Wayne Johnson Interview

By Kathryn Ritchie

Here’s a link to an interview with Wayne Johnson on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG84zhwEGFs
I still don’t quite understand why the Makah whaling rights have been (temporarily) revoked. I’ve seen that the hunt is “inhumane” (Fund for Animals president Michael Markarian), but the Makah actually chose to use a .50 caliber rifle instead of harpooning the whale to death, in order to be as humane as possible. I’ve already talked about subsistence. The grey whale is not currently listed as endangered. The Makah are not attempting to hunt more whales than sustainable—this isn’t commercial whaling. What, exactly, is the problem?
The cultural importance of whaling for the Makah is so important. After the whale hunt in 1999, the culture experienced a much-needed revival. I can’t blame these men for trying to help perpetuate the spiritual rewards of whaling for their people. The treaty should not be broken.