A Whale Hunt

This is the story of how a few individuals, the Makah tribe of Washington State, saw their lives changed by their decision to reclaim their right to hunt whales. Some people believed that native culture should be preserved while others objected to the killing of whales and set out to stop them.

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When the Makah tribe of Washington state in the USA decided they wanted to reclaim their right to hunt whales, using their traditional methods they created a storm of debate. While some held that the native culture should be preserved, others objected to anyone killing whales and set out to stop the hunt. In the centre of it all were the Makah, trying to relearn ancient hunting techniques, while acquiring new skills in order to win the PR battle. Watching on throughout was Robert Sullivan, who found echoes of the epic novel Moby-Dick in this modern adventure. He has written a brilliant account of the human story at the centre of it all - the arguments, tensions and uncertainties among the Makah and those who tried to stop them.