Should Inuit continue the hunt for the bowhead whale?

Why do we kill a peaceful animal like a bowhead in order to revive a part of our culture? The bowhead is an endangered species and it has almost become extinct. In history its population has decreased by more than 10,000. (Vlessides, 1998, p. 2). Inuit believe that hunting whale did not have any significant impact on the bowhead whale population. It is important to know more information about hunting bowhead before we allow Inuit to hunt them. Hunting whales is not justifiable because it is not important to the cultural survival of Inuit people.

The first reason why hunting bowhead is not justifiable for the revival of Inuit culture is because Inuit are using modern technology instead of the harpoon, which was a traditional tool used to hunt with. Although the use of the modern technology is evolution in hunting practices, it has caused many problems for the environment such as killing animals more quickly. Not enough time remains to use the hunted meat, which creates toxins when it is spoiled. Vlessides, in his article p.5, “licence to whale,” states that most of the whale meat spoiled and was not stored in refrigerator quickly. Therefore, not many people received meat or benefited from the whale. The way of hunting has changed and the way of using the whale meat has also changed for the worse.

Next, using modern technology in hunting is not as exciting as hunting by harpoon, which is used traditionally. ”Kusugak likens the excitement of the hunt to a deal brokered on Wall Street” (Vlessides, 1998, p. 4). Hunting is not exciting any more because Inuit just shoot the whales with a gun. Although there were 100 people celebrating hunting the whale, they went home without benefiting from the meat of the whale and also did not stay until the end of the celebration. Thus hunting today misses an important part of Inuit tradition.

Hunting a whale is killing a peaceful animal and it has a right to live. According to Community Panel Members in “First Nations law: A wholistic Approach to Extended Families,” “Each [First] Nation [people] has its own unique traditions by which members relate to each other and to the environment they inhabited”. However, Inuit have to respect the law for hunting whale because over time they changed the way they hunt bowhead. As a result, they do not give bowhead a chance to multiply. Bowhead have a right to live and multiply.

Thus, hunting whales is not right because it does not revive Inuit culture. Using modern technology does not lead to the survival of Inuit culture or the feeling of excitement during the hunting of whales. Also, giving a license to hunt one whale encourages Inuit to do more illegal hunting. Whales have a right to live and proliferate like people. Hence, we need to protect the future of the bowhead from extinction.