for the sake of an unbiased viewpoint...
>Using the words of a Makah Elder: This morning, a whale presented
>itself to the Makah people and offered itself to the whalers and was
>taken.
>
>It was my priviledge to be able to the watch the entire hunt this
>morning on TV. At least two stations carried it, so now I report what I
>was with my own eyes. On Saturday, the Makah went to hunt and
>protestors buzzed the canoe and the canoe so badly at one, for certain,
>and possibly two whales were injured by the protestors alumunium boat.
>The protestor boats went right over the back of the whale in an effort
>to "protect" the whale. Blood was clearly visible on one whale where
>the engines and boat bottom had cut it. As a result, the Coast Guard
>confiscated 3 boats and a jet ski.
>
>This morning at 4:30 am, the whalers took to the sea. There were no
>protest boats out (Coast Guard had all the small ones locked up).
>Although I had been taught how a relation offers itself to the people, I
>have never before witnessed it. It was a magic moment. There were four
>whales in the sea. The first the Makah approached, turned itself alway
>from them and they left it. The whalers approached the second. It
>waited for them and when the canoe was close and the harpooner stood,
>the whale raised its head out of the water right next to the canoe.
>There was a moment when you could almost hear the whale and harpooner
>speak to each other. The harpoon was thrown and stuck. The whale began
>to move out. A second harpoon was thrown, and then the whalers got a
>wild ride. When the first harpoon struck, the whale thrashed some and
>the canoe was right above it. There was fear the canoe would overturn,
>but the whale was careful and never raised its tail or tried to harm the
>whalers. In just a few moments, the support boat pulled alongside the
>whale and a third harpoon with a heavier line was thrown and struck.
>The whalers on the support boat shot at the whale three times, missing
>on the first two. The whale again raised its head high and the third
>shot killed it instantly. The entire hunt lasted just 10 minutes.
>
>The Makah are now towing the whale to a beach where the people are
>waiting to do ceremony. Media will not be allowed at the ceremony.
>After the ceremony, the whale will be rendered by the Makah and
>distributed to the people.
>
>Puyallups, Nisquallys, Tulups (and I'm sure others) peoples are on the
>rez today to support the Makah, particularly after what happened
>Saturday which was so incredibly dangerous and explosive. A reporter
>this morning spoke with people at a restaurant on the rez (the only
>restaurant BTW). She said that as they watched the hunt, the mood was
>quiet and somber and when the whale was taken, a prayer attitude
>prevailed. There was no whooping and hollaring, just a quiet respectful
>moment and lots of tears of gratitude. The whalers, themselves, were
>hugging each other and raising their paddles in the air.
>
>After the whale was taken, the large Sea Shephard boat raced toward the
>canoe at a really high rate of speed and broke the 500 feet boundary. I
>applaud the Coast Guard and the men who protected the whalers. A small
>rubber dingy with 3 Coast Guard personnel put itself between the large
>ship and the canoe and the ship turned away before hitting the dingy.
>
>Please hold the Makah and the whale in your prayers this day. Now also,
>the hunt has revived racism against Native peoples in this area to a new
>high. Northwest Cable News tooks calls this morning and one man ranted
>and raved about how the US Government protected the Makah and tax
>dollars were spent by having the Coast Guard out there in order to
>support this tradition. He asked if the government would now support
>and protect white hunters who wanted to revive their old
>tradition...hunting Indians. Unfortunately, that is now a common
>sentiment.
>
>I am in awe of what I saw this morning.
>
>Storm
>
Han kolas,
I sat watching the news tonight here in Washington. I watched the
whale being brought to shore, saw and felt the pride of the Makah Nation,
saw the excitement of the children in the water It warmed my heart beyond
words.
Then I got an email accidentally...hmmmme....sent to me about how
sad this person was that this whale person was killed. She felt as though a
relative was killed, and it is so, as we are all related, but I wrote her
and spoke to her of the difference between cultural traditional and
environmentalism, and how sad it was to me that such very loud voices cry
out for this one whale when over 90 of my buffalo relatives have been
murdered this year out of Yellowstone. I spoke to her of the difference
between this whale warrior dying a good death, and all these buffalo
relatives of mine who are slaughtered/murdered....like Wounded Knee all over
again. That the buffalo people did not have the benefit of ceremony, the
benefit of honor, respect, dignity, of being a warrior.....no, they were and
continue to be slaughtered/murdered. Will this woman get it? I truly doubt
it. Would that such a loud voice as I see and hear on the tv in protest of
this whale's good death be shouted just as loudly over our relatives the
buffalo.....sigh......but alas....no Sea Shepherd boats seem to be able to
float out on the land of Yellowstone and beyond.
Mitakuye Oyasin
Sometimes I am by myself
but I am never alone!
Alexis Wiyaka Cikala
Liam, thanks for the link. I just emailed this seashepherd orgainzation.
Apparently they want the Federal government to "amend" the Makah treaty.
But
don't they mean break the treaty?
Anyway I wrote to them and told them that if they want to break any
treaties,
then we will just take our land back.
Warren Peltier
Porcupine Clan (Ouch!!!)
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