Introduction

Five Internet Sources

Five Non-Internet Sources

Articles

My Internet Story

Additional Web Sites

Treasure Hunt: 

The Makah Indian Whaling Controversy

Me and my mom watching the Orca whales off the coast of Washington.

We found a few members of the J-pod on their way south.

        Whales are often spotted off the coast of Washington state. Orcas and Gray whales are two types of whales indigenous to this area. They travel in pods and are seen in certain times of the year during their migratory trip from the cold waters of Alaska to the warmer waters of Baja California. Some types whales are considered endangered species. For thousands of years they have been hunted. In the beginning they were hunted as part of a ritual by the Native Americans and used for the oils. Later they were hunted by entrepreneurs for money, and expensive perfumes were made from their oils. This wave of hunting was what led them to endangerment. Now, killing them is highly regulated. However, there are certain Native American groups that want to keep killing them in order to keep with their long-standing tradition. This is a big controversy involving the government regulations and environmental activists.  

        I would like to find out more about the history of this whale killing ritual and the Makah Indian tribe. When did it start? Why do the Makah Indians do it? What significance does it have to their culture? I also want to learn details about the gray whale population. How many are killed each year? Lastly, I think it would be necessary to know the government’s position as well as the opponents' concerns. What are the environmental activists main objections?           

        Environmental issues are very important to the progression of the world. There are clubs here at the University of North Carolina such as SEAC (Student Environmental Action Coalition). These people, as well as those who take biology courses in evolution or ecology would be especially interested in this topic. Also, there is a necessity for young people to be aware of the cultural differences and traditions of such groups as the Makah Indians, especially since they live right here in the United States.

Introduction

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Title of Web page: Makah Whaling Commission

Web Address: http://www.olypen.com/makahwc/

Source of Web site: The Makah Whaling Commission

Title of Web page: The Makah Tribe: People of the Sea and the Forest

Web Address: http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/renker/location.html

Source of Web site: University of Washington Libraries

Title of Web page: American Cetacean Society: Fact Sheet Gray Whale

Web Address: http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/graywhl.htm

Source of Web site: American Cetacean Society

Title of Web page: Learning Resources: Makah Indians Hunt Gray Whale

Web Address: http://www.literacynet.org/cnnsf/whalehunt/storyweek.html

Source of Web site: Cable News Network, Inc.

Title of Web page: Whaling and the Makah Indians

Web Address: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Stu/nglasgow/WEBWHALE.htm

Source of Web site: Neal Glasgow

Print Sources From UNC-CH Library:

Sullivan, Robert. A whale hunt. New York : Scribner, c2000. (E99.M19 S85 2000)

Electronic Source:

Non-paper source:

Anderson, Ross. (2001, July 14) "Makah hunt for whales may enter new waters." Seattle Times [Online], p. 1B(585 words). Available: Lexis-Nexis/General News [2001, September 14].

Berton, H. & Mapes, L. "Court voids approval of Makah whale hunt."Seattle Times [Online],  p. 1A(854 words). Available: Lexis-Nexis/General News [2001, September 14].

Halliday, Jan. (1999, August 15) "Life among the Makah tribe." The Boston Globe [Online], p. 1M(3061 words). Available: Lexis-Nexis/General News [2001, September 14].

Paul, Steve. (2000, November 5). "A whale of a tale; Fascinating study of tribe's culture rounds out an environmental saga." The Kansas City Star [Online], p. I8(19 paragraphs). Available: Lexis-Nexis/General News [2001, September 13].

Reuters. (2000, April 18). "Makah Indian Tribe Hunting Whales Again." The New York Times [Online], p. 20A(3 paragraphs). Available: Lexis-Nexis/General News [2001, September 13].

           Makah Indian Whaling Traditions

            (Topic Area: My topic on the internet)

        Makah ancient history begins over 4000 years ago. Since then it has changed tremendously, most notably since 1788 when the tribe first made contact with non-Indian peoples. The Makahs, their name meaning “People who live near the Rocks and Seagulls,” live mostly in the northwest tip of Washington. One of their ancient traditions that has survived to modern culture is that of whaling. It has not survived, however, without a struggle.

         In 1855, the United States government signed a treaty with the Makah Indians under which the Makahs gave up claim to the Olympic Peninsula in return for their right to hunt whales. This treaty makes the Makah Indians the only tribe with this right. In 1926, the Makahs voluntarily stopped whaling as the gray whale population reached endangered levels. In 1994, they were removed from the endangered species list, and in the spring of 1995 the Makahs proposed that they resume whaling. After a battle with the International Whaling Commission, in 1997, they were granted permission to kill five whales a year from 1998 to 2002. In May 1999, the Makahs killed their first gray whale. They struck the whale with a harpoon but, contrary to tradition, they killed it using guns.

        The tribe is continuously facing opposition to their practices. In June of 2000, the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal government’s assessment of the environmental impact prior to granting the quota was not. This ruling was overturned, and in the summer of 2001, Makahs were allowed to hunt whales and their territory had been expanded from the open ocean to the Strait of Juan de Fuca #151.

        The Makah Indian whaling issue has become widespread because of the availability of online newspaper articles and government documents. There are many cultural web sites sponsored by the Makah Indians and official Native American agencies that explain the ritual and help people understand their heritage and how it is changing. They are not just a society of whalers, and they try to highlight whaling as only one aspect of their lives.(1) 

        There are also many sites by environmentalists and others opposed to the ritual. (2) They seem to be in a balance however. The tones of most sites, from either viewpoint, are very factual and informative. The newspaper articles and sites focused on educating about the issue deal with both sides simultaneously and leave the ethical question open-ended.

Notes:

(1) Evans, Jayda.(1999, December 2) Year of the Makah. The Seattle Times [Online], p. 1D(1621 words). Available: Lexis-Nexis/General News [2001, September 14].

(2) Anonymous. (1999, May 24) Tribe shouldn’t be allowed to kill whales. The Seattle Times [Online], p. 3B(214 words). Available: Lexis-Nexis/General News [2001, September 14].

Title of Web page: Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission     

Web Address: http://www.nwifc.wa.gov/

Source of Web site: Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Title of Web page: CNN.com

Web Address: http://www.cnn.com/US/9810/01/fringe/makah.whaling/

Source of Web site: Cable News Network, Inc.