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Scälla (Stellar Orca)

In this piece, Dan Friday honors his Great Aunt Pauline Hillaire (1931-2016), who was known as Scälla, meaning “of the Killer Whale.” She was a Lummi tribal member, historian, storyteller, author, and champion of Native artistry and culture. 

From a young age, Pauline was sent to visit different family and tribal elders to learn stories, songs, artistic practices, and cultural traditions of the Lummi people. Due to cultural and legislative actions such as the Potlatch Ban and mandatory residential school attendance for Native children, tribes in the Pacific Northwest were forced to leave their culture and histories behind to assimilate into settler society. It is tribal elders like Pauline’s father and grandfather, Joseph and Chief Frank Hillaire, respectively, who were crucial in passing down memory and cultural history to younger generations. Pauline learned her own history along with that of the Lummi Tribe and began to teach others through performances with the Children of the Setting Sun Dance Group, along with published works, and numerous teaching positions. 

Pauline received many honors and recognitions for her work in continuing her tribe’s cultural legacy including the Washington State Governor’s Heritage Award and National Endowment of the Arts’ 2013 National Heritage Fellow. She leaves behind numerous recordings of stories, songs, and dances that she spent her life learning and sharing with others.