Guest guest Posted July 14, 2001 Report Share Posted July 14, 2001 'Resident' gray whales now fair game for Makah Saturday, July 14, 2001 By PAUL SHUKOVSKY AND MIKE BARBER SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTERS NEAH BAY -- Federal regulators have ruled the Makah Tribe can resume its ancient whale hunt with fewer restrictions on when and where the whales can be killed. Yesterday's ruling also broadens the hunt to include so-called " resident " whales, which had become a symbol for opponents. The decision means the Makah could climb into their dugout canoe and try to harpoon a whale in a matter of days. Before that happens, however, the tribe and the National Marine Fisheries Service must sign off on a management agreement governing the terms of the hunt. And it's unclear how long it will take for the Makah families who plan to take part in the hunt to put together the complicated and expensive logistics. Whale bones dry on the roof a building at the Neah Bay High School. The bones came from a whale that died in a net and another that washed up on a beach. Grant M. Haller / Seattle Post-Intelligencer Click for larger photo " It's good news, " said Gordon Smith, vice chairman of the tribal council. " This reaffirms what we've been saying all along -- that this hunt is something that is all right. " Opponents, however, blasted the decision. " Our intent is stop the hunt, " said Tami Drake, an anti-whaling activist from the group Ocean Defense International. " We're going to be at Neah Bay to protect the whales. " In the past, the group has buzzed the tribal canoes with small vessels and fired flares near the whalers. The tribe hasn't killed a whale since May 17, 1999, when tribal members fired three harpoons and two rifle shots into a gray whale in the Pacific Ocean south of Cape Flattery. It marked the first successful whale hunt by the Makah since the 1920s. The whale was towed to the beach and ritually butchered. Later, the meat and blubber were consumed at a huge potlatch ceremony attended by thousands of Northwest Coast natives celebrating the hunt as a victory for treaty rights. That first hunt attracted global attention with reporters and anti-whaling protesters from all over the world descending on this remote reservation. People around the Puget Sound were transfixed as television stations carried hours of live coverage of the hunt transmitted from helicopters hovering over the native whalers paddling through the Pacific. Under a quota granted by the International Whaling Commission, the tribe is allowed to kill five whales each year through 2002. But anti-whaling activists and former Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Metcalf filed suit, and last fall the tribe suspended the hunt when a federal court ruled that a 1997 environmental assessment should have been completed before the National Marine Fisheries Service and the tribe signed a management agreement. By completing the management agreement first, it created the appearance that the assessment's result was predetermined, the court ruled. It then ordered NMFS to conduct a new assessment, which was released yesterday. The suit, however, had unintended results. First, the court didn't raise questions about the Makah's treaty right to hunt. Now, as a result of yesterday's decision, restrictions on the tribe have been greatly loosened. The 1997 assessment restricted the hunt to the open ocean during the late fall, when the canoe would be exposed to rough seas. The tribe may now hunt any time and in the more sheltered Strait of Juan de Fuca, as well as off the Pacific beaches of the north Olympic coast. Restricting the hunters to protect small groups of " resident " whales -- those that spend the summer in the strait rather than migrating to the Arctic -- was unnecessary, the NMFS scientists found. The service determined those whales are biologically identical to other grays, and the total population of gray whale is at a historic high, about 26,000 animals. In explaining yesterday's ruling, Brian Gorman, an NMFS spokesman, said, " The biology and the treaty dictated where we had to go with this. " There is no biological reason in terms of a hunt why they (the resident whales) should be separated out, " he added. " We have clear evidence that the whales found in the Strait of Juan de Fuca are not a separate population. They interbreed and intermingle with the larger ocean population. " But anti-whaling activists aren't ready to give up. Drake disputes the NMFS view on resident whales, and she says they need special protection, even if they are biologically identical to the rest of the herd. Drake and Jonathan Paul, founder of Ocean Defense International, the anti-whaling group, will take their case to London for the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission next week. Makah carver Micah McCarty, left, shows his apprentice, Roman McCarty, 15, how to paint a mask. More youths are showing an interest in tribal culture. Grant M. Haller / Seattle Post-Intelligencer Click for larger photo The hunt is an explicit part of the tribe's 1855 treaty with the United States; it is the only tribe to have such a provision. The Makah first announced their intent to resurrect the hunt in 1995 -- the year after the gray whale was taken off the endangered species list. Andrea Alexander, tribal general manager at the time, said that returning to the hunt that so defines what it means to be Makah would " build pride and remind us of who we are. " If measured by that goal, the hunt was a success. Ever since that day