The tradition is welfare

Despite a plentiful supply, Greens vow to stop an Indian whale hunt

If nothing else, animal rightists cannot be accused of prejudice: they favour beasts over men, whether the latter are black, white or red. Indians rank high in the pantheon of political correctness, but not as high as whales. So Washington State Indians intending to kill the massive mammals for food were at a disadvantage, even before it was revealed that their "traditional" hunting method depends on a distinctly modern weapon—the machinegun.

The controversy is especially upsetting to Tom Happynook of Victoria, chairman of the World Council of Whalers, who says similar hunts are being planned in British Columbia. "We're up against urban people who don't even know milk comes from a cow," he charges. "What right do they have telling us what to do? Natives in coastal communities are eating corned beef hash out of cans and Kraft Dinner. We just don't have any money." 

The culture clash erupted in August, when the 1,400-strong Makah tribe of Neah Bay on the Olympic Peninsula announced they will hunt up to five grey whales each year starting October 1 under an agreement authorized by the International Whaling Commission and the U.S. Commerce Department.

The grey whale suffered near-extinction in the 1920s, but today is no longer on the U.S. endangered species list; more than 20,000 swim up and down the West Coast twice yearly.

Keith Johnson, president of the Makah Whaling Commission, said that resuming his tribe's historic October hunt "is a link to the past and it validates us, who we are as a people and a culture." He added that the hunt will bring badly needed food to the dinner tables of his people, who along with non-natives have suffered job losses in local logging and fishing industries because of environmental sanctions.

No sooner was the announcement made than Project Sea Wolf, an anti-whaling offshoot of California's Sea Shepherd Society, staged a protest meeting in Victoria on August 29. Eco-pirate Paul Watson, the society's founder, was scheduled to speak but was replaced at the last minute by understudy Michael Kundu of Seattle. He told 70 sympathizers that the Makah does not require freezers full of whale meat and should go to Seattle if they want "amenities." "They get government subsidies," he argued. "They don't need this to survive."

Mr. Kundu then played a video of a protracted whale killing. He insisted that if the hunt is allowed to proceed, it would set a precedent and encourage more whaling around the world. He revealed his group intends to prevent the hunt by positioning a dozen boats, including a 32-foot submarine owned by Mr. Watson, off Neah Bay. The vessels will broadcast killer whale sounds to scare the grey whales into altering their migration route. "All we need is for them to swim a mile offshore," said Mr. Kundu, adding that the Makah's 18-foot dugout canoes will not be able to survive the rough waters farther from the shore.

Mr. Kundu also said that his band of eco-warriors will, if necessary, throw themselves between the harpoon-armed natives and the cetaceans. Given the current climate of tension between natives and non-natives over treaty claims, Mr. Kundu's remarks strike Mr. Happynook as ill advised. "He is deliberately and needlessly trying to cause bad feelings," he declares. "The reality is that people can still go whale-watching, do research, whatever, but somewhere in this equation the whalers are going to fit in."

The dispute escalated September 13 when an ad-hoc group called the Westcoast Anti-Whaling Society—consisting of a fishing boat, several whale-tour operators and other boaters—congregated in Victoria's Inner Harbour with placards reading "Wounded Whales Feel Pain." Leading the protest was Western Canada Wilderness Committee campaigner Anthony Marr, who in the past has lobbied to end bear and tiger hunting.

Mr. Marr accused the Makah of being inhumane, claiming the whales die a lingering death after being first secured by a hand-thrown ceremonial harpoon and then riddled with bullets. "Five hundred rounds might be pumped into a whale. It can take a whale 30 minutes to two hours to die," he said. Not so, says Makah member Jimmy Thompson. "What we intend on doing is using the machinegun to sever the whale's spinal cord, which will kill it instantly—unlike in the past when a whale could tow our canoes around for days on end," he explains.

Mr. Thompson echoes the sentiments of other Indian hunters by remarking, "People like Marr are not interested in us evolving, they're just trying to assimilate us. That's been tried before, and we won't allow it."

