Why the Makah Indians Hunt Whales

Why the Makah Indians hunt whales:

“Whales provide us with the food for our bodies, bones for our tools and implements and spirits for our souls.” “We haven’t hunted the whale for 70 years but have hunted them in our hearts and in our minds.” “Whales are a central focus of our culture today as they have been from the beginning of time.”

This has been a tradition of the Makah Indians for more than 2000 years. They had to stop in 1926 due to the scarcity of gray whales. But their abundance now makes it possible to resume their ancient practice of the hunt.

They have had an intensification of interest in there own history and culture since the archeological dig at their village of Ozette in 1970, which uncovered thousands of artifacts bearing witness to their whaling tradition.

Whaling and whales have remained central to Makah culture. They are in their songs, dances, designs, and basketry. Their social structure is based on traditional whaling families. The conduct of a whale hunt requires rituals and ceremonies, which are deeply spiritual. And they believe hunting imposes a purpose and a discipline, which they believe, will benefit their entire community, especially the young, whom the Makahs believe to be suffering from lack of self-discipline and pride.

Why the Makahs have they right to hunt gray whales:

Before entering into negotiations with the Makah for cessions of their extensive lands on the Olympic peninsula in 1855, the United States government was fully aware that the Makahs lived primarily on whale, seal and fish.

When the United States Territorial Governor, Isaac Stevens, arrived at Neah bay in December of 1855 to enter into negotiations with the Makah leaders, he was met with strong declarations from them that in exchange for ceding Makah lands to the United States they would be allowed to hunt whale. They demanded guarantees of their rights on the ocean and specifically, of the right to take whale. The treaty minutes show Governor Stevens saying to the Makahs: “The Great Father knows what whalers you are--- how you go far to sea to take whale. Far from wanting to stop you, he will help you – sending implements and barrels to try the oil.” He went on to promise U.S. assistance in promoting Makah whaling commerce. He then presented a treaty containing the specific guarantee of the United States securing the right of the Makahs to contin...

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...hey should rise to a “higher” level of culture by not whaling. Whether or not you like what they are doing or not you should respect their culture and their traditions. The Makahs are just trying to keep their culture alive.

Bibliography:

“Makah Indians may become pirate whaling nation.” www.eye.net/news/enviro/1995/env0803.htm

“Whales die, a culture lives.” www.seattle-times.com/extra/browse/html/altwhal_101396.html

“An open letter to the public from the President of the Makah Whaling Commission.” www.Conbio.rice.edu/nae/docs/makaheditorial.html

“Makah whaling: questions and answers.” www.makah.com/whales.htm

“Edsanders.com – Politics – The new bigots.” www.edwanders.com/pol.bigots.htm

“Treaty of Neah Bay, 1855.” www.nwifc.wa.gov/tribes/treaties/neahbay.htm

“U.S. Indians plea to kill whale.” www.whale.wheelock.edu/archives/whalenet96/0247.html

“Makah management plan for the Makah treaty Gray whale hunting for the years 1998 - 2002.” www.nwifc.wa.gov/whaling/whaleplan.html

“How this happened – the Treaty.” www.seashepherd.org/wh/us/mktreaty.html

“Indian tribe gets OK to resume whaling.” www.japan.cnn.com/earth/9710/23/whales.indian.tribe/index.html