After decades of legal battles and setbacks, the Makah Tribe has finally received approval from federal regulators to resume hunting whales off the Washington State coast. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration granted the tribe permission to harvest up to 25 gray whales over the next decade, marking a significant victory for the tribe’s cultural traditions and way of life.
The Makah Tribe, with about 3,000 enrolled members, has long sought to revive their ancestral whale hunts, which were enshrined as a right in an 1855 treaty. Tribal leaders argue that the whaling is essential for the tribe’s culture and welfare, especially as they face threats from declining salmon populations and a changing environment.
“We are definitely excited and we are definitely relieved,” said T.J. Greene, chairman of the Makah Tribal Council. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this decision.”
While the Eastern North Pacific gray whales that the tribe plans to hunt have made a population comeback and were removed from the endangered species list in 1994, conservation groups and others have raised concerns about the impact of the hunts on the whale population and the ecosystem.
Despite the opposition, the Makah Tribe remains determined to resume their traditional whale hunts, which were once central to their culture and identity. Tribal leaders believe that reviving the hunts could help reconnect the community with their seafaring past, enhance spiritual ties to the ocean, and improve the overall health and well-being of tribal members.
The tribe’s treaty rights explicitly allow for the taking of whales, making their case unique among Native American communities in the United States. After facing numerous legal challenges and political backlash in the past, the Makah Tribe will now have to enter into an agreement with federal regulators and obtain a hunt permit before they can begin whaling again.
While the tribe is not expected to resume hunting immediately, preparations are already underway for a potential hunt next year. The Makah’s proposed method for future hunts involves paddling in wood canoes, using a harpoon to snag the whales, and then using a high-powered rifle to kill the whales before towing them to shore for consumption as part of tribal ceremonies.
The approval of the whale hunt by federal regulators is a significant milestone for the Makah Tribe, as they continue to fight for their cultural heritage and traditional way of life in the face of modern challenges and opposition.