Last week, spectators were allowed onboard Mr. Watson's ship Sea Shepherd, which was docked in Seattle, to view his two-man sub, which is painted to resemble a killer whale. Meanwhile, Washington State Republican Congressman Jack Metcalf and animal activists from the U.S., Britain and Australia have filed a lawsuit to prevent the hunt; they claim the federal agencies which reviewed the Makah case erred when they declared it environmentally safe. They are requesting Federal Judge Franklin Burgess to send the case to the National Marine Fisheries Service for a full environmental review. He will make his decision this week.

-- Robin Brunet

!999-05-18

The Vancouver Sun

by Craig McInnes and Doug Ward

 

PREMIER VOWS TO IMPEDE WHALE HUNTING IN BC

[S.I.S.I.S. note: The following mainstream news article may contain biased or distorted information and may be missing pertinent facts and/or context. It is provided for reference only.]

VICTORIA -- B.C. will not sign any treaty with native Indian bands that includes the right to hunt whales, Premier Glen Clark declared Monday after the Makah tribe of Washington state made their first kill. Clark said whaling falls under federal jurisdiction, but it would be "outrageous" if a band were to be allowed to kill a whale.

The Makah killed a grey whale Monday morning, first harpooning it, causing the mammal to dive, then firing at least two shots into it at close range from .50-calibre rifles when it resurfaced several minutes later.

Two B.C. coastal native groups have claimed a hereditary right to hunt whales.

"We will use whatever leverage we have at the bargaining table and the treaties to ensure that there is no whale hunt in British Columbia." Clark said he was repulsed by the killing of the whale Monday, a reaction he believes most people will share.

But Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gordon Wilson was less certain that B.C. natives could be prevented from whaling. "It may well be that the rights that they have under Sparrow with respect to salmon may have similar application to harvesting of whales. That's something we have to look at," Wilson said. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1984 that Reginald Sparrow, a member of the Musqueam band, had an aboriginal right to fish for salmon that superceded the right of the federal government to regulate the fishery.

Wilson said the current position is to refuse to approve any treaty that includes whaling, but if natives go to court to establish a right to hunt whales, that could change. "One obviously has to respect the law, but it's purely hypothetical at this point." He stressed that no band claiming a hereditary right to hunt whales has yet brought the issue to the treaty table. "Our view is that they don't, they're going to have to prove that they do and if they choose to pursue it, I guess they'll have to do so in the courts," Wilson said.

Liberal leader Gordon Campbell called the whale kill "an appalling, senseless, wasteful, disgraceful act."

"I certainly don't want it happening in British Columbia for any purpose, whether it's commercial or ceremonial or customary." Campbell said he had legal advice that natives do not have an aboriginal right to hunt whales. "I think it's a brutal and archaic practice. I think that it should be stopped."

Clark's remarks were criticized by Nelson Keitlah, co-chair of the Nu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council, which represents 13 bands on the central and north coast of western Vancouver Island and wants to negotiate whaling rights in its treaties. "Colonialism hasn't really left us, has it?" said Keitlah. "He [Clark] is saying what we should eat and what we shouldn't eat."

Keitlah also said that it was improper for the premier to determine which issues will be on the bargaining table in the Nu-Chah-Nulth treaty talks. "We are in treaty negotiations and that is one of the issues that will be there. It's not on the table. But upon our insistence it will be."

Keitlah said that whaling is important to his people for food but also for cultural reasons. "It's part of reaching for that epic where capturing a whale is the ultimate for any of our hunters." Keitlah said that members of his band are proud of the whale killing carried out by the Makah. "This is a historic day for our people. We want to send our congratulations to the Makah nation. It's been 70-80 years since it was last done."

Keitlah, who is based in Port Alberni, said it was whaling by white men that seriously reduced whale stocks -- not whaling by native people. "We had nothing to do with their [the whales'] demise. But all of a sudden people are upset when we want to take one."

The Ditidaht and Pacheedaht bands, located about 120 kilometres northwest of Victoria, also have significant cultural ties to whaling.

Anthony Marr of the Western Canadian Wilderness Committee, said the anti-whaling campaign is not aimed at aboriginal rights. "We are not pointing fingers at the native people. We are just against whaling." Marr said it was "ludicrous" to describe Monday's whale killing as a revival of tradition. "How traditional is a power boat, or a .50-calibre gun?"

