Eco-colonialism or environmentalism

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Descendants of the original inhabitants of the furthest western regions of the North American continent are locked in a high-profile cat and mouse game with the international environmental community this month as several environmental groups patrol the Juan de Fuca Strait in an attempt to stop the resurrection of an Indigenous cultural activity.

It's all about whaling. The reservation community of Neah Bay, population approximately 15,000, on the American side of the strait in the state of Washington has been the site of a media watch since the late days of September. The Makah Tribal Council has done its legal homework with the state and federal governments and is within its rights to harvest as many as five grey whales this year.

October 1 was the day when the whaling could legally begin. Environmentalists and the international media descended on this town, a 90-minute ferry ride across the strait from Victoria in late September. The environmental groups arrived with the intention of stopping the whale hunt. The media, of course, were present to cover the hunt or the environmentalists efforts to stop it. After almost a month of waiting, there is a strained feeling in the air around Neah Bay.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been aggressive in its efforts to scare whales away from the region. Windspeaker photographer Heinz Ruckemann has been in the area for more than two weeks, hoping to capture images of the event for our readers. He reports a Sea Shepherd ship has been discharging loud explosive devices in an attempt to scare the whales away from the region. Ruckemann also reports that the community is divided over the issue. He said one Elder who opposes whaling has been the target of jeers in the street from young people.

Critics say the Makah leaders are allowing themselves to be used by whaling companies in Norway and Japan to undermine a 1986 ban on commercial whaling imposed by the International Whaling Commission. Once the ban on whaling is broken, the commercial whaling companies will make their own applications to resume operations by claiming they are also Indigenous peoples with whaling traditions, the environmentalists claim.

Will Anderson, on board a submarine painted to look like a killer whale to scare the greys away from the Makah hunters, works as an advocate for the United States-based animal welfare group, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). He told Windspeaker there have been a few minor incidents during the month-long standoff in the waters off Neah Bay, but he said the U.S. Coast Guard is keeping a close watch on things.

First Nations on the Canadian side of the border are keeping a close watch on events to the south. Nuu-chah-nulth people on the West Coast of Vancouver Island are related to the Makah people and are also traditional whalers. Leaders in Nuu-chah-nulth country are also making plans to revive the whale hunt which they say is an important part of their culture.

Francis Frank, co-chair of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, wants the environmental groups to mind their own business.

"We think the protests that are being engineered are just another form of eco-colonialism, and because of our kinship with them, any challenge to the rights of the Makah people is a challenge to the rights of the Nuu-chah-nulth people," he said. "There is a contradiction in what the environmental groups are doing. The environmental community in the past has unconditionally supported our right to negotiate our treaty. Now they are contradicting themselves by saying neither the Nuu-chah-nulth nor the Makah should be able to practice our rights. In doing this they are arguing for the continued oppression of our people."