American Cetacean Society
8th International Conference - The Culture of Whales
The Animals, The People, The Connections - October 4-6, 2002 - Seattle, Washington

ACS 2002 Conference logo Design

logo by Odin Lonning (c) 2002, description by Ann Stateler

Pre-contact, First Nations of the Northwest Coast lived sustainable and respectfully with cetaceans (many tribes still do). Whales are prominent in Northwest Coast Native culture, spirituality, art, and stories. Most Northwest Coast Native peoples have whale clans or crests.

In the Tlingit culture of Southeast Alaska, the Humpback Whale crest belongs to the Raven moiety, one of two major social units based on matrilineal descent (the other is Eagle moiety). In Odin's logo, the human face in the humpback whale tail signifies that Humpback Whale is a crest. The face in the tail also represents the whale's spirit and honors the Tlingits' connection with the whale. It is a sign of utmost respect for the whale.

Odin included the spyhopping orca because killer whales are part of our soul in the Pacific Northwest, for Native and non-Native people alike. The Killer Whale is also monumental in Tlingit culture. You will learn more about this in our presentation, Keet Shu-ka: An Indigenous Tribute to Killer Whales. The Killer Whale crest belongs to the Tlingit Eagle moiety. The logo includes a dolphin by popular demand, because dolphins are cute, smart, charismatic, cosmopolitan, and we all love them!