Tokitae is known by several names, each reflecting a different chapter of her life and the perspectives of those who named her.

Tokitae was the first human name given to her in 1970 by a veterinarian at the Miami Seaquarium after she was captured from the Salish Sea.

Lolita was the stage name used publicly during her decades in captivity — a name associated with performance and entertainment, though it was not used by those closest to her.

Sk’aliCh’elh’tenaut is the Lummi name given to her by the late Chief James of the Lummi Nation. The name translates roughly to “daughter of Sk’aliCh’elh,” honoring her lineage and her connection to the Southern Resident orcas and the ancestral waters of the Salish Sea.

And then there is the name we will never know — the name her mother gave her in the wild. That name still lives in the calls and memories of her family, echoing in the cold waters of her birthplace.

Each name tells part of her story: captivity, advocacy, cultural recognition, and belonging.