Photo: bbum
A gray whale was harpooned off the coast of Washington state this weekend in a surprise hunt by members of the Makah tribe. The tribe does have hard-won treaty rights to conduct whale hunts, but this weekend's kill was not sanctioned since the tribe has not yet succeeded in obtaining a necessary waiver to the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. Tribal leaders also apparently were unaware of the hunters' plans and the tribal council had not authorized the hunt. The Makah's last legal whale hunt took place in 1999 shortly after gray whales were removed from Endangered Species Act protections. Whale advocates sued, resulting in a ruling that the tribe must be granted a waiver for landing whales, which hasn't been granted yet. The five hunters could face fines of up to $20,000 each and possible criminal prosecution.
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lutz Posted 12:27 am
11 Sep 2007
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amazingdrx Posted 12:53 am
11 Sep 2007
Rights to destroy. Just like "sportmen" have.
Destroy for "sport", for trophies, or for politics.
Did anyone save the whale meat to be used for food? Sacred food, gathered in a sacred hunt? That's a crucial aspect under reported in this story.
I would like to see bison herds restored on the great plains and most of our meat coming from these more earth friendly sources.
Let the whales be. Hunt and eat bison instead. Earth "kosher" food.
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caniscandida Posted 3:34 am
11 Sep 2007
Preserving the dignity of Native peoples should be a matter of high public value. Therefore the issue of the resumption of whaling by the Makah is terribly vexed and complicated.
We may hope that the tribe can creatively find a way to preserve the importance of whales in their culture, without thinking of them simply as food sources to be killed and eaten. The attitude expressed in this quote might start the creative thinking:
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Makah tribal members said reactions on the reservation were mixed. "It just gives me the shivers," said Charlotte King. "It's kind of good news and sad news. I have mixed feelings. It's exciting that we are exercising our right to go whaling, but I like whales, too."
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It is interesting that this episode is reminiscent of what happened often in the 19th century: the tribal elders counsel peace and cooperation with the White Man, but some of the young bloods grow impatient with that arrangement, and go off independently and commit some violent action. Of course, back then, the violent action would get the whole people into trouble.
In this 2007 case, it seems the rogue whalers will be prosecuted separately. It would not be surprising, though, if other members of the tribe chip in to pay the fines, and if there will now be some lingering prejudice against the tribe in the law courts.
It should not pass without comment that these rogue whalers seem not to have known what they were doing: the guy with the gun was blasting away, according to one witness, the whale clearly did not die easily, and it was not retrieved. And the other Makah were aware of that. The mother of one of the whalers is quoted as saying she wished the whale could be "put out of its misery."
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