Death Of A Whale The Challenge Of Anti Whaling Activists And Indigenous Rights

"CAPTAIN PAUL WATSON IS NO STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY. But this particular conflict was more personal than most. His latest book is a fascinating and thought-provoking account of what happened when anti-whaling activists found themselves at odds with tribal rights. Conservationists, eco-warriors, whale protectors, and supporters of Indigenous traditions—as well as anyone who simply loves a good story—will find themselves captivated by this tale. DEATH OF A WHALE: The Challenge of Anti-Whaling Activists and Indigenous Rights narrates the events as they unfolded. In 1998, Sea Shepherd began a campaign to protect gray whales from slaughter by members of the Makah tribe of the Pacific Northwest, who had recently invoked cultural entitlements to allow them to practice their ancestral hunting rights. Makah members, conservationists, and non-Indigenous Americans vehemently expressed disparate points of view about whether tribal whaling operations, which had ended almost a century earlier, should be recognized, even when they were not in accord with international Indigenous whaling regulations. This electrifying, real-life adventure story showcases an Indigenous community at odds with itself, governments and media that advance their own agendas, and grassroots organizers who display heroic activism. Highly detailed and documented, the book reveals Captain Watson’s deep and unwavering respect for Indigenous traditions and rights, even when they conflict with his own devotion to the sovereignty of whales. "

Examines the confrontation between the Save the Whale forces and the whale hunters.

Whaling has become one of the most controversial environmental issues. It is not that all whale species are at the brink of extinction, but that whales have become important symbols to both pro- and anti-whaling factions and can easily be appropriated as the common heritage of humankind. This book, the first of its kind, is therefore not about whales and whaling per se but about how people communicate about whales and whaling. It contributes to a better understanding and discussion of controversial environmental issues: Why and how are issues selected? How is knowledge on these issues produced and distributed by organizations and activists? And why do affluent countries like Japan and Norway still support whaling, which is of insignificant economic importance? Basing his analysis on fieldwork in Japan and Norway and at the International Whaling Commission, the author argues how an image of a “superwhale” has been constructed and how this image has replaced meat and oil as the important whale commodity. He concludes that the whaling issue provides an arena where NGOs and authorities on each side can unite, swapping political legitimacy and building personal relations that can be useful on issues where relations are less harmonious.

In 1999, off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, the first gray whale in seven decades was killed by Makah whalers. The hunt marked the return of a centuries-old tradition and, predictably, set off a fierce political and environmental debate. Whalers from the Makah Indian Tribe and antiwhaling activists have clashed for over twenty years, with no end to this conflict in sight. In Contesting Leviathan, anthropologist Les Beldo describes the complex judicial and political climate for whale conservation in the United States, and the limits of the current framework in which whales are treated as “large fish” managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Emphasizing the moral dimension of the conflict between the Makah, the US government, and antiwhaling activists, Beldo brings to light the lived ethics of human-animal interaction, as well as how different groups claim to speak for the whale—the only silent party in this conflict. A timely and sensitive study of a complicated issue, this book calls into question anthropological expectations regarding who benefits from the exercise of state power in environmental conflicts, especially where indigenous groups are involved. Vividly told and rigorously argued, Contesting Leviathan will appeal to anthropologists, scholars of indigenous culture, animal activists, and any reader interested in the place of animals in contemporary life.

This dissertation examines the ethics of human-animal interaction at work in the continued conflict over Makah indigenous whaling. The Makah are a small Native American tribe in Washington state that sparked controversy when they revived their centuries-old whaling tradition in the late 1990s. Lawsuits filed by anti-whaling activists shut down Makah whaling shortly after it was resumed, and today the Makah Tribe continues to seek legal permission from the U.S. federal government to hunt whales. Attending to Makah claims that "whaling is who we are," I argue that contemporary Makah whaling is driven as much by tribal members' refusal to back down in the face of outside resistance as it is an affirmation of tribal identity and sovereignty. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Native American tribal identities as such were formed in the course of legal battles for fishing rights throughout the twentieth century. When new battles over marine resource rights arise, those identities becomes part of the stakes. The dissertation also takes anti-whaling activists seriously in their suggestion that Makah whaling is an environmental issue and an animal issue as much as it is a Native American sovereignty issue. I argue that while most Makahs view whales primarily in terms of relationships of use, and activists are motivated by ethical and aesthetic objections to killing whales, both groups are strongly influenced by the implicit moral assumptions of the U.S. federal government's marine mammal management paradigm. There is little conceptual space within that paradigm for the consideration of whales as anything other than exploitable marine resources. Thus, by adjusting their tactics and objectives to fit within the federal model out of practical necessity, activists collaborate in shifting the debate away from a discussion of the ethics of whaling and toward a space where the killing of whales is tacitly acceptable.

“I pull on my balaclava and step onto the bridge wing. It’s loud outside: I can hear the rumbles of nine vessels’ engines and the hiss of ten water cannons … Suddenly the bridge is full of refugees from the upper deck. They are blocking my view out the back windows, but their faces – afraid, excited, awestruck – illustrate the looming presence of the Nisshin. I bend my knees and grip the bench, ready for the crunch.” In Blood and Guts, Sam Vincent plunges into the whale wars. Vincent sets sail with Sea Shepherd, led by the charismatic and abrasive Paul Watson. He attends the recent case at the International Court of Justice, which finds Japan’s ‘scientific’ whaling in the Southern Ocean to be unlawful. And he travels to Japan to investigate why its government doggedly continues to bankroll the unprofitable hunt. This is a fresh, funny and intelligent look at how Australia has become the most vocal anti-whaling nation on Earth. Vincent skewers hypocrisy and sheds light on motives, noble and otherwise. With Japan planning to relaunch its lethal program in 2015, the whale wars are set to continue. Blood and Guts is a riveting work of immersion journalism that lays bare the forces driving this conflict.