in May 1999, when the crew brought home a whale, " no one is the same, " said Greig Arnold, current tribal chairman. " That was a moment-of-life change, something very deep. We are connecting with our past, and that is hugely important. " How does one measure such a connection? Helma Ward, one of the few elders left on the reservation who grew up speaking the Makah native tongue, says attendance of young people in language classes has swelled. " I've been there for 23 years now, and we've been trying, trying, trying, " Ward said. " But in the last two years, we've had two high school graduation speeches in Makah. " A lot of Makah people have come home, at least just to look and ask about everything that has happened. " It was in the air; it's still in the air. " Janine Bowechop, director of the cultural center, said there is increased demand for new classes such as one in ethnobotany, or the study of how ancestors used plants for food, fiber and medicine. And enough young people now speak Makah well enough to pass the language on to a new generation. " The interest of the people in our culture was sparked by the whale, " said John McCarty, who was the first director of the tribal whaling commission. " It brought a lot of talk about the culture and how the Makahs were in the past. That was our aim: to revitalize the culture. " The Makah whale hunt legal battle 1855: Makah sign treaty with the U.S. government specifically granting whaling rights. 1920s: Makah stop whaling after commercial whaling decimates populations. 1946: Gray whales become protected. 1994: Gray whales removed from federal Endangered Species List. 1995: Makah ask the United States to represent them before the International Whaling Commission in their request to resume hunting. Oct. 23, 1997: International Whaling Commission approves Makah whale hunt after a lapse in hunting of more than 70 years; Makah can kill up to 5 whales a year through 2002. Sept. 21, 1998: Federal judge rules Makah can resume whaling. Oct. 1, 1998: Progressive Animal Welfare Society files suit against restrictions keeping other vessels away from hunting canoe. Nov. 1, 1998: Altercation between Makah and protesters, four activists arrested. Nov. 18, 1998: Whaling opponents, including U.S. Rep. Jack Metcalf, R-Wash., file appeal in federal court questioning whether the government complied with environmental law in supporting the hunt. March 16, 1999: Eastern North Pacific gray whale population estimated at 26,600 by National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle. May 10, 1999: Makah throw first harpoon. May 17, 1999: Makah kill first whale in more than 70 years. April 17, 2000: Makah start hunt again. April 20, 2000: Protester on personal watercraft injured when hit by U.S. Coast Guard boat. May 6-7, 2000: Makah family has several close encounters with gray whales, but hunts unsuccessfully under watchful eye of protesters. June 9, 2000: A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules 2-1 to overturn the ruling that cleared legal obstacles to whaling, saying the environmental impact had not been adequately considered. June 10, 2001: Makah butcher a gray whale found on a beach in Olympic National Park. July 13, 2001: National Marine Fisheries Service decides Makah can resume whale hunt with fewer restrictions on where and when they can take a whale. P-I reporter Mike Barber can be reached at 206-448-8018 or mikebarber http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/31319_makah14.shtml ===== Best to you, Susan ..... http://www.stopwhalekill.org Whales are indigenous to the oceans. We have choices for our homes, our adventures, our vocations, and our sustenance. The whales do not. Leave them be. Get personalized email addresses from Mail http://personal.mail./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2001 Report Share Posted July 28, 2001 Margros7744 - I wish to to this as from today --- Dian Hardy <tacitus wrote: > 'Resident' gray whales now fair game for Makah > Saturday, July 14, 2001 > > By PAUL SHUKOVSKY AND MIKE BARBER > SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTERS > > NEAH BAY -- Federal regulators have ruled the > Makah Tribe can resume its ancient whale hunt > with fewer restrictions on when and where the > whales can be killed. > > Yesterday's ruling also broadens the hunt to > include so-called " resident " whales, which had > become a symbol for opponents. > > The decision means the Makah could climb into > their dugout canoe and try to harpoon a whale in > a matter of days. > > Before that happens, however, the tribe and the > National Marine Fisheries Service must sign off > on a management agreement governing the terms of > the hunt. And it's unclear how long it will take > for the Makah families who plan to take part in > the hunt to put together the complicated and > expensive logistics. > > > Whale bones dry on the roof a building at the > Neah Bay High School. The bones came from a whale > that died in a net and another that washed up on > a beach. Grant M. Haller / Seattle > Post-Intelligencer > Click for larger photo > " It's good news, " said Gordon Smith, vice > chairman of the tribal council. " This reaffirms > what we've been saying all along -- that this > hunt is something that is all right. " > > Opponents, however, blasted the decision. > > " Our intent is stop the hunt, " said Tami Drake, > an anti-whaling activist from the group Ocean > Defense International. " We're going to be at Neah > Bay to protect the whales. " > > In the past, the group has buzzed the tribal > canoes