On Whaling

Whales have been hunted by us Two-Legged ITI for centuries; with the People of the Northwest coast of this Turtle Island centering their cultures on it. I refer to such as the Tlingit, the Haida, the Inupiat, and such.

The whale is a tremendous source of food, cultural pride, cultural preservation, and for males, an important means to attaining status as a man among these Peoples. In the Traditional Way of such ITI Peoples as these, nothing of the whale was wasted. Pity that can't be said for the Caucasians, who began commercial whaling perhaps 100 - 120 years ago.

Among the ITI for whom whales are a central part of their culture, every part had a use. Skulls, especially of younger whales, became central parts of altars, in the same way that a buffalo skull is in my People's Way. I have seen such altars, which is a huge honor. I was given this honor because certain spiritual people among the People whose whale skull altar I was allowed to see wanted to honor my Sun Dance commitment, and to make a connection between our cultures. The feeling of that altar - of the strength, age, wisdom, courage and serenity - was indescribable.

When I later heard the whales singing as I listened via a speaker on land, I was overcome with a feeling of connection with ancientness I have seldom felt anywhere other than at the Sacred Places of my People. Only this time it was a connection with a Sacred People, having a perspective on us land-dwellers that words are insufficient to convey.

Such altars are seldom allowed to be seen by whites, because of the destruction of our Sacred Bundles by missionaries and collection of our Sacred things for museum collections. But like so many parts of our ITI Traditional world, many of these things do still exist, hidden away and revered in secret. Our elders still caution us about who we let know about these things, and to disclose no details that would endanger the safety of these Bundles, because the washichu have damaged our Ways too much over the past 516 or so years already; and history has taught us that no matter how much 'some' members of the majority culture can be trusted, others never can be.

Commercial whaling began, as so much else in the majority culture, out of greed, ignorance, arrogance, and total disregard for the sacredness and sanctity of the Web of Life - the Sacred Hoop of the world, of which we are each a part. And the ridiculous belief that the resources of the ocean were "limitless".

Nothing else in the universe - certainly nothing in our biosphere - is truly limitless, so how any otherwise reasonably aware person could make such a claim is beyond me. There is only one explanation - such people are blinded by greed.

"Humans" / Two-Leggeds are not the only People who live on our Holy Mother the Earth's bounty, after all. We share her with the Standing Nation (plants, anything that grows upright), the Winged Nation, the No-Leggeds, the Invisible Little People, the Rock Nation, and of course, the Water People, which includes whales. Just because we cannot count the total number of something does not mean it is without limit.

Depending on species, whales live can live upwards of 100 years - or could, until the advent of huge ships, fishing nets, trawlers, oil rigs (especially in the Arctic). Their magnificent songs are means of communications across miles of ocean that we are unlikely ever to understand.

Whale songs speak of food sources, currents, temperatures, the birth of more whales, the need to mate, and likely, just keeping in touch with friends or family. I don't doubt that there are more reasons.. Some humans run off at the mouth as if they can't stop; perhaps whales are occasionally afflicted in this way too. I hope not, but we don't know.

Whales' communications systems are complex and sophisticated, and having been designed to work across unbelievable distances in the ocean, their hearing is incredibly sensitive. Whale strandings of recent times are certainly due to navies of the world making noise that interferes with whale communications, and I do not doubt that at least some strandings occur because of such things as loss of leaders, being driven to insanity by the noise levels of naval equipment and communications systems and tests, probably because of loss of sufficient foods of one kind or another, and likely on occasion because of grief. Any beings as intelligent as whales must certainly have emotional connections, and therefore are sometimes struck by grief - likely from the actions of humans.

The behavior of Japan in regard to the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on whaling is reprehensible and utterly without honor. All whales are threatened at best, and endangered with extinction at worst, yet Japan continues to blatantly lie about its whaling activities as if it believes the rest of the world is too stupid to see the truth. What a terrible comedown for the Japanese culture - which has been touted for centuries as being based on honor. There is no honor in Japan's actions in the matter of whales. What a pity those responsible don't commit harakiri.. It wouldn't bring back any whales, but it would stop or significantly slow the needless slaughter of these magnificent members of the world community.

But then, any country that is truly honorable wouldn't lie as Japan has, anyway. And just because there is no country in the world that has a sterling record regarding truth or the environment, does not give Japan carte blanche to continue as it has. That is the childish argument that because one gets away with something, everyone can. Hogwash! One size never did fit all; it only fits 'some'.

In addition to the activities of such groups as Greenpeace and the Australians who are currently shadowing the Japanese whaling fleet, we of the rest of the world need to take steps, too. Such steps as economic boycotts by everyday citizens as well as by our governments, for example. Every country needs to trade with the rest of the world if it plans to continue.. This is a truth as old as human existence. Economic sanctions have been enacted by governments for other reasons - this is another good one. But if the "leaders" lack the courage to do it, then the citizens need to boycott on their own. Citizens are what make up every nation's Gross Economy, after all.

Those ITI People for whom whaling is a central part of their Traditional culture have a Right, not a privilege, to continue whaling, and even though the ancient methods can take a long time to kill a whale, they are honorable, being connected to ceremonies and to ancient connections between whales and those members of the Two-Leggeds who hold whales sacred.

The ITI People who have this spiritual connection to whales and whaling do not kill whales out of greed; they kill whales out of ancient cultural contexts that enable their Traditional Ways to continue. Indeed, those Traditional Ways cannot continue without whaling in their old ways. There is nothing commercial, arrogant, insensitive, or greedy about it.

But so long as commercial whaling continues or is allowed to, regardless of what excuses are offered as 'reasons' for it, Indigenous People are denied our Traditional Rights, our Traditional cultures are in danger, and ultimately if whales are extincted, the entire world suffers, since we supposedly-superior humans have no idea where whales fit in the Web of Life.

It was only a few years ago that I read that no blue whales had been seen in 6 years, so scientists were 'afraid' the blue whale had become extinct. Indigenous Traditional People all over the world began to do ceremony in hopes that the blue whale was not extinct, and while they are in terrible danger, it turns out they are not extinct, so then our ceremonies turned to ceremonies of thanksgiving. No matter how many people pray on this matter, however, without accompanying physical action on the part of the world's humans to make commercial whaling stop, the effort will not be enough.

Stopping commercial whaling is not exclusively or even mainly about some governments telling others what they can or can't do. It is about showing respect for one another and that includes all the different kinds of People of the world, including the Water People, such as whales.

Japan claims that its culture is grounded in honor.. Then SHOW it, Japan. Walk your talk. Stop commercial whaling NOW. Otherwise, you show yourself for honorless, lying, untrustworthy people, because actions speak louder than words - past and present, and they always will. There's much to admire in your ancient culture; it's your current version of your culture that lacks honor. Help us honor you; stop lying and whaling NOW.