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An
interesting political situation is developing in the new territory of Nunavut in
the Canadian Arctic. This territory was established following a land claim
agreement between the Inuit and the Canadian state. In this new political
jurisdiction, the Inuit have a right, assured through both a Parliamentary Act
and the Canadian Constitution, to hunt animals for subsistence. The only
restrictions that limit that right are conservation and public safety.
Recently, an Inuit hunter in Nunavut decided he will hunt a polar bear in a
traditional manner, killing the bear using his harpoon (as a spear) without use
of a gun. His reason for this decision is that hunting in this manner is a
foundation of his traditional culture, a heritage he wishes to protect and
transmit (through a video) to the younger generation. This rationale for seeking
to maintain an important cultural practice will be familiar to those following
the whaling debate, where community-based whalers in the Russian far north, on
the Pacific coast of the United States, and in Japan (and in other places too)
share this respect for ancestral practices and beliefs, and a compelling need to
insure these core elements of their cultures are maintained. In the current Canadian case, the hunter in question lives in NW Hudson Bay,
in a community that last summer resumed the hunting of bowhead whale after a
decades-long pause. Today, hunting walrus, three species of whale, four species
of seal, numerous species of wildfowl, caribou, and polar bear continues to
remain a very meaningful part of the life of most men in this This proposed polar bear hunt is supported by the Nunavut Land Claim Organization (NTI), which represents all Nunavut land claim beneficiaries. However, the territorial government department responsible for wildlife has decided to prevent the hunt taking place, ostensibly on the grounds of "a threat to public safety" -- the only grounds for stopping the hunt as there is no conservation need to so act. The department's fear appears to be that others, having less skill, may try to undertake a similar hunt, with accidents sure to happen. To protect the Inuit right to hunt, and to insure this right is not infringed upon for unjustified reasons, NTI has taken the case to court. Judge Kilpatrick of the Nunavut Circuit Court, recently ruled that there is no legal justification for preventing the hunt. Nevertheless, the Nunavut government intends to prevent the hunt, and will use the new Territorial Wildlife Act (currently working its way through the legislature) to attain this goal. The Nunavut government was created to provide a high degree of self-government for the residents of Nunavut, thus providing protection for the distinctive culture of the Inuit (who constitute the vast majority of territorial residents and legislators). Why then, would this same government seek to curtail Inuit cultural rights? According to the Chairman of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, there is concern that hunting a polar bear without a gun will cause a massive outcry from North American and European animal welfare and animal protection activists. The Inuit have long experience of being harassed by these protesters, and their government understandably has no wish to provide fuel for that particular fire. This is an interesting case to watch. It illustrates one of the paradoxes of the animal protection industry. When indigenous people wish to resume some sustainable use activity for cultural and other understandable reasons, they are berated for using modern technology. But when wishing to utilize "traditional" technology, this is not considered appropriate for yet other reasons. Among other things, this polar bear hunt brings to our attention the long arm of the animal rights organizations, influencing legislative action in a remote arctic region. It also indicates the questionable value of trying to appease emotionally-driven activists. Inuit hunters are taught early in life that you never take unnecessary risks:
the environment is unforgiving and animals are unpredictable. Nunavut
legislators would be wise to recognize that the protest industry shares both
these characteristics. |
