WCA-5

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WCA-5

Traditions have a stronghold among indigenous colonies and are part of their cultural and spiritual beliefs. One such tradition is Gray Whale hunting by the Makah Tribe of the northwest tip of Washington. The traditionalists believe that whaling brings about happiness and sentiments of revitalizing that instill healing and growth in the tribe. They believe that hunting whales bring their spirits into our world and share their strength and courage. It helps them fight against social evils like drug abuse, suicide, violence and heals the intergenerational trauma. Then these spirits return to the seas and reappear as new whales, the unending cycle of reincarnation that has been going on for a thousand years now. However, the tribe voluntarily gave up the hunting practice in the 1920s when excessive whaling almost reduced the population ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"3q4cny03","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(NOAA Fisheries)","plainCitation":"(NOAA Fisheries)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":120,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/WYQBCY9I"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/WYQBCY9I"],"itemData":{"id":120,"type":"webpage","title":"Makah Tribe’s Request to Hunt Gray Whales Moves Forward | NOAA Fisheries","container-title":"NOAA Fisheries U.S. Department of Commerce","abstract":"The Makah Tribe of Washington could hunt and land up to two gray whales on average per year over a 10-year period for ceremonial and subsistence purposes under a proposal that NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region announced today.","URL":"/feature-story/makah-tribes-request-hunt-gray-whales-moves-forward","language":"EN-US","author":[{"family":"NOAA Fisheries","given":""}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019",5,2]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",9,30]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (NOAA Fisheries). Now with the plea of the elders to restore the tradition, several ethical and environmentalist concerns have begun to surface about Makah whaling.

Ethical apprehensions over this centuries-old tradition can be explained by the principle of utilitarianism. It states that any action that promotes utility and happiness among people is morally right. According to this theory, the act of hunting the whale is justified as it brings joy, cultural integrity, and revitalization in the tribe. It fuels their cultural renaissance and inspires people to focus on well-being and righteousness. The sole purpose of morality is utility and anything that scores people’s motives and virtues are considered as a moral act. Thus, a morally right action must maximize happiness and minimize the pain from society ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"QIev9NxK","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Vaughn)","plainCitation":"(Vaughn)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":122,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/82REINNM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/82REINNM"],"itemData":{"id":122,"type":"article-journal","title":"Contemporary Moral Arguments: Readings in Ethical Issues","author":[{"family":"Vaughn","given":"Lewis"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2009"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Vaughn). As long as hunting the whale does not harm anyone else, rather is the cause of pleasure for a tribe, it should not be criticized or banned. Besides, as per the new bill, the tribe will make sure that the whale at the time of hunting is not pregnant, thus minimizing the harm. They will only hunt one whale in the odd years and three in the even years ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"oS6g1TrJ","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Browning)","plainCitation":"(Browning)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":118,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/VWM5GR52"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/VWM5GR52"],"itemData":{"id":118,"type":"webpage","title":"Makah Tribe could again hunt whales off Washington coast","container-title":"KUOW","URL":"https://www.kuow.org/stories/makah-tribe-could-again-hunt-whales-off-washington-coast","author":[{"family":"Browning","given":"Paige"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,4]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",9,30]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Browning). The overall consequences of this tradition bring happiness among Makah people.

Conversely, understating of the categorical imperative of the Kantian ethics suggests that an action is morally right only if it can be justified and reasoned by what drives that action. It does not rely on the consequences defined based on sensual impulses. If morality is universal, that means the reason is the same for all people at all times ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"R95tbeBx","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Vaughn)","plainCitation":"(Vaughn)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":122,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/82REINNM"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/82REINNM"],"itemData":{"id":122,"type":"article-journal","title":"Contemporary Moral Arguments: Readings in Ethical Issues","author":[{"family":"Vaughn","given":"Lewis"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2009"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Vaughn). Thus, the reasoning behind hunting the whale is nothing but following an old tradition which according to the people of the tribe is a spiritual act. However, morality demands that the right action is justified and universally applicable to all mankind. The whale hunting is a controversial issue for the environmentalists and they believe Makah people must stop hunting and let the whale live.

Whereas animal rights activists and environment conservation societies oppose the hunting of Gray whales by Makah tribe. They sued the federal government to make the tribe stop the hunting. According to the environmentalists, the killing of any endangered or endemic animal is not approved to conserve the diversity and population of the species. Conversely, animal right activists disapprove of hunting of all kinds of animals. They believe animals have as much right of existence on this land as we do. And by killing them, we humans violate their rights of individualism ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"yZY0dpfG","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hopper)","plainCitation":"(Hopper)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":123,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/PGZJ66H3"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/9Hfkg8Y0/items/PGZJ66H3"],"itemData":{"id":123,"type":"webpage","title":"Makah one step closer to hunting whales: Animal rights extremists continue to oppose it","container-title":"IndianCountryToday.com","abstract":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration support whaling as a spiritual rite for the Makah. Revitalizing that tradition has already brought them healing and growth.","URL":"https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/news/makah-one-step-closer-to-hunting-whales-animal-rights-extremists-continue-to-oppose-it-7MQeI68h2Uqei2TsZbxvqw/","title-short":"Makah one step closer to hunting whales","language":"en","author":[{"family":"Hopper","given":"Frank"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019",5]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",9,30]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hopper). Therefore, if all living organisms’ individuality is respected, we have no right to kill any animal and thus whaling by Makah people is not justified by any means. Though the debate continues among activists and environmentalist, ethicists still strive to ensure morally right actions within society.

Works Cited

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Browning, Paige. “Makah Tribe Could Again Hunt Whales off Washington Coast.” KUOW, 4 Apr. 2019, https://www.kuow.org/stories/makah-tribe-could-again-hunt-whales-off-washington-coast.

Hopper, Frank. “Makah One Step Closer to Hunting Whales: Animal Rights Extremists Continue to Oppose It.” IndianCountryToday.Com, May 2019, https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/news/makah-one-step-closer-to-hunting-whales-animal-rights-extremists-continue-to-oppose-it-7MQeI68h2Uqei2TsZbxvqw/.

NOAA Fisheries. “Makah Tribe’s Request to Hunt Gray Whales Moves Forward | NOAA Fisheries.” NOAA Fisheries U.S. Department of Commerce, 2 May 2019, /feature-story/makah-tribes-request-hunt-gray-whales-moves-forward.

Vaughn, Lewis. Contemporary Moral Arguments: Readings in Ethical Issues. 2009.