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Aboriginal subsistence whaling (ASW)
last update: Jul 19, 2011 08:25 PM
From a "BBC News" article: Aboriginal subsistence whaling (ASW), or indigenous subsistence whaling, as it's to be known in future, is not without its critics. Some would object on the grounds that it's still killing whales, and therefore wrong.
At the northern end of the populated world, whaling is not like the industrial-scale, mechanised harvesting that brought several species close to the brink of extinction in decades gone by. There, it's the peoples such as Inuit and Inupiat who catch whales for eating, and a few other uses, within their local communities.
A few years ago, Richard Black, Environmental Correspondent for the BBC News, visited Barrow in North Alaska, which is so far north that virtually nothing will grow in the ground, and ice is more common underfoot than anything approximating to soil.
He talked about whaling and the bowheads that pass the coast twice a year on their annual migration, but wasn't able to meet the community's leading lights, as they were away at the time lobbying for the right to continue their tradition.
Whaling is not quite as vital for nutrition as it once was, because now most of the 11 whaling villages do have food stores, and many people have paid jobs. But it's still clearly a major aspect of life. Not only bowhead whales but seals and fish are caught for food, with some being bartered with other indigenous groups inland in return for caribou meat.
Hunting habits have changed in recent years. Now, a fair bit of the hunting is done in November and December, as the bowhead whales return south. At this point in the year, the ice is so tough as to wreck sealskin boats, so materials such as aluminium are used instead. Technology and enhanced scrutiny over welfare issues have also changed the hunt, with modern explosive harpoons used to kill the animal as quickly as possible - ideally, instantaneously.
And here is where the real insights begin, taking you into a world with mores and values a world away from modern, Western-style existence - a marked contrast in particular with mainstream US cultures of speed and instant opportunities and individualism. Harry Brower, from one of Barrow's oldest families, and a whaling captain, explained the Inupiat belief that a whale comes ashore in human form as the boats' crews gather to discuss the coming season's hunt. If the whale/human hears anything disrespectful, they will not allow themselves to be caught - and, he added, there are some captains who have been hunting for years without ever catching a thing, the implication being that they were not respectful enough.
The crews "receive" their whales from the sea, with the captain giving a prayer of thanks immediately afterwards.
Read:
BBC News, 13th July 2011
