Discuss: Savage Disobedience

The article tries to attack a sensitive and a complex aspect of a cultural tradition. Since whale hunting has been part of the Makha tradition for so many years, culturally it makes sense for them to continue that habit.  The Makah signed the Treaty of Neah Bay in 1855. The treaty guarantees them the right to whale, and they are the only American Indian tribe to have secured themselves such a right. They stopped for a time when the gray whale was endangered, but, after it was delisted in 1994, they asked to start again.  Therefore, the treaty should be honored.  Therefore, the treay should be honored.  The idea is that because their ancestors hunted whales, they therefore should be allowed to hunt whales and further continue their tradition

Even though the gray whale has been de-listed from the endangered species list the tribe should wait till it has been declared okay to hunt again. It has barely been over a decade since the whale has been de-listed, and scientists may fear that the populations, while not low enough to be endangered, could still be at a fragile number. The tribe has gotten along fine without whale hunting while it has been on the endangered species list so they should continue to be okay until the gray whale has increased in number.

The Makah tribe has a treaty to hunt whales. If any one wants to dispute the treaty, let them move off their land and return it to their rightful owners: Native Americans. If you want to bleed your heart about whales then lose your land first. Orcas hunt whales. Do you want to stop Orcas from killing gray whales? You bleeding hearts have no right to end the treaty with the Makah people. It is either they hunt whales or they get back all the land.Give them back the entire Olympic Peninsula.It is their land.