By Craig Berard
Here is a short documentary on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rde9E8pUWI4
I found it quite interesting to hear the Q&A by one of the Makah tribal council members.
In response the question by the BBC reporter Richard Black,"Micah, can you explain why it is that the Makah tribal council would like to reintroduce whaling?" Micah McCarty of the Makah Tribal Council stated, "It's part of keeping our culture alive, and what we work for is keeping the living breath of our ancestors alive. The only way you can do that is by transgenerational passage of traditions and culture. And whaling is a central figure to who we are as a people."
That's absolutely right. It cannot be overstated how important and central whaling has been to the Makah as a people and as a nation.
Unfortunately, it may be easy to view the Makah as just people like the rest of us, in which case one might conclude that humans in general are far from going extinct; so why make an exception for these people by allowing them to continue whaling? But then looking at the Makah as a unique culture, and as a people who form a distinct national identity deeply connected to a long history in Washington state, another might say that they are critically endangered. And that living breath that has passed on through generations is at serious risk of dying out.
My feeling is that these environmentalists are going too far in their efforts to be so focused on these people who managed to hunt whales successfully for hundreds and hundreds of years. Most greatly due to the limitations that their method has in terms of range. They, like other aboriginal whalers do not (and should not) use power boats, or long range ships. So that if they over harvest the whales near the coast, other whales that are farther out are still able to replenish their numbers by being out of reach of these human powered long boats. Therefore it's the technologically advanced/long range whaling that the environmentalists should focus their efforts on, because these whalers are not halted in their harvesting by a limited range that they can harvest from. And that has actually been the deciding factor in the decimation of whale populations by human hunting.
So long as their keeping to their sustainable traditions, I say leave the Makah alone.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree. I think that what needs to be focused on here are the technologies being used rather then the actual whaling. The Makah have been able to successfully hunt whales for hundreds of years using "primitive" technology. They can surely still be able to accomplish their whaling goals today with these older methods.
ReplyDeleteThese environmentalists need to shift their protests.
Here is an excerpt from a Makah whaling site that describes just how spiritual their techniques and whaling were to the Makah.
" Paddling silently, whalers studied the breathing pattern of their quarry. They knew from experience what to expect. As the whale finished spouting and returned underwater, the leader of the hunt directed the crew to where it would next surface. There the men waited.
When the whale rose, the paddlers held the canoe just to its left, their speed matched to the animal's. As the back broke the surface, the harpooner struck and the crew instantly paddled backward, putting all possible distance between the canoe and the wounded prey so as to avoid the thrashing tail flukes. A hit in the shoulder blade interfered with use of the flippers and slowed the whale. Floats of sealskin blown up like huge balloons and attached to the harpoon line slowed the whale. Harpoons weren't intended to kill the whale, but to secure the sealskin floats to them until they tired themselves and could be lanced fatally. Shafts of yew wood measured 12 to 18 feet long - heavy wood to add to the harpooner's thrust and help the blade pierce deeply. Splices in the shaft deadened the springiness and furthered the penetration. They also let the shaft break rather than hit the canoe repeatedly if the whale rolled. Furthermore, they allowed a clean break rather than a splintering. This aided repair. "
Whaling is very important to this culture. Craig makes a very valid point that we need to look at the Makah not by their everyday human being appearance but by their culture that sents them apart and makes them very distinct.
who's post is this?? :(
ReplyDelete