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Arctic Anthropology Production Notes: Volume 51(1) is now being typeset and should be out in the late summer to subscribers. The articles to appear are as follows:

Upcoming Volume 51(1) Table of Contents

Dorset Sled-Shoe Design and Cold-Season Transport at Phillip’s Garden (EeBi-1), Northwestern Newfoundland
–Patricia J. Wells and M.A.P. Renouf

Review by Diana Ewing, Department of Anthropology UNLV

Published by:

University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John’s College
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M5 Canada
Phone: (204) 474-9495
Fax: (204) 474-7566                                                                       http://uofmpress.ca/books/detail/sanaaq 

Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel by Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk is the first novel written in the Inuit language.  It has been translated into English from French by Peter Frost and published by the University of Manitoba Press in 2014.  Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel was first translated into French by Bernard Saladin d’Anglure.

The author Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk was born in the early 1930’s and passed away in May of 2007.  Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel grew out of her work helping a Catholic priest learn the Inuit language, in helping him with translations, and with the creation of an Inuit/French dictionary.  She began writing down not just a list of words but a narrative which included insight into Inuit culture.  She created a compelling story set during an era of cultural changes.  The novel delves into the changes in Inuit lifeways which happened during Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk’s lifetime with the seldom recorded perspective of a native woman.

This novel is unique not only because it is the first novel written in the Inuit language, but also due to the crisp vignette style the author chose for her chapter construction.  Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel is comprised of 48 chapters and a glossary.  Each chapter is a short literary snapshot of Inuit life during the first half of the 20^th century.  While interconnected, each of these short chapters has a distinct stand-alone quality in which an activity, occurrence, or personal character struggle occurs.  The novel is a very quick read which is written in a deceptively simple style.

This vignette style clearly highlights an event with specific cultural significance.  Hunting and gathering activities are described with attention not only to the significance of the foodstuffs but to the personal aspects as well (the pride felt by children at their first success or the disappointment of failure.)  Dangers associated with hunting or gathering are described in succinct detail as are the simple acts of taking a break and having tea.  The chapter A Daughter is Adopted is sharp and poignant in the matter of fact description of a young girl leaving her birth family to live with her new parents.  In the same crisp detailed manner the author describes the coming of missionaries or the death of a young hunter.

Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel follows the adult life of Sanaaq, an Inuit woman, her family, and friends.  The swift style of writing employed by Mititarjuk Nappaaluk draws in the reader emotionally while painting a clear picture of Inuit life as experienced by the characters.  While succinct, each chapter is compelling in the way in which the author emphasizes a point of cultural significance.  Even topics as sensitive as domestic violence are explored in crisp straightforward detail by the author.  This novel would be of particular value to anyone interested in understanding Inuit culture and early 20^th century contact.  I think it would be of specific importance to anyone teaching a course which included Inuit culture or subsistence.  The detail and clarity with which Mititarjuk Nappaaluk describes the lives of her characters is invaluable to understanding the era about which she writes.

Kishigami, Nobuhiro, Hisashi Hamaguchi, and James M. Savelle (eds.). 2013. Anthropological Studies of Whaling. Senri Ethnological Studies, 84. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.

Reviewed by Jeremy C. Foin, Department of Anthropology, UC Davis

To obtain copies of this or other volumes of Senri Ethnological Studies, contact:

Publications Office
National Museum of Ethnology
Senri Expo Park, Suita City, Osaka, 565-8511 JAPAN
fax: +81-6-6878-7503
email: [email protected]

Senri Ethnological Studies is “an occasional series published by the National Museum of Ethnology of Japan…[that] presents in-depth anthropological, ethnological, and related studies written by the Museum staff, research associates, and visiting scholars.”  SES 84, Anthropological Studies of Whaling, is the product of an International Symposium (“Whaling Cultures of the World: Past, Present, and Future”) jointly hosted by the National Institute for Humanities and the National Museum of Ethnology, during which “the history and current status of various whaling cultures [were] discussed and their future considered” (Kishigami et al. 2013:ii). Below is a brief summary of each of the papers included in the volume.

