Learn about the Lummi People, the original inhabitants of Washington’s northernmost coast and southern British Columbia, and their belief that killer whales are kin.

The exhibit features a new 16-foot “Whale Rider” totem created by the House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation, alongside five historical totem poles, two pipes and five platters from the Florida Museum collections. A 90-foot-wide video showing whales in their natural habitats surrounds visitors entering the exhibit.

A more than 4,000-pound, hand-carved totem of a human riding a killer whale draws attention to the threats these animals face, while artifacts showcase their historical role in Native American culture. For the Lummi and many other Salish tribes of the Northwest, families are sacred and killer whales are considered kin.

The exhibition was created by the House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation and The Natural History Museum, a traveling pop-up museum that partners with scientists, major public museums, educators, artists and community groups.