Being Frank

Being Frank: Everyone Should Celebrate The Makah Whale Hunt

Those who do not understand the Makah will question the logic of hunting an animal that means so much to them. Yet the principle is the same for all species of fish and wildlife. Non-Indians have always tried to force their way of life on the Indian. Yet we have lived here for thousands of years, in harmony with nature. Many non-Indian ways are strange to us. They permit their chiltheir children dine on meat without teaching them to be grateful to the animals that died to feed them. Even vegetarians can be hypocritical. Agricultural practices kill more of nature's creatures through habitat destruction than fishing and hunting ever will.

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Words Must Be Backed By Action

If salmon are to be restored in this state, it will require many efforts. Most of all, it will require a team effort. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The state and the tribes must learn to
work together. Like people paddling a canoe, it only makes
sense for us to paddle in the same direction.

We hope this is a message that Jeffrey Koenings, the newly appointed director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, will take to heart. It is critically important for the director of WDFW to be aware of the fact that treaty Indian tribes are co-managers of the salmon resource in this state. It is important for him to understand
that decisions regarding the salmon resource must be made on a government-to-government basis, in full collaboration with the tribes from the outset of any natural resource planning process. Just as important, it will be necessary for him to understand the need for the co-managers to work together, as a team, in the management
and restoration of the salmon resource.

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Let’s Get Back On The Right Path

Whoever you are, whatever you do and wherever you live in the state of Washington, it is to your benefit to support state and tribal co-management of the fisheries resource.

There are a number of reasons why this is undeniably true. For one, it’s the law. Co-management is legally mandated by federal law. For another, it avoids litigation that can waste millions of dollars, years of time and tons of energy; yet seldom accomplishes a thing. Co-management also provides an opportunity for the people of this nation to do something they can be proud of — keep their word. The tribes are here to stay, and their treaty rights are as valid as the Constitution that protects them.

So, what does this mean to the fish? For that matter, what does it mean to us humans?

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