Makah conflict: global – local forces

3. Makah conflict: global – local forces • 1855 Treaty with US government to hunt • International alliances with other Indigenous peoples • Subjected to International Whaling Convention • permission from them in 1998 to hunt • permission rescinded in 2002 with Japanese successfully linking their desire to hunt whales with that of indigenous peoples.

4. Makah elder 1999 Many Makahs feel that our health problems result, in some degree, from the loss of our traditional diet of seafood and sea mammal meat. We would like to restore the meat of the whale to our diet. Many of us also believe that problems besetting our young people stem from lack of discipline and pride. We believe that the restoration of whaling will help to restore that discipline and pride. Whaling and whales have remained central to Makah culture. . . .

5. Makah elder continued They are in our songs, our dances, our designs, and our basketry. Our social structure is based on traditional whaling families. The conduct of a whale hunt requires rituals and ceremonies which are deeply spiritual. Whale hunting imposes a purpose and a discipline which we believe will benefit our entire community.

6. Turn the issue on its head • How would you feel if the Makah ruled the world and told you whale eating was fine but cow eating is cultural unacceptable and is to be banned • Or if you were an Indigenous Australian reliant on kangaroo when Greenpeace in the 1980s advocated no kangaroo killing at all