IGov PhD student launches new book, Sprits of the Coast

Nikki Sanchez, PhD student in Indigenous Governance at UVic, is one of four editors of a new book, Spirits of the Coast: Orcas in Science, Art and History, released May 15, 2020 by the Royal BC Museum.

Spirits of the Coast brings together the work of marine biologists, Indigenous knowledge keepers, poets, artists and storytellers, united by their enchantment with the orca. Long feared in Western cultures as "killer whales;' and respected and honoured by Indigenous cultures as friends, family or benefactors, orcas are complex social beings with culture and language of their own.

With contributors ranging from Briony Penn to David Suzuki, Gary Geddes and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, this collection brings together diverse voices, young and old, to explore the magic, myths and ecology of orcas. A literary and visual journey through past and possibility, Spirits of the Coast illustrates how these enigmatic animals have shaped even as our actions have impacted them and provokes the reader to imagine the shape of our shared future.

The book will be released on May 15 through the Royal BC Museum.