Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times

Local News


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Originally published September 13, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified September 15, 2007 at 3:06 PM

E-mail article     Print view

Corrected version

Jerry Large

Makah face a whale of a dilemma

Saturday five men in boats killed a gray whale. They were making a statement and exercising bad judgment. They're members of the Makah Tribe...

Seattle Times staff columnist

Saturday five men in boats killed a gray whale.

They were making a statement and exercising bad judgment.

They're members of the Makah Tribe, but they acted on their own and against the interests of the group.

Their tribe has been trying to reassert its right to hunt whales, an activity that was a defining part of Makah culture before the conquest. For them, hunting whales isn't just about food. It's about their very identity as Makahs.

For decades, the tribe didn't hunt. Members stopped voluntarily because gray whales were endangered, but when the animals came off the list, the Makah fought for the return of their rights under an 1855 treaty.

In 1999 they hunted and killed their first whale in 70 years. Success in court and at sea gave the impoverished community an emotional lift.

It was worth the sacrifice of a whale.

But I hoped that having won their rights and lifted their spirits, the Makah would not pursue another whale.

Whales are one of those species that have a special place in the larger culture. It's not in the Makah's long-term interest to be seen as whale killers.

Five years ago a court aggravated matters by ruling the Makah couldn't hunt without a special waiver under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which the tribe has since been trying to acquire.

They hadn't taken another whale in the interim but were close to obtaining the waiver and preserving their right to hunt. While Saturday's whale hunt was under way, several other tribes were celebrating the annual return of salmon to Puget Sound.

While the Makah struggle to hold on to their whaling base, other tribes are more easily able to retain their salmon-fishing culture — as long as the salmon hold out. Someday, they may have to find another cultural base, too.

advertising

Salmon are still seen simply as food even to most who admire them. But the Makah are whalers and whales are seen differently.

If you don't hunt whales, can you be a Makah?

I think so. There is no other sustainable choice.

A genetic study published Monday claims gray-whale populations have not recovered, that the decision to take them off the endangered list was based on estimates of their past population that were too low.

Hunting a species in distress just keeps the Makah Tribe under pressure.

They have enough pressure already. Whales are scarce but so are jobs and opportunities on the Makah reservation.

The Makah are right to want something that will give them a strong sense of purpose, but it probably isn't going to be whaling.

They're not alone in the struggle to define themselves, a challenge that changing circumstances bring to every group eventually. But it is particularly difficult when you are a small, poor group in the midst of a large, dynamic society.

I don't have an answer for the tribe, but neither did the men in those boats.

All I know is that hunting whales can't be part of the solution anymore.

Jerry Large's column appears Monday and Thursday. Reach him at 206-464-3346 or jlarge@seattletimes.com.

Information in this story, originally published on September 13, 2007, was corrected on September 15, 2007. The treaty that originally allowed the Makah Tribe to continue whaling, was signed in 1855, not 1885 as appeared in Jerry Large's column Thursday.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

About Jerry Large
I try to write about the intersections of everyday life and big issues. I like to invite readers to think a little differently. The topics I choose represent the things in which I take an interest, and I try to deal with them the way most folks would, sometimes seriously, sometimes with a sense of humor. My column runs Mondays and Thursdays.
jlarge@seattletimes.com | 206-464-3346

Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business

Illegal workers quietly let go

Metro won't cut bus service after all

Jerry Large: Food-bank theft turns into a gift

Bumper to Bumper: How can the city let bridges go dark?

Advertising

Video

Real Salt Lake wins MLS Cup
Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy with penalty kicks after 120 minutes of play at Qwest Field in Seattle.

Raw Video | Real Salt Lake receives the MLS Cup trophy
Raw Video | Real Salt Lake fans celebrate
Real Salt Lake fans enter Qwest Field
Raw Video | MLS Cup Opening Ceremony
LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman
MLS trophy arrives in Seattle
Chittenden Locks Inspection
Full interview with New Moon actors

Marketplace

Open Houses

Find this weekend's open house listings.
Or search by location:

nwautos

Less is more: Group rides, good gas mileage have led to a scooter swarm in Seattlenew
Local riders say they've seen a surge in scooter interest in recent years, mostly from people wanting another commuting option. Seattle now ranks as o...
Post a comment

Advertising