Tribe+of+Makah+Whaling

Leonard Johnson AM IN 210 4/14/11  ** __The Tribe of Makah __ **   Bordering the Pacific Ocean the Makah portrayed a vast history and lineage. The Makah, primarily located near the Northwestern boarder of the United States are a dominate tribe in the region. The Makah prospered due to a number of factors. The Makah gained majority of their resources from the sea surrounding them. The tribe would hunt the sea for resources including whales, seals, and salmon. The sea provided a majority of the Makah’s food source. The tribes were primarily into whale hunting, but bottom fish became stable to the tribe and they prospered off of it. Marine mammals were the primary food for the Makah tribe and the other surrounding tribes.  Whaling is a great pride within the Makah community. When it came down to hunting, the members within the tribe believed they were chosen by the whale itself. This was a gift from the Gods in which they prayed to. Whales were not only counted as a trophy for the tribe but are harvested for blubber and fat. Other parts of the whale are also used including their bones and fins. The bones were made into combs and tools. Another marine resource the members of the Makah tribe would hunt was the harbor seals. The Makah would salvage oil from both the seals and whales they would hunt. Due to the oil they gathered the tribe would gain coinage.  The Makah was also known and had a repetition for harvesting. The tribe would gather plants and other fruits to prosper their community. These resources are secondary to their marine resources. The Makah tribe has suffered numerous amounts of disasters within their history. The Makah have suffered from a number of epidemics including smallpox, tuberculosis, influenza and whooping cough. This lead to large generation gap between offspring. The main reason for these occurrences was due to the visiting European communities. Due to these illnesses the Makah’s tribe population devastating decreased.   On January 31st, 1855 the Makah, represented by forty two dignitaries signed and negotiated a treaty with the United States of America agreed to a treaty that guaranteed them to continue their marine harvesting. The main concern was the whaling right the Makah had previously held. This treaty allowed the Makah tribe to continue their natural routine of living off of the sea. The Makah were entitled to 300,000 acres of ocean by the United States Government to farm and prosper their tribe.  Whaling was the biggest aspect of the Makah tribe for nearly over 2,000 years. The tribe was striped from their rights to hunt the marine whales. The Makah tribe was able to gain currency and resources to their community after some time. This played a major role in the history of the tribe and also was consider one of many highlights the members within the tribe of Makah had to overcome. All of the sources I found while researching the tribe all pinpointed the truth, and many facts about the Makah and their ability for hunting whales. Although the Makah tribe still existed today, the tribe will always be remembered for their costal settlement and their brave fishing techniques. The Makah Indian Tribe and Whaling:

1. []  This article informed me on facts about the Makah Indian Tribe and there Whaling tradition. The Makah tribe was known as a very powerful tribe, in which the tribe thrived themselves on being great whaling fisherman. The Makah tribe was striped from hunting whale in the earlier 1990’s and also later was granted permission to start whale hunting again. 2. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Makah tribe of the Pacific Northwest based its cultural existence on the gray whale. The article made it clear that members of this tribe used the whales for many things such as food, clothes, handicrafts and also oil. One thing I found interesting in the article while reading, was the tribe was aware of many strategies but believe they were chosen by the whales from the prayers they sent to the Gods. 3. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article focused more on the history of the Makah tribe and whaling. From reading the article I would say the Makah tribe has a very rich background when it comes to fishing whales. In the article it stated the elders say that they have hunted whales forever, accounting for nearly 2,000 years of fishing. During times in Makah history, whales may have provided up to 80% of the subsistence needs for the traditional family tribes. 4. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article touches on many areas within the Makah tribe. First starting with the history of the Makah tribe and their ability for whale fishing, reservation, the tribe settlements and also the land that belong to the Makah. The information the article provided went in great depth and was helpful. I say this because within the article there were terms I wasn’t familiar with and the author did a great good making sure the reader was able to comprehend.

5. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> It stated in the article many reasons why the tribe wanted to continue hunting whale. The thing that stood out to me the most was once again the tradition on the whale hunting. The Makah believe the whales brought strength to the health diet, they also believed that the restoration of whaling will help to restore that discipline and pride.

6. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article informed me on the rights the Makah received after a period of time causing the tribe not the hunt whales because they were endangered. This was a major setback for the tribe for many reasons. On the positive side it also helped the tribe because there were whales in the sea when they were allowed to hunt again. 7. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article did a great job with answering a lot of the questions I had pertaining to the techniques and strategies the Makah used to get such a large whale back to the shore. It’s clear in the article the tribe believed in having faith and also working as team. 8. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Techniques and strategies play a very important role while hunting for whales. The weapons and tools they used to catch the whales never changed in the early years using hooks and line or wooden fish traps. As a tribe they believed in their methods for hunting for whales.

9. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article refers to the Makah tribe as not only tribes hunting for whales. The research provided in the article, a different viewpoint on the tribe themselves and the act of hunting the whales in the eyes of others in society. 10. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This is the actual website of the Makah tribe. The website provides information from techniques, to the history of the hunting whales and the tradition and modern whaling as it exist still today. 11. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This article focuses more on the history of the Makah tribe and their ties with hunting whales. The things the tribe members encounter while out to sea and also techniques they used to get the whales to shore. <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">12. [] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This article really paints the picture of the members within the tribe hunting and finding resources for their food. 13. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The Makah tribe always believed in the choosing of the whale was only chosen by the whales in which they hunted. The highlighted part of the article was how the tribe trusted other and accepted outsiders in the tribe. 14. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The made it clear that the tribe didn’t have a need for anything. The Makah tribe was very open to everything around them and also in turned the pottering and the environment. The tribe helped others and many ways and also expressed their spiritual side.

15. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article gives you a timeline of everything that proteins to the tribe. This history, the languages the tribe spoke and also the marking that the tribe marked on their bodies. This made it clear that the tribe members were very open minded. 16. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article talks about the tribe getting back into the whaling culture. This allows the Makah tribe to hunt again after being stripped from theirs treaties. By allowing the tribe to hunt this could cause a lot of problems with the nature and the wildlife. 17. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article gives you the run down on the history of the tribe and the history whaling within the tribe. The Makah tribe is located on the Pacific Ocean. This allowed them to hunt and fish right of the coast.

18. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article focuses on the tribe as a group of a people working towards one goal. That goal was to help one another get ahead in life for a better life. Whaling is something the men in the tribe did to support their lifestyle. 19. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> This article did a great good informing the people about the Makah tribe and the abilities they had hunting for whales. This article stated that the people within the tribe took pride in everything they did pertaining to hunting and teaching the young kids in the tribe. 20. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">[] <span style="color: #404040; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The topic touches on many areas within the tribe. Starting with the treaties the laws and the strategies it took to gain the rights back that they were stripe from. This is one of the most interesting links I found pertaining to the tribe of Makah. <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">                <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">