the October 7 1998 Makah wh DRIENNE LINDSAY he Makah Indian Band's tribal canoes are poised and ready to leave Neah Bay in Washington state as tribe prepares TO GO HUNT HALES!!! Hello?!? Does anybody else e a problem with the second half of this tence? But it's true. Having received mission from the International Whaling bmmission, the tribe is now on the verge hunting down and killing as many as five y whales by the end of the year. Here's e background info on the whole ation. e International Whaling pmmission (IWC) e 39-member International Whaling munission, of which Canada is a member, e sole international body with authority regulate all forms of whaling. Under the ission’s whaling regulations, native munities are allowed quotas for bsistence and cultural purposes. Such ptas prohibit the sale of any edible whale bducts from aboriginal subsistence hunts. In October 1997, the Makah received the ahead from the IWC to revive a hunt t last occurred when the grey whale was on the endangered-species list in 1937. e IWC decided that the Makah tribe’s tural and subsistence needs were consis- t with those historically recognized by IWC, and therefore agreed to allow the be a five year aboriginal subsistence hunt 20 grey whales. e Gray Whale e Gray Whale is one of the most active all large whales. The female can grow to a gth of 1S m with an average weight een 30-35 tonnes, with the male whale asuring decidedly smaller. Gray whales e one of the longest migrations of any mmal. During summer, they live in the tic in areas rich in their food of bottom- ing organisms. As fall approaches, there ess sunlight, less food, and the water ins cold. This is when the whales travel to a California, where they enter lagoons to birth and mate. i Makesh Makah tribe is unique among native Sucking back phyto-plankton with Sperm whales since 1976 Btther Press Volume 23 ¢ Issue 5 hunt sta ed not stopped A grey whale investigates what tourists are shoot peoples, in that its 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay is the only native treaty in the United States that expressly reserves a tribal right to go whaling. The Makah have a [500-year whaling tradition that ceased in the early 1900s after commercial whalers had decimated whale stocks. With the IWC's ruling, the Makah feel they will be able to resume their centuries- old whaling heritage. The tribal members will again be able to perform important whaling rituals and receive sustenance from this important, traditional marine resource. Tribal Council member Marcy Parker feels, “It is a positive move toward cultural revival of vital missing links once thought lost to our people.” The Makah tribe has stated that they will not use commercial whaling equipment, but will combine humane hunting methods with Oe ing—thankfully, it's only cameras OP File Photo continued traditional hunting rituals. They'll track the giant mammals in a traditional 12 metre-long cedar canoe, striking first with a ceremonial harpoon, then with multiple rounds from a .50-calibre rifle. So far, so good, it seems. As long as one doesn't have an overwhelming predilection for the movie Free Willy, how could anybody find this situation problematic? If the grey whales aren't endangered, why all the uproar over hunting them? Especially as the hunters are a native tribe for whom the whale is deeply rooted in their traditions? The Hunt While conservationists the world over are outraged about this situation, Canadians, and in particular British Columbians, have something more of which to be ashamed. The Makah tribe is allowed to enter Continued Page Aes, Canadian waters if, they pursue an injured whale and it crosses the Juan de Fuca Strait before they kill it. Because of the great size of the grey whale, the natives may have trouble in executing a quick kill. Gray whales are, when threatened, aggressive and dangerous, so each hunt could last for quite a while. Therefore, there is a good chance that injured whales will enter Canadian waters. The Makah plan to set out in quest of their first whale in dugout cedar canoes, and hurl a traditional harpoon into its big body. Then they plan to finish it off with multi- ple rounds from a powerful .50-calibre rifle. EXCUSE ME? I think I must have missed that class in Social Studies II where we learned about the traditional hunting prac- tices of American Indians using military assault weapons. This is a very contentious issue, and while the Makah defend their use of rifles as being more humane, I personally find it outrageous. If they are killing the whales for cultural reasons, why bring attack rifles? Commercial Hunting The Makah Whaling Commission President, Keith Johnson, has stated, “We have no plans to sell whale meat in the future. Though it may be difficult for some people to accept, we are acting out of purely cultural motives.” However, some Makah have previously affirmed that the hunt has a financial motivation, and that the tribe has every intention of selling whale meat in the future. In 1995, Dave Sones, the Makah Fisheries manager, was quoted in the Seattle Times as saying, “the tribe hopes in the future to do some commercial whaling. There are markets overseas for the meat and oil.” At that same time, in the formal pro- posal of the Makah to the US. State Department and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Tribal council chairman, Hubert Markishtum, declared, “We have a right...to harvest whales not only for ceremonial and subsistence purpos- es but also for commercial purposes.” Yes, these statements did take place three years ago, but the current trade the Makah is doing with the Japanese in sea urchin and sea cucumber does make you wonder.