Marr said that the Makah's whale hunt has little to do with the band's food needs. "It's something they've chosen as a vehicle to assert themselves as a self-determined people.

"If they want to do that -- all power to them. But if they do it at the expense of a whale, they should first of all consider the self-determination of the whales."

The whale kill was also attacked by animal-rights activist Peter Hamilton of the Vancouver-based Lifeforce. "Anyone who enjoys subjecting an intelligent, sentient whale to an agonizing, slow death is a bloodthirsty savage," said Hamilton. "I don't know how these whale murderers can live with themselves."

 

 

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2000-03-07

Open letter to the President and Vice President of the United States of America

Dear President of the United States of America:

On February 11, 1997, you wrote a letter to the U.S. Congress citing Canada as having "conducted whaling activities that diminish the effectiveness of a conservation program of the International Whaling Commission", regarding the granting of whaling licences to the Canadian Inuits without IWC approval. We as Canadians take your point well, and pledge to pursue the matter with our government. This letter, however, concerns the killing of a Grey whale by your own Makah tribe.

In the same letter to Congress, you also wrote: "I understand the importance of maintaining traditional native cultures, and I support aboriginal whaling that is managed through the IWC." On this, we beg to differ, and hope that you will reevaluate the basic philosophy behind this statement.
 

First, we question the word "traditional". Obviously this is a key word distinguishing aboriginal whaling from non-aboriginal whaling, and must itself therefore be clearly defined. In particular, should traditional whaling employ definitely non-traditional equipment such as motorized watercraft and armour piercing firearms? We believe that the vast majority of Americans and Canadians would say a resounding "NO!"

More basically, and especially applicable to the Makah, is the question of traditional need, namely food, clothing and fuel. The Makah have done without whale-derived food, clothing and fuel for over seven decades. High on their list of reasons is to use the killing of whales to solve their people's alcohol and drug abuse problems. Kindly show us the traditionality of this reason.

Even more basic than this is whether all elements of traditional aboriginal culture are to be held sacrosanct. If so, then even slavery should be revived. If not, then why should killing whales be so unquestionably honoured?

Ultimately, we believe that as civilization advances on to a new millennium, killing sentient, intelligent, peaceful and trusting creatures like whales and dolphins can no longer be justified, for any reason, by anyone, be they Japanese, Norwegian, Russian, American (Makah), or, yes, Canadian (Inuit). This means that within or beyond IWC parameters, whaling must end.

We ask you to please re-examine the basis of your thinking, which the vast majority of your citizens, judging by their overwhelming opposition to the hunt, obviously have done.

Yours sincerely,

Anthony Marr

 

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2000-04-25

Times Colonist (Victoria) Tue 25 Apr 2000
by Anthony Marr

International approval lacking for whale hunt now under way

Contrary to popular belief, the Makah do not have the approval of
the International Whaling Commission to hunt grey whales, and
therefore their whale hunt is illegal.

In 1998, Dr. Ray Gambell, secretary of the International Whaling
Commission, said, ``The IWC has specifically not passed a judgment
on recognizing or otherwise the claim by the Makah Tribe, since
the member nations were clearly unable to agree.''

The Australian delegation said, ``The Australian delegation made
it clear that it accepted the Chukotka Natives' request and claim
that they clearly met the requirements ... whereas the request and
claim of the Makah people did not. This view was endorsed
explicitly by a clear majority of the delegations. After a lapse
of some 71 years of whale hunting by the Makah ... the
requirements of the amendment are not met, nor have they been met
on cultural grounds.''

And on the United States' claim that the commission has adopted a
quota that allows a five year aboriginal subsistence hunt by the
Makah, ``The Australian delegation explicitly rejects these claims
as false and giving an entirely erroneous interpretation.''

To qualify for subsistence whaling, continuance is a crucial
factor, which Makah whaling clearly does not have. The IWC has not
changed its position.