INTRODUCTION

Anthropological Research on Whaling: Prehistoric, Historic and Current Contexts
James M. Savelle and Nobuhiro Kishigami

The bulk of the introduction to the volume is dedicated to a summary of the prehistoric and historic exploitation of whales, including a review of archaeological approaches to prehistoric whaling (parts 1-5). The authors then briefly summarize the place of whaling in the current international political milieu (part 6), followed by an extensive review of Japanese contributions to the anthropology of whaling and “the whaling problem” (part 7).
PART I: WHALING IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

A Hawaiian Perspective on Whaling in the North Pacific
Susan A. Lebo

In this paper, Lebo uses 19^th century archival records from Honolulu’s English-language newspapers to explore the critical economic importance of whaling to the Kingdom of Hawaii. These records reveal that, by mid-century, native Hawaiians dominated the crews of the Honolulu-based pelagic whaling fleet, but native participation declined after a series of maritime disasters in the 1870s crippled the industry. Lebo asserts that these newspaper data provide a valuable local perspective on the development of whaling in Hawaii, and will form a critical component of any future synthetic studies.

PART II: ABORIGINAL SUBSISTENCE AND LOCAL WHALING ACTIVITIES

Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Revisited
Hisashi Hamaguchi

This paper explores the concept of “aboriginal subsistence whaling” and how its definition has changed over time with respect to the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Hamaguchi argues that it is effectively impossible to come up with a definition “that encompasses all forms of aboriginal subsistence whaling approved by Schedule to the ICRW,” and an unfortunate consequence is that indigenous whaling groups become entangled in the highly-polarized debate between pro- and anti-whaling forces. Hamaguchi concludes by proposing that all whaling for which there is a demonstrated cultural, nutritional, or economic need should be approved, so long as the target species is not under threat of extinction.

Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling in Barrow, Alaska
Nobuhiro Kishigami

In this paper, Kishigami summarizes his ethnographic studies of Inupiaq subsistence whaling practices in Barrow, Alaska, where bowhead whales have been hunted for more than a thousand years. Kishigami briefly reviews the history and status of whaling in Alaska, then goes on to detail the organization and management of the hunting and distribution of whales and whale products within the community. Kishigami concludes by stating that the traditional bowhead hunt is an essential part of Inupiaq cultural identity that must not be infringed upon.

Whale Hunting and Use among the Chukchi in Northeastern Siberia
Kazunobu Ikeya

This paper examines changes in aboriginal subsistence whaling practices among the Chukchi of Northeastern Siberia in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union and its associated system of state- and okrug-run collectives. Using data collected over a three-year period in the Chukotkan village of Lorino, Ikeya shows how whale products – which cannot be directly sold for cash – play a critical role in the village economy (e.g., food for dog teams and the okrug-run fox farm). Ikeya also explores the relationship between the Soviet-era okrug-run whale fishery and a new privately-held whaling company started by Lorino villagers in 2003. Recent reductions in catch quotas by IWC have led to problems within the community about how to divide the reduced number of whales between the two business units.

Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling in Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Hisashi Hamaguchi

This paper presents a case study of aboriginal whaling in Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where whaling was introduced by American whalers in 1875 or 1876. Hamaguchi makes the case that Bequian whalers, much like other subsistence-whaling groups, have become enmeshed in the politically-charged feud between pro- and anti-whaling forces, and that much of the internal debate within the IWC is driven by politics rather than science.

