sea where the great Orca hunted for seals.  The gods of fortune looked down upon Itukuchuk and saw boredom.  So they delivered before Itukuchuk’s eyes a beautiful woman who had the given name, Aanji.

Itukuchuk stopped his work to watch Aanji and imagined asking her to live by his side, but he did nothing else.  A woman of her beauty certainly needed a man beyond his standing, he thought.  Soon Aanji walked away down the beach and Itukuchuk returned to his work on his kayak.

Orca, swimming just off shore where he hunted for seals, also watched Aanji on the beach, and when she walked ever so close that she touched the water, he grabbed her.  He carried her far from the shore, too far for her to return on her own, and then let her climb up on his back and out of the cold water.  There Orca kept her, on his back, and never did Orca carry her close enough to shore that she could swim to the beach without drowning.

Itukuchuk saw Orca grab Aanji from the beach, but kept to his work on the kayak.  He expected Orca would devour Aanji soon enough and that Orca would devour him too if he attempted to rescue her.  Orca, however, did not devour Aanji, and appeared content to leave her on his back.  So finally, after Itukuchuk watched Orca and Aanji for some time, Itukuchuk’s heart overcame him and he prepared his kayak to fetch Aanji off Orca’s back.

Now though Itukuchuk knew he must rescue Aanji, he had no plan for how to accomplish her rescue.  Orca had tremendous speed, large size, and rows of teeth as big as Itukuchuk’s fist.  Orca might even be smarter than he.  Certainly the sea was Orca’s domain, and should Orca crush Itukuchuk’s kayak far off shore, Itukuchuk would drown.  Itukuchuk paddled toward Orca and Aanji anyway. 

When Itukuchuk reached Orca and Aanji, Orca began to circle him.  Aanji, who wanted to return to shore, let herself slip off Orca’s back so she could swim to Itukuchuk’s kayak.  Orca blocked her way and Aanji soon found herself climbing onto Orca’s back again so she would not drown. 

Itukuchuk realized he could not just take Aanji from Orca nor could he return to shore and face his kin if he did not rescue her.  He looked up to the gods of fortune for an answer to his plight but saw none forthcoming.  They had given him an opportunity to meet Aanji on the beach that he had wasted, and nothing more would they give him.  So Itukuchuk decided he must talk to Orca.

Itukuchuk asked Orca to let Aanji free. 

Orca said, “No.” 

“Why?” Itukuchuk asked.

Orca answered, “Because she is the most beautiful of any to ever touch the sea.  With her on my back, I am the most beautiful of any in the sea.”

Itukuchuk agreed that none more beautiful than Aanji had ever touched the sea.  He also agreed that with her on his back, Orca was the most beautiful of any in the sea since that would please Orca.  Then Itukuchuk paddled off a short way to think. 

Itukuchuk now saw his own face reflected in the water as the face of Orca, for as Orca wanted to be the most beautiful of any in the sea, Aanji could make Itukuchuk the most beautiful of any on the land.  So Itukuchuk knew what he must do. 

Itukuchuk approached Orca and said, “Orca, if the woman on your back is to stay beautiful, she must have food and water, and she must have a blanket for warmth.  Will you let me bring these things to her?”  Orca agreed, but reminded Itukuchuk that if he tried to steal Aanji onto his kayak he would crush it. 

So Itukuchuk went to shore and gathered food and water and a blanket.  He paddled back out to Orca and gave these things to Aanji who offered her gratitude.  The next day, Itukuchuk again brought food and water out to Aanji.  The next day, Itukuchuk did the same.  This continued for some time.

One day, Orca swam much closer to shore than he had since he grabbed Aanji so he could hunt for seals and fill his own empty belly.  On this day, Itukuchuk paddled out to Orca as usual and gave Aanji food and water, but this time, he did not return to shore.  Instead, he hid behind a rock where Orca could not see him and waited. 

Suddenly, Orca dove under the water to chase a seal and left Aanji swimming free on the surface.  Itukuchuk paddled to Aanji as fast as he could to rescue her and bring her to shore before Orca returned.  He reached Aanji and pulled her onto his kayak, but then he saw the dorsal fin of Orca traveling fast toward them.   

Itukuchuk had barely started to paddle toward shore when Orca crushed his kayak and dumped him and Aanji back into the sea.  Then Orca charged at Itukuchuk with jaws wide open to devour him.  Itukuchuk pleaded, “Stop!  Let me say one last word before you devour me.”

Orca listened. 

Itukuchuk said, “If you devour me, no one will feed the woman on your back.  Without food and water she will die.  Take me back to the shore so I can bring her food and water.”

Orca did not want Aanji to die, so he let Aanji again climb onto his back and then pushed Itukuchuk to shore. 

Once on shore, Itukuchuk brought food and water and left them on a rock just out of the sea.  He said to Orca, “You must bring the woman here for her food and water.”

Orca said, “No.  You must bring her food and water out here in the sea.”

Itukuchuk said, “I cannot.  You have smashed my kayak and I do not have another one.”

Orca refused to swim inshore to allow Aanji to retrieve the food and water, so Itukuchuk walked away and the tide washed the food and water from the rock.  The next day Itukuchuk left food and water on the rock and Orca brought Aanji to it.  Orca let Aanji off his back and she waded ashore to get the food and water.  She did not return to Orca, but instead walked further ashore where she found Itukuchuk.

Aanji hugged Itukuchuk, and Itukuchuk said they should live together up in the mountains and away from the sea.  Aanji said no, and this saddened Itukuchuk.  Then Aanji said how much she still loved the sea and that she would stay with Itukuchuk only if they lived by the sea. 

“What about Orca?” Itukuchuk asked. 

“I will take care of Orca,” she said.

So Aanji and Itukuchuk walked back to the rock to talk to Orca.  Aanji told Orca that she enjoyed riding on his back and would do so every day he wanted, but that he must return her to the shore whenever she asked. 

“What do you want in return?” Orca asked. 

Aanji said, “You must promise to never hurt a man or a woman or a child anywhere in the sea.” 

Orca agreed, and so the orcas, despite their great size and ferocity, leave all humankind alone to this day. 

Now Itukuchuk and Aanji have long passed by, but if the sun shines just right, you may still see Aanji’s reflection in the tall dorsal fins of the orca males.  And Itukuchuk, who watched Aanji when she took her rides on Orca’s back, left behind a gift from Orca told about Orca’s kind.  He called this gift The Doctrine of the Orca. 

By Robert Cantrell © 2003 -  rlc@centerforadvantage.com