Orcas are literally people and I'm dedicating this account towards spreading the word that Orcas are people and we are just primates, Great Apes, specifically, with very wrinkly brains.
But we don't have the wrinkliest. And Orcas have been proven to evolve via their culture rather than their survival, just like humans.
I hope I help people find a firm foundation for their place in the universe, because the complexity in our evolution and the amazing things we're able to do with our environment are astounding.
We've lucky orcas were nerfed with flippers instead of thumbs, but they truly are remarkably intelligent and conscious creatures who, just like us, share this planet with every other living organism in our known pocket of the universe.
Do you truly believe that orcas deserve personhood status? Yes, they are incredibly smart and complex animals, but to grant them the title of “person” is something completely different.
It brings me back to the debate of “Because of orcas’ intelligence, do orcas deserve the same treatment under the law as humans?” “Do they understand wrong and right?”
Obviously, the answer would be no. Orcas are complex, yes, but they are not people, and their thought processes do not match that of a human on the basis of our moral understandings. Their concepts of bad and good; if they do have it at all, considering it is a man made concept, are not the same as ours. They are still animals, and we should treat them as such- Neutrally, and without anthropomorphic in them to the point it becomes a negative consequence of their intelligence (Example; assuming that they know that it is evil to attack boats when it is just a trend/assuming they are evil because they hunt to survive).
I don’t send this with any hateful intentions, in the case I came off that way. I am just a person who really loves to research orcas. I’d like to hear your thoughts. Thank you!
The issue here stems with conflating what "personhood" means. "Personhood" doesn't mean "this thing is like a human being and should be subject to all laws applicable to us", it means "this creature is a conscious being with its own thoughts and emotions, and it is inherently entitled to rights applicable to its needs."
Personhood status being applied to nature isn't a new idea. People are fighting to give the missippi river Personhood status in order to grant it rights to stop pollution and other harmful activities done on it. Other natural places have also been given person status before as well, New Zealand recognizes one of its former national parks as a legal person, along with a river. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_personhood#:~:text=Environmental%20personhood%20or%20juridic%20personhood,liability%20of%20a%20legal%20personality.
Orcas are thinking creatures the same as us, with their own language, cultures, and individuality. Giving them personhood status helps further remove our harmful, human centric views of reality in order to further establish the fact that we share this planet, and we should be better stewards for the creatures less capable of influence the world as us. It also gives legal power to them, which assists people and governments to better protect them and the ecosystems they live in.
While orcas are animals, we also have to remember that we are also animals. We simply have a better ability to manipulate the world.
I appreciate your questions, and I'll be happy to answer anything further! With better understanding comes a better world.
A coincidence in making this Tumblr yesterday, but happy world orca day everyone! Let's spread awareness and grant them the personhood status they deserve!
Orcas are socially complex creatures who orally pass down skills and ideas to their descendants. Led by a matriarch, they form strong familial bonds and will visit with family from other pods if the opportunity arrives.
Humans, as socially and culturally complex creatures, did not become as complex as we are in the present day until the advent of agriculture. Hundreds of thousands of years are lost to us simply because we did not possess the skills necessary to preserve our history and overcome environmental barriers until the current common era.
Taking things into a more speculative places, I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that orcas, if given the means to preserve their histories and overcome their environmental barrier just as we have, could go on to form complex societies as we as primates have, though in their own Cetacea context.
We live on an amazing planet full of wonder and curiosity, and we share that planet with millions of other complex living organisms. The time to throw away humanity as the center of all things complex is coming. Other sapient creatures exist on this planet, and they are more like us than we are giving them credit for.