with small vessels and fired flares near > the whalers. > > The tribe hasn't killed a whale since May 17, > 1999, when tribal members fired three harpoons > and two rifle shots into a gray whale in the > Pacific Ocean south of Cape Flattery. It marked > the first successful whale hunt by the Makah > since the 1920s. > > The whale was towed to the beach and ritually > butchered. Later, the meat and blubber were > consumed at a huge potlatch ceremony attended by > thousands of Northwest Coast natives celebrating > the hunt as a victory for treaty rights. > > That first hunt attracted global attention with > reporters and anti-whaling protesters from all > over the world descending on this remote > reservation. > > People around the Puget Sound were transfixed as > television stations carried hours of live > coverage of the hunt transmitted from helicopters > hovering over the native whalers paddling through > the Pacific. > > Under a quota granted by the International > Whaling Commission, the tribe is allowed to kill > five whales each year through 2002. > > But anti-whaling activists and former Republican > U.S. Rep. Jack Metcalf filed suit, and last fall > the tribe suspended the hunt when a federal court > ruled that a 1997 environmental assessment should > have been completed before the National Marine > Fisheries Service and the tribe signed a > management agreement. > > By completing the management agreement first, it > created the appearance that the assessment's > result was predetermined, the court ruled. > > It then ordered NMFS to conduct a new assessment, > which was released yesterday. > > The suit, however, had unintended results. > > First, the court didn't raise questions about the > Makah's treaty right to hunt. > > Now, as a result of yesterday's decision, > restrictions on the tribe have been greatly > loosened. > > The 1997 assessment restricted the hunt to the > open ocean during the late fall, when the canoe > would be exposed to rough seas. The tribe may now > hunt any time and in the more sheltered Strait of > Juan de Fuca, as well as off the Pacific beaches > of the north Olympic coast. > > Restricting the hunters to protect small groups > of " resident " whales -- those that spend the > summer in the strait rather than migrating to the > Arctic -- was unnecessary, the NMFS scientists > found. > > The service determined those whales are > biologically identical to other grays, and the > total population of gray whale is at a historic > high, about 26,000 animals. > > In explaining yesterday's ruling, Brian Gorman, > an NMFS spokesman, said, " The biology and the > treaty dictated where we had to go with this. > > " There is no biological reason in terms of a hunt > why they (the resident whales) should be > separated out, " he added. " We have clear evidence > that the whales found in the Strait of Juan de > Fuca are not a separate population. They > interbreed and intermingle with the larger ocean > population. " > > But anti-whaling activists aren't ready to give > up. Drake disputes the NMFS view on resident > whales, and she says they need special > protection, even if they are biologically > identical to the rest of the herd. > > Drake and Jonathan Paul, founder of Ocean Defense > International, the anti-whaling group, will take > their case to London for the annual meeting of > the International Whaling Commission next week. > > > Makah carver Micah McCarty, left, shows his > apprentice, Roman McCarty, 15, how to paint a > mask. More youths are showing an interest in > tribal culture. Grant M. Haller / Seattle > Post-Intelligencer > Click for larger photo > The hunt is an explicit part of the tribe's 1855 > treaty with the United States; it is the only > tribe to have such a provision. > > The Makah first announced their intent to > resurrect the hunt in 1995 -- the year after the > gray whale was taken off the endangered species > list. > > Andrea Alexander, tribal general manager at the > time, said that returning to the hunt that so > defines what it means to be Makah would " build > pride and remind us of who we are. " > > If measured by that goal, the hunt was a success. > > Ever since that day in May 1999, when the crew > brought home a whale, " no one is the same, " said > Greig Arnold, current tribal chairman. > > " That was a moment-of-life change, something very > deep. We are connecting with our past, and that > is hugely important. " > > How does one measure such a connection? > > Helma Ward, one of the few elders left on the > reservation who grew up speaking the Makah native > tongue, says attendance of young people in > language classes has swelled. > > " I've been there for 23 years now, and we've been > trying, trying, trying, " Ward said. " But in the > last two years, we've had two high school > graduation speeches in Makah. > > " A lot of Makah people have come home, at least > just to look and ask about everything that has > happened. > > " It was in the air; it's still in the air. " > > Janine Bowechop, director of the cultural center, > said there is increased demand for new classes > such as one in ethnobotany, or the study of how > ancestors used plants for food, fiber and > medicine. And enough young people now speak Makah > well enough to pass the language on to a new > generation. > > " The interest of the people in our culture was > === message truncated === Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Messenger http://phonecard./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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