Traditional Whaling Culture and Social Change in Lamalera, Indonesia: An Analysis of the Catch Record of Whaling 1994–2010
Tomoko Egami and Kotaro Kojima

Egami and Kojima analyze Lamaleran sperm whale catch records over a seventeen-year period (1994-2010) to examine how increasing modernization in Indonesia is driving changes in whale hunting methods in this traditional whaling community. Lamaleran whaling, once strictly regulated by a system of taboos and customary laws, has begun to change in lockstep with cultural and technological innovations (e.g., whaling on Sundays, fitting traditionally-rowed peledangs with outboard motors) ushered along by a series of long-term infrastructure improvement projects instituted during the Suharto regime. Despite the fact that these changes have altered the way that Lamalerans hunt whales, the traditional system of whale meat distribution has remained intact despite the ever-increasing rate of modernization.

Beluga Hunting Practices of the Indigenous People in Kamchatka: Characterization of Sea Mammal Hunting in Northeastern Asia
Yutaka Watanabe

Watanabe examines the differing forms of beluga hunting practiced by the Itelmen and Koryak on the Kamchatka peninsula, noting that the beluga procurement techniques of both of these groups share many similarities with those of the Nivkh, who live in the lower Amur region. Watanabe concludes by arguing that the dietary importance of blubber, along with broad similarities in the ritual treatment of harvested whales (particularly with regard to heads of the animals), are the common thread that tie these regions together.

PART III: WHALING IN JAPAN AND KOREA REGIONS

Whaling in the Northern Seas off Japan
Masami Iwasaki-Goodman and Masahiro Nomoto

In this paper, Iwasaki-Goodman and Nomoto examine the history of whaling off Hokkaido from two perspectives: the northern whaling tradition of the Ainu, and the whaling tradition that is rooted in southern part of Japan. While Ainu whaling generally ceased in the modern era, the southern whaling tradition (which encompasses net whaling and both Large-type- and Small-type Coastal Whaling [LTCW and STCW, respectively]) diffused northward and subsequently became an important part of the economic and socio-cultural fabric of many coastal communities on Hokkaido. The implementation of the moratorium on commercial whaling by the IWC in 1988 wrought many sudden changes upon those communities.

Intangible Food Heritage: Dynamics of Whale Meat Foodways in an Age of Whale Meat Rarity
Jun Akamine

In this paper, Akamine examines the historical roots of whale meat consumption in Japan, which some have argued is not “traditional” practice, but rather a ploy to justify a much more recently acquired taste for whales and whale products by Japanese citizens. Drawing upon cookbooks and recipes developed during the Edo Period (1603–1868), Akamine demonstrates that the Japanese taste for whale meat is not a modern phenomenon but is in fact deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture.

A Review of Changes in the Use of Whale Resources Over Time in Japan, with a Specific Example of the Hand-harpoon Fishery of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture
Aiko Endo

This paper examines the effects of the whaling moratorium on the coastal community of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, where Small-type Coastal Whaling has been traditionally practiced since the beginning of the Meiji Era (1868–1912). Species-specific changes in catch quotas have dramatically increased the value of short-finned pilot whales and false killer whales, and high demand for these species on the Japanese mainland has drastically reduced the availability of the meat of these species for local consumption. This, coupled with increasing capital outlays and operating costs associated with whale hunting, has had a negative influence on the local economy.

How the Japanese Appetite for Whale-related Foods is Rooted in Their Culture: Findings Revealed from the Data (N=560) of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in 2008
Dai Tanno and Toshihide Hamazaki

This paper examines how demand for whale meat by Japanese consumers has persisted in the post-moratorium era, which for the past thirty-two years has effectively eliminated whale products as a viable culinary option. Using data collected via questionnaire, Tanno and Hamazaki find that two particular elements encourage the consumption of whale: one, that Japanese public opinion considers whales caught off the coast of the archipelago to be marine resources that rightfully belong to Japan, and two, that whale-related foods are an essential component of Japan’s culinary heritage.

