Seattlest: Wailing and Whaling, the Makah Seek Hunt

bpm2000

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:55:21 -0800

"Want to suspend whaling rights for the Makah? Perhaps we should return the rest of the Kitsap Peninsula to them." Oh come on - thats about as useful an argument as telling them to still hunt harpoons over rifles.

Jack

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:06:02 -0800

I'm with Kim on this one. The old ways of hunting whales were the best they had then. They best they had then was also a brutal and drawn out death for the whale. The high-powered rifle may not be "traditional," but it's a hell of a lot more humane. As for the tradition itself, hunting whales represents the very fabric of the Makah culture. Without it, they're missing a huge piece of who they are. Now generally, I'm against whaling (particularly the killing of thousands of whales annually by the Japanese in the name of "science"--one of the greatest shams of the modern world), but I truly believe it's a different story for the Makah. They're talking about taking five whales per year--a completely sustainable number. Not only is this a sustainable practice, and important to what makes the Makah tribe what it is, it's also a treaty right of the Makah tribe. Want to suspend whaling rights for the Makah? Perhaps we should return the rest of the Kitsap Peninsula to them.

Kim Ruehl

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:05:06 -0800

the only reason native americans of hundreds of years ago didn't drive their motor boats out to the deep water and shoot whales with guns was because they didn't have the technology to do so. i think this is another issue of "what is tradition?" and "what is relevant tradition?" it can be argued that, when people started hunting deer, they used bows and arrows, and they didn't hang the deer's head on their wall. why do we now allow hunters to use guns when "tradition" dictates that they hunt with bows and arrows? because at some point, it became tradition for them to use guns. at some point, it became tradition for them to put on those hideous bright orange outfits, drive their gas-guzzling SUVs into the woods, and drink beer out of aluminum cans (or glass bottles) after the hunt. it's okay for the white man's tradition to evolve using modern technology, but not okay for the native americans to do the same? personally, i'm not a fan of hunting, period. but, i understand why people do it. and, if the animal isn't endangered, and it's part of their cultural tradition (be they whitey from the burbs or native americans from reservations), then by all means, let them carry on their tradition.

todbookless

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:53:31 -0800

The Makah claim tradition as a reason to kill whales, but they do not want to hunt in the traditional way. They use power boats to tow their canoes out to where the whales are, and they use a .50 caliber rifle to finish off the whale. If they want to follow tradition then they should follow tradition. They should where traditional clothes - no Gortex or foul weather gear. They should have to row their out of shape butts out to where the whales are, and they should hunt with harpoons, only. Traditionally, people died during whale hunts because, you know, whales get cranky when you poke them with pointed sticks. I think a cold, miserable, exhausting row out to the whales, and some Darwinistic thinning of the herd might make them remember why they like McDonalds so much. By the way - what happened to the last whale that they legally killed? We saw news footage of people chewing blubber when it was brought to shore - but then what? No one had any recipes or knew what to do with it. Did that whale get eaten or used in any traditional way?

mehals

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:19:21 -0800

Sorry, you fail. Despite all the debate and publicity, the whalers are pleading guilty to measly-ass misdemeanors. Begging the question, why debate something that is going to be toothlessly enforced? Most people incorrectly use the phrase "Beg the question." It does not mean "raises the question" so usage such as "Hillary did not drop out last night, which begs the question of what she plans to do next." Instead, it means that the person making an argument is engaged in circular reasoning. For example, if I make an argument like I claim God exists. 1. We know God exists because this holy book says God exists. 2. We know this holy book is true because it was written by God. This argument begs the question because my final argument assumes the very thing I am trying to prove. Please remember, ending BTQ abuse starts with you.