 

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2000-07-30

Japanese Begin Hunt of Protected Whales in Pacific

from Washington Citizen's Coastal Alliance

DEFIANT JAPAN TARGETS WHALES
(The London Times, July 30, 2000)

JAPAN defied international protests yesterday by sending ships on a mission to catch 160 whales, claiming it was for research purposes.

Critics say the two-month expedition to catch sperm and Bryde's whales is a cover for commercial whaling, which was banned by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986. A limited number of whale-hunting trips for research is allowed.

Both Tony Blair and President Bill Clinton have urged the Japanese government to abandon the expedition - with the White House saying that sanctions are a possibility.

Four Japanese whaling vessels have set sail for the northwest Pacific Ocean, according to Japan's Kyodo News agency, quoting officials from the fisheries agency. The report said scientists would examine the whales to collect data on their habitats and migration patterns - with the meat then being sold.

At the recent G8 summit in Japan, both Clinton and Blair urged Japan's prime minister, Yoshiro Mori, to cancel the expedition.

The World Wildlife Fund called for sanctions against Japan, saying the nation's research was merely a "guise" used to expand a banned commercial whale hunt.

Sue Fisher, of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, said: "Japan has made a defiant and aggressive move that, if unchecked, will lead to a further expansion of whaling."

The president of the International Fund For Animal Welfare, Fred O'Regan, said: "This decision is a slap in the face of Clinton, Blair and many others who have been working to persuade Japan to cancel its plans to kill more whales."

Japan killed more than 400 minke whales last year. Whale meat is a delicacy there, and oils from sperm whales are used in cosmetics and perfume.

ALBRIGHT BLASTS WHALING POSITION
(Asahi Evening News, July 31, 2000)

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Sunday threatened sanctions against Japan if its does not stop whaling.

During a 90-minute meeting with Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, Albright referred to the departure Saturday of a whaling fleet to conduct research in the northern Pacific Ocean.

She called on the government to summon the vessels back, saying whales are protected under U.S. law. Failure to do so would result in the United States issuing a statement of criticism about Japan's whaling practices, a Foreign Ministry official said.

Albright stressed that Washington would have no recourse but to take sanctions against Japanese products unless Tokyo stops the research.

``We are deeply troubled by what is happening. Whether it's for commercial or research purposes, it should not be happening,'' Albright told reporters after the meeting.

Kono promised Albright he would relay her concerns to Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

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Did the research reveal that whales have feelings?

 

Anthony

 

ps - It is a pleasure and honor to be in the "white devil" camp.

To: 

The Ambassador of Japan, Embassy of Japan, Ottawa, ON, Canada

The Ambassador of Norway, Embassy of Norway, Ottawa, ON, Canada

 

Dear ambassadors of Japan and Norway:

 

You might consider this a declaration of war on the wildlife front.

 

From July 2 to December 10, 2006, Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE) will be conducting its 4th Compassion for Animals Road Expedition (CARE-4), which will cover 35 U.S. states and 6 Canadian  provinces.  The media events to be conducted in every state and province will be called the Funeral Motorcade for the Slaughtered, to commemorate the 325,000 seals massacred in Canada this year with the participation of Norway (see below), and the 20,000+ dolphins and 1,000+ whales slaughtered by Japan and the hundreds of whales murdered by Norway over the last few months.  In previous CARE-tours, we supported the international boycott of Canadian seafood products.  In CARE-4, we will be calling for a general boycott of all Canadian, Japanese and Norwegian goods and services, worldwide.   

 

50% HPIM4207

35% - 2005-07 CA, SD to LA Motorcade for

 

These Funeral Mortorcades are media magnets.  By year end, millions of consumers in the 100+ ! cities on the CARE-4 itinerary will have heard our message, and begun acting accordingly.

 

Case in point:  Stephen Thompson of Richmond, BC, Canada, a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (an ally of HOPE), recently purchased a new Austin Mini Cooper in spite of his favoring a competing Japanese model.  Rest assured that this will happen, in short order, all over North America against Canada, Japan and Norway, and subsequently worldwide.

 

 

Yours truly,

 

Anthony Marr, founder

Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)

604-222-1169

www.HOPE-CARE.org

[email protected]