What specific title, signifying deep cultural respect, was the wolf eel given by indigenous peoples of the Northwest coast?
Answer
Sacred "doctorfish."
Long preceding formal scientific classification, the wolf eel held considerable cultural importance for indigenous tribes along the Northwest coast. These peoples revered the fish and bestowed upon it the specific title of the sacred "doctorfish." This reverence was so profound that consuming its flesh was strictly limited; generally, only tribal healers or shamans were permitted to eat it. The underlying belief supporting this restriction was that consuming the fish would serve to enhance or augment the innate healing powers already possessed by these spiritual practitioners.
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