Breaking Trail in Barrow for Whaling !! (skateboarding, assault, area)

[JessE86]

A ten foot wall of ice - take it down - move it, break it up. One thing about working out here, that is at times frustrating, is trying to stay on your feet with all the chunks of ice, your walking on.

[JessE86]

Wait - watch - look & listen - waiting for whales !!

This is home - for the next few weeks - We have midnight sun.

[JessE86]

Other crews are using our trail to check out the lead opening

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by warptman

Just like Eugene Brower? You think he gave permission to be plastered all over the internet?

He doesn't mind, either. Nobody's identity has been disclosed and there was no violation of privacy. Just a little ignorant ranting...

The rules for whaling are an interesting study in Law. Most people assume the International Whaling Commission has authority over bowhead whaling, but in fact they serve only in an advisory capacity. The actual authority is the tribal sovereignty of each village, and that authority is delegated to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, which in turn recognizes local organizations such as the Barrow Whaling Captain's Association. The AEWC also contracts with the US Department of Commerce (i.e., NOAA) to represent their interests to the IWC and also for prosecution of any legal actions (for violation of AEWC rules).

Note that the US, but not the AEWC, is signatory to the International Convention for Regulation of Whaling (the treaty that enables the IWC) and it is the US that has membership in the IWC.

The bottom line is that the AEWC at the top and the Barrow Whaling Captain's Association at the bottom regulate bowhead whaling in Barrow. Broad statements that a crew owns a trail are true only within that context, as are other statements about what is or is not allowed. For example, I mentioned that aluminum boats are not allowed except at the eastern edge of the area where spring hunting takes place, and that is a rule put into place by the Barrow Whaling Captain's Association. The AEWC has the legal authority (which it has used too) to bring charges in Federal courts against individuals within their jurisdiction for violation of their rules.

Hence it is correct to say that another whaling crew cannot, without permission, use a trail (and that would be enforced by the rules of the two named regulatory entities). It is false to say that non-whalers can legally be told to "get off the ice" or are not allowed on a trail. What can happen (and has on many occasions) is that the Barrow Whaling Captain's Association will, with the force of law, instruct all crews that certain people are not to be given any assistance (such as food and transportation) by any whaling crew. Typically Outside film crews (Animal Planet for example) are not allowed on the ice.

Local people, who are not asking for a crew's assistance, are not within the jurisdiction of tribal sovereignty.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Let me reinsert some useful information that has been deleted.

Currently (as of yesterday) there are no Bowhead whales in the open leads off of Barrow. There are reported to be a large number of whales several miles southwest of Barrow at Point Franklin (which is just this side of the village of Wainwright). For whatever reasons (wind, currents and ice conditions) they have not moved past that point yet. They are reporting a lot of Belugas off Barrow, just no Bowhead whales.

The crews at Barrow as usual have several trails out onto the ice. I'm not sure how many there are this year, nor how many crews are using each trail. I do know that on the southwestern side of Barrow, there are 9 crews using the trail closest to where the whales currently are located. The other trails are closer to town.

It is interesting to note that only crews at the eastern most side (who will hunt only whales that are about to exit the area where Barrow crews hunt) are allowed to use aluminum boats to hunt whales. The metalic noise from an aluminum boat alarms the whales and they move away from the shore to avoid it. For that reason the Barrow Whaling Captain's Association forbids aluminum boat useage anywhere except on the trailing edge of the migration route past Barrow.

Regardless, there will be no whaling activity until the end of the week, as Barrow is mourning the loss of Silas Negovanna, and elder and former whaling captain who passed away at age 86 on Saturday. Silas was above all a teacher, a man who "adopted" many young men and taught them the skills needed to be productive.

[JessE86]

um.. the truth is... EVERY one of the 37 Registered Whaling captains has an aluminum boat. Every crew that is on the ice now has an aluminum boat with them, for very specific reason(s).

[warptman]

Aluminum boats, a Inupiat tradition! It goes back generations!

[JessE86]

[JessE86]

[JessE86]