|
|
Inuit Marionettes are
Latest Victim
of U.S. Marine Mammal Law
|
|
|
A set of six Inuit marionettes, on
route to a Rhode Island puppeteer for repair, were seized by U.S. Customs
officials as suspected contraband under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection
Act (MMPA). The 1972 law was passed to protect endangered marine mammals by
means of a virtual ban on trade in products derived from any marine mammal
species. The puppets – trimmed with ringed seal, musk ox and caribou skin
and fur as well as beluga whale bone washed up on a Pelly Bay shore – are
used by Inuit elders to teach youngsters about their culture. None of the
animals from which the puppets were made is endangered, nor are the puppets
for trade. Canada’s arctic region is home to an estimated 2.5 million
ringed seals. |
| The marionettes were sent by American officials to the US
Fish & Wildlife Laboratory in Oregon for forensic analysis. Charges
against the Inuit owners could result in the first diplomatic incident
between the United States and the newly created Inuit territory of Nunavut.
Pelly Bay, the home of the puppets, is a small village in Nunavut. While
the puppet seizure may well prove a seminal incident in the clash between
the MMPA and Inuit culture, it is not the first such incident. Canadian
Inuits crossing into the United States often have seal fur clothing seized
by American authorities. The MMPA’s conflict with Inuit culture mirrors
its incompatibility with a variety of international agreements and treaties
passed after its enactment. |
|
Back
