Many people may say that the Makah Whale Hunt should be eliminated. However, it is their long-standing right to be able to go out and perform this sacred ceremony. Not only is it a very important part of their lives and history, it is also a matter of legality. This hunt has been a part of the tribe’s life for many hundreds, possibly even thousands, of years. The Makahs’ lives circulated around this tradition when the whale was their main source of food and provisions, and now it is a way to remember the past and help to pass down family history to the younger generations.
Should this tradition now be eliminated since the Makahs no longer need the whale for food or supplies? Of course not! Whale hunting is their culture and they should be allowed to continue in this pursuit. They may no longer need the whale for food, but that does not mean they do not need the whale. Elders of the tribe believe that being able to sell (inside the country) parts of the animal could bring about a way for them to begin to climb out of an economic disaster. Since the tribe is so isolated up on the Olympic Peninsula there are not many job opportunities to help a person get out of debt. The whale may be the answer to that problem.
Since the Makah have elected to begin whale hunting again, they have also only been taking one whale a year. So, although the selling of whale materials may help with economic debt, it certainly won’t eliminate it. Whale enthusiasts should not worry about the animal becoming extinct, because, as stated before, only one is being harvested per year. The Makah should have a right to just one whale a year!
Then there are those that will call the whale hunt “cruelty to animals.” This may be, in a way, but isn’t the killing of dogs and horses for food in other countries also cruelty? And what about the use of primates for lab rats? Occurrences of this nature happen much more often than the harvesting of a single whale. And besides, the animal is being hunted in the most humane way possible, unlike in earlier years where they were harpooned to death. That does not happen now. People should concentrate their efforts in places that need more immediate attention than trying to get the Makah whale hunt banned.
Banning the whale hunt will be particularly difficult when it comes to the Makahs’ legal rights. In 1885 the Treaty of Neah Bay was signed explicitly stating that the tribe was granted the right to hunt whales (though they were forbidden from trading whale meat internationally.) So it is not only a matter of animal rights it is also a matter of the government keeping the treaty. The Native Americans have been betrayed so many times by our government in the past, it would be a shame not to have learned anything from history. The Makahs deserve their whale hunt.
Not only is it their legal right, but hunting the whale again may just help to give the Makah youth a chance to do something more than drink, do drugs, and get into criminal mischief. The Makah Tribal Council sees this as a way to pass down to the younger generations Makah beliefs and principles. The whale hunt makes up a major part of the tribe’s history and ancient traditions. It would be a shame to see all this lost.
No matter whether the concern is financial, legal, or historical the Makah whale hunt should not be something to be forgotten. It is a tremendous event in their lives, which only happens once a year, and gives the tribe something from their past to hold on to. It gives them a way to help their youth of today and tomorrow. To say the least the whale hunt is a very significant part of the Makah’s life and should continue to be so.
Back to English Essays.
