"CAPTAIN PAUL WATSON IS NO STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY. But this particular conflict was more personal than most. His latest book is a fascinating and thought-provoking account of what happened when anti-whaling activists found themselves at odds with tribal rights. Conservationists, eco-warriors, whale protectors, and supporters of Indigenous traditions—as well as anyone who simply loves a good story—will find themselves captivated by this tale. DEATH OF A WHALE: The Challenge of Anti-Whaling Activists and Indigenous Rights narrates the events as they unfolded. In 1998, Sea Shepherd began a campaign to protect gray whales from slaughter by members of the Makah tribe of the Pacific Northwest, who had recently invoked cultural entitlements to allow them to practice their ancestral hunting rights. Makah members, conservationists, and non-Indigenous Americans vehemently expressed disparate points of view about whether tribal whaling operations, which had ended almost a century earlier, should be recognized, even when they were not in accord with international Indigenous whaling regulations. This electrifying, real-life adventure story showcases an Indigenous community at odds with itself, governments and media that advance their own agendas, and grassroots organizers who display heroic activism. Highly detailed and documented, the book reveals Captain Watson’s deep and unwavering respect for Indigenous traditions and rights, even when they conflict with his own devotion to the sovereignty of whales. "

Originally published in French under title: Capitaine Paul Watson.

Examines the confrontation between the Save the Whale forces and the whale hunters.

Toward a Sustainable Whaling Regime

Following the removal of the gray whale from the Endangered Species list in 1994, the Makah tribe of northwest Washington State announced that they would revive their whale hunts; their relatives, the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation of British Columbia, shortly followed suit. Neither tribe had exercised their right to whale - in the case of the Makah, a right affirmed in their 1855 treaty with the federal government - since the gray whale had been hunted nearly to extinction by commercial whalers in the 1920s. The Makah whale hunt of 1999 was an event of international significance, connected to the worldwide struggle for aboriginal sovereignty and to the broader discourses of environmental sustainability, treaty rights, human rights, and animal rights. It was met with enthusiastic support and vehement opposition. As a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, Charlotte Cote offers a valuable perspective on the issues surrounding indigenous whaling, past and present. Whaling served important social, economic, and ritual functions that have been at the core of Makah and Nuu-chahnulth societies throughout their histories. Even as Native societies faced disease epidemics and federal policies that undermined their cultures, they remained connected to their traditions. The revival of whaling has implications for the physical, mental, and spiritual health of these Native communities today, Cote asserts. Whaling, she says, “defines who we are as a people.” Her analysis includes major Native studies and contemporary Native rights issues, and addresses environmentalism, animal rights activism, anti-treaty conservatism, and the public’s expectations about what it means to be “Indian.” These thoughtful critiques are intertwined with the author’s personal reflections, family stories, and information from indigenous, anthropological, and historical sources to provide a bridge between cultures. A Capell Family Book

"This book focuses upon the hunting of seals and whales in the North Atlantic region and how the activities of urban-based environmentalism in regions far to the south of the hunting communities has promoted responses from diverse northern hunting peoples associated with self-determination, human rights, and sustainable development. However, the relevance of an expanding environmentalism in the Western world goes beyond the issues of sealing and whaling, and challenges the interests and very survival of local peoples."--pub. desc.

Captain Paul Watson is a founder member of Greenpeace. Ocean Warrior is his own story - an amazing chronicle of courageous acts in support of deeply held convictions. This book will interest anyone interested in environmental issues.