Why The Makah Tribe Should Be Abl To Continue Whaung? (Solution)

For the Makah Tribe, whale hunting provides a purpose and a discipline which benefits their entire community. It is so important to the Makah, that in 1855 when the Makah ceded thousands of acres of land to the government of the United States, they explicitly reserved their right to whale within the Treaty of Neah Bay.

Should the Makah Tribe be allowed to hunt whales?

But the Makah Tribe may well be allowed to hunt again. An administrative law judge last week issued a 156-page recommendation to the U.S. Department of Commerce, arguing the tribe should be granted a waiver under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a 1972 law that prohibits the killing of whales and other marine mammals.

Why did the Makah Tribe stop hunting whales?

The Makah have hunted whales in the waters off Neah Bay for thousands of years. A treaty signed with the U.S. government in 1855 gives them the legal right. The tribe voluntarily stopped hunting in 1922 when whale populations dropped, due largely to commercial overfishing.

Why are indigenous people allowed to hunt whales?

In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.

When did the Makah tribe stop whaling?

The Makah voluntarily stopped hunting whales in the 1920s, when commercial whaling operations were common. An international moratorium on commercial whaling was established in the 1980s, but indigenous whaling for subsistence and cultural reasons was still allowed.

What did the Makah use whales for?

Trade Practices of the Makah Tribe The tradition of whaling is a source of great pride among the Makah. Whales were hunted for their meat and blubber, and nearly every part of the whale was designated for use. Oil rendered from the whale’s blubber was a valuable commodity, earning whaling families great wealth.

Is whaling legal in the US?

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a federal law passed by the United States Congress in 1973. All of the great whales are listed as endangered species under the ESA. As a result, it is illegal to kill, hunt, collect, injure or harass them, or to destruct their habitat in any way.

What did the Makah tribe believe in?

The Makah believe that physical beings would return to the world after death as spirits and would haunt the places they were attached to before their deaths. The Makah have a ritual tradition of burning an individual’s personal possessions after death and throwing them out onto the beach.

Is indigenous whaling sustainable?

The hunt takes the bowhead whales from a population of about 10,000 in Alaskan waters. Anti-whaling groups claim this hunt is not sustainable, though the IWC Scientific Committee, the same group that provided the above population estimate, projects a population growth of 3.2% per year.

What happened to the Makah tribe?

On January 31, 1855, the select Makah tribe representatives signed the Treaty of Neah Bay with the U.S. federal government, ceding much of their traditional lands.

What is the Makah tribe culture?

Ancient Makah people based much of their material culture on western red cedar, which provided homes, tools for carving and cooking, great ocean-going canoes, clothing, and ceremonial gear.