Radiozine on 08/31/12

Treasures from the KBOO Public Affairs Archive - Makah Whaling

In 1999, the Makah tribe on Washington's Olympic Peninsula asked the International Whaling Commission for permission to kill up to five whales. Whaling had been fundamental to the Makah until about a century ago, and they wanted to return to the practice, both for its cultural and nutritional value. Some animal rights advocates and environmentalists were opposed.  In March of that year, one such activist, Ben White, and the head of the Makah Whaling Commission, Denise Dailey, participated in a discussion at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in Eugene. Must we choose between animal rights and indigenous rights, or can both be protected?

Photo of Flattery Bay on the Makah Reservation by ONYXX86