Originally published in French under title: Capitaine Paul Watson.

Immerse yourself in the world of animal rights protests, campaigns, demonstrations, outreach, rescue, and so much more. In today’s world, voices of the marginalized are in the spotlight and people across the globe are recognizing animal rights as a social justice movement. During a time of historic actions and victorious campaigns, Voices for Animal Liberation depicts the full spectrum of animal rights activism that is currently at work to create change. This book offers the words of both new and highly influential voices in the movement today, with the intention of inspiring and educating those who are sparked by the vision of a more ethical world. Including a foreword by Ingrid Newkirk, founder and president of PETA and arguably one of the most prolific figures in the animal rights movement, other contributors include: Jasmine Afshar, army veteran Chase Avior, actor and filmmaker Gene Baur, founder of Farm Sanctuary Dotsie Bausch, Olympic medalist and founder of Switch4Good Alex Bez, founder and director of Amazing Vegan Outreach Matthew Braun, former investigator of farms and slaughterhouses Saengduean Lek Chailert, founder of Save Elephant Foundation Amy Jean Davis, founder of Los Angeles Animal Save Karen Davis, founder of United Poultry Concerns Sean Hill, award-winning multidisciplinary artist and humanitarian Wayne Hsiung, cofounder of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) Gwenna Hunter, event coordinator for Vegan Outreach and founder of Vegans of LA Anita Krajnc, founder of the Save Movement Cory Mac a’Ghobhainn, organizer with Progress for Science Jo-Anne McArthur, photographer and founder of We Animals Media Zafir Molina, truth seeker and movement artist Shaun Monson, documentary filmmaker Alexandra Paul, actress and cohost of Switch4Good Brittany Peet, Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement for PETA Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia Zoe Rosenberg, founder of Happy Hen Animal Sanctuary Dani Rukin, citizen journalist for JaneUnchained News Jasmin Singer, cofounder of Our Hen House and Senior Features Editor for VegNews Kathy Stevens, founder of Catskill Animal Sanctuary Natasha & Luca, “That Vegan Couple,” social media influencers Will Tuttle, visionary author and speaker Gillian Meghan Walters, creator of MummyMOO project Connect with activists from different backgrounds as they reveal their perspectives on animal rights, their experiences taking action for animals, the challenges they've faced, and the meaning of activism in their lives.

Following the removal of the gray whale from the Endangered Species list in 1994, the Makah tribe of northwest Washington State announced that they would revive their whale hunts; their relatives, the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation of British Columbia, shortly followed suit. Neither tribe had exercised their right to whale - in the case of the Makah, a right affirmed in their 1855 treaty with the federal government - since the gray whale had been hunted nearly to extinction by commercial whalers in the 1920s. The Makah whale hunt of 1999 was an event of international significance, connected to the worldwide struggle for aboriginal sovereignty and to the broader discourses of environmental sustainability, treaty rights, human rights, and animal rights. It was met with enthusiastic support and vehement opposition. As a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, Charlotte Cote offers a valuable perspective on the issues surrounding indigenous whaling, past and present. Whaling served important social, economic, and ritual functions that have been at the core of Makah and Nuu-chahnulth societies throughout their histories. Even as Native societies faced disease epidemics and federal policies that undermined their cultures, they remained connected to their traditions. The revival of whaling has implications for the physical, mental, and spiritual health of these Native communities today, Cote asserts. Whaling, she says, “defines who we are as a people.” Her analysis includes major Native studies and contemporary Native rights issues, and addresses environmentalism, animal rights activism, anti-treaty conservatism, and the public’s expectations about what it means to be “Indian.” These thoughtful critiques are intertwined with the author’s personal reflections, family stories, and information from indigenous, anthropological, and historical sources to provide a bridge between cultures. A Capell Family Book

From the New York Times bestselling author of Evidence of Harm and Animal Factory—a groundbreaking scientific thriller that exposes the dark side of SeaWorld, America's most beloved marine mammal park Death at SeaWorld centers on the battle with the multimillion-dollar marine park industry over the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity. Following the story of marine biologist and animal advocate at the Humane Society of the US, Naomi Rose, Kirby tells the gripping story of the two-decade fight against PR-savvy SeaWorld, which came to a head with the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. Kirby puts that horrific animal-on-human attack in context. Brancheau's death was the most publicized among several brutal attacks that have occurred at Sea World and other marine mammal theme parks. Death at SeaWorld introduces real people taking part in this debate, from former trainers turned animal rights activists to the men and women that champion SeaWorld and the captivity of whales. In section two the orcas act out. And as the story progresses and orca attacks on trainers become increasingly violent, the warnings of Naomi Rose and other scientists fall on deaf ears, only to be realized with the death of Dawn Brancheau. Finally he covers the media backlash, the eyewitnesses who come forward to challenge SeaWorld's glossy image, and the groundbreaking OSHA case that challenges the very idea of keeping killer whales in captivity and may spell the end of having trainers in the water with the ocean's top predators.