Whales and whaling (American Indian history)
Whales and whaling play a significant role in American Indian history, particularly among tribes in the Arctic and the Northwest Coast. For the Inuit of the Arctic, the spring whale migration was crucial for sustenance, providing food and oil. The success of these hunts was deeply entwined with cultural beliefs, marking the beginning of a prosperous year and reinforcing the connection between the Inuit and the animal world. Similarly, tribes along the Northwest Coast, such as the Makah and Nootka, engaged in whaling expeditions targeting various whale species, which were imbued with rituals and specialized knowledge. The practices surrounding whaling included ceremonial elements, such as magical songs and charms intended to honor the whale's spirit and ensure a successful hunt. The social structure surrounding whaling was also significant, with the harpooner often serving as both leader and spiritual guide. However, modern challenges—such as whale population depletion, legal protections, and urban migration—have diminished the traditional significance of whaling in contemporary tribal life. Overall, whaling represents a vital cultural and historical aspect of several Native American communities.
Subject Terms
Whales and whaling (American Indian history)
Tribes affected: Clallam, Inuit, Makah, Nootka, Quileute, Quinault
Significance: Whales provided a primary source of food, grease, and oil for personal use and trade; whales and whaling also fostered a sense of solidarity and provided the basis for religious and magic rituals
The coastal dwelling Inuit (Eskimo) of the Arctic culture area depended exclusively on animals as their food source for much of their history. The spring whale migration was an important source of food and oil, especially in the western region. A successful hunt marked the beginning of a good year and reaffirmed the interrelationship between the two worlds, animal and Inuit. An unsuccessful hunt was inauspicious; it meant further expenditures of energy and time hunting other sea mammals—and the possibility of starvation if the effort failed.
The whale was an integral part of tribal life in the Northwest Coast culture area as well. The Makah, Nootka, Quileute, and Quinault embarked on expeditions to kill humpback, finback, and California gray whale, as they moved up the Olympic peninsula in the spring on their way to summer in the Arctic. The Clallam, on the other hand, hunted whales only if they entered their inland waters. Other tribes, such as the Chinook and Salish, only took dead whales that drifted to shore.
Whaling expeditions were suffused with specialized knowledge, ritual, and ceremony. The Inuit knew the various whale migration routes and schedules in minute detail, and they developed a system to describe the whales themselves in great detail. Magical charms were placed in the whaling boat, which was then launched by ritually selected women who danced and dispensed gifts. The crew sang magic songs to weaken the whale and entice it to the surface. The captain and owner, or umialik, exerted religious and economic authority. When the whale was brought to shore the head was severed in order to release the spirit of the whale. The boat owner’s wife, herself a type of priestess, would then offer the head a cup of water and thank it for coming, after which the spirit was urged to return to the land of living whales and report how well it had been treated. For the Inuit, who lack a true village-based community, whaling helped to impart a sense of community solidarity.
Among tribes in the Northwest Coast culture area the harpooner generally owned the boat and equipment and commanded the appropriate magic to ensure success; magical powers were imputed to the harpooner to explain his extraordinary strength and skills. Songs were sung to bring the whale near, to make it gentle when harpooned, and to bring it safely to shore. The harpooner’s share of blubber (whale fat) was placed on display and decorated with feathers to please the whale’s spirit; it was believed that otherwise the harpooner might not live to kill another. The ritual ended with the giveaway feast, which was also an occasion for the harpooner to present gifts (usually whale oil) to the tribe and to honor the whales so that they would return the following year.
The depletion of whale populations, their international protection, the movement of tribal members to inland urban cities, and the development of other economies have all reduced the importance of whales and whaling in contemporary tribal life.