The Killer Whale, also know as Orca or Blackfish is an important medicine animal to the Native American tribes of the Northwest Coast. The Orca is one of the most prominent subjects for Pacific Coast Native American artists. Because of its sheer size and power, the Orca is regarded as the guardian as well as the ruler of the seas. Orcas are symbols of longevity and romance since they are believed to mate for life. The Native Americans believe that if a fisherman ever injured an Orca, it would capsize the boat and take the fisherman down to the Village of the Whales where he would be transformed into an Orca. Whales seen near the shore are believed to be humans who were transformed  and are now trying to communicate with their previous human families ashore. Others believe that the Orcas are the reincarnations of deceased native chiefs. Among many of the Pacific Coast tribes seeing an Orca is considered to be a strong omen. Some tribes such as the Tlingit, view the Orca as a protector of human kind and will not hunt them even though they are active whale hunters of other species. The Kwakiutl tribe believed the souls of marine hunters turn into Orcas upon their death. For this reason, there were a number of special rituals regarding the killing of an Orca so that its spirit could be reborn as a human once again. Native American legends claim that the first Orca was a supernatural wolf that entered the sea transforming into a whale. Then Mother Earth painted white markings on the side of the Orca as a reminder that the Orca was once a member of the Wolf family. This legend explains why both Orcas and Wolves breath air, have similar markings and hunt in packs. I drew this Orca as a commission for a woman who wanted to send it as a Christmas gift to her sister living in Canada along the Pacific North West Coast. Since then it has become a very popular design.