Whale Food Culture in Korea: A Case Study in Ulsan Jangsaengpo
Sun-ae Ii

This paper draws upon a case study of whale consumption in Ulsan Jangsaenpo, South Korea, to examine how the IWC moratorium has influenced whale food culture in contemporary Korean society. Whaling is deeply ingrained in the Ulsan area, and is thus considered to be a vital part of the region’s cultural identity. In an effort to maintain the traditional whale food culture in the face of the international ban on whaling, the South Korean government permits the sale of whales accidentally caught in fishing nets. While some South Koreans hope that the continuing global recovery of many whale stocks will result in the eventual resumption of commercial whaling, others contend that a declining taste for whale meat among the younger generation means that traditional whale food culture is probably heading for extinction.

PART IV: SEVERAL ISSUES OF WHALING

Unleashing the Beast: Whaling in the Contemporary Australia-Japan Relationship
Michael Heazle

Heazle examines the blowup in Australia-Japan relations following the Rudd government’s decision to take Japan before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop their scientific whaling program in the Southern Ocean. Previous Australian administrations had followed a policy of containment: opposing whaling on scientific and economic grounds, but limiting disputes with Japan – one of Australia’s most important trading partners – to the realm of the IWC. Heazle concludes that the Rudd administration, facing roadblocks to its domestic agenda on climate change, escalated the fight with Japan to appease the Green Party faction within the ruling coalition.

Law-Enforcing Vigilantes in the Media Era?: An Investigation of Sea Shepherd’s Anti-Whaling Campaign
Motohiro Kawashima

Kawashima reviews the history of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) and its controversial founder, former Greenpeace board member Paul Watson, and then compares the organization’s goals, tactics, fundraising agenda, governance structure, and campaign methods with those of Greenpeace. While the two organizations share many similarities, Sea Shepherd differs in some key respects: they tend to focus on individual charismatic species, they pursue a policy of direct confrontation, and they spend nearly all of their funding on campaigns. Ultimately, Kawashima asserts that Sea Shepherd’s willingness to use risky tactics (e.g., fouling propellers, ramming ships) and to operate outside the law means that it is most accurately described as a vigilante group.

Japanese Whaling and International Politics
Dan Goodman

Goodman reviews the issues surrounding Japan’s controversial scientific whaling program in order to examine the role of NGOs in the collapse of “The Future of the IWC Process,” a forum that was designed to extract compromises from both pro- and anti-whaling forces in order to overcome some of the long-standing obstacles faces by the Commission. During negotiations, the Japanese government put substantial compromises on the table, including an offer to reduce its annual Antarctic harvest by fifty percent. However, anti-whaling members of the IWC – under heavy pressure from NGOs – offered no compromises in return, and the process quickly fell apart. Goodman concludes by noting the ironic nature of the outcome: by rejecting the process designed to change the status quo, anti-whaling NGOs ensured that the status quo would remain in place.

The Truth about the Commercial Whaling Moratorium
Joji Morishita

Morishita takes an in-depth look at the history of the whaling moratorium in order to explore how pro- and anti-whaling forces have very different ideas about the motivations behind the ban on whaling. The author argues that the widespread public perception of the moratorium – that it permanently bans whaling on a moral and ethical basis, that it was enacted because all species of whale are endangered, that whales are an exceptional species deserving special protection – amount to a fundamental misreading of its intended purpose, which in reality is to suspend whaling activities until populations can again support a resumption of commercial harvesting. This fundamental misunderstanding, Morishita argues, is at the heart of the perennial disputes that have paralyzed the IWC for the past thirty years.

Concluding Remarks
Hisashi Hamaguchi, James M. Savelle, and Nobuhiro Kishigami

 The editors conclude the volume by noting that anthropology is uniquely positioned to contribute to the whaling debate by bringing indigenous and other non-western perspectives to the table, which is currently dominated by a viewpoint that is both Eurocentric and anti-whaling. While anthropologists understand that whaling was a culturally-legitimate activity in the past and present, this view is not widely held outside of the discipline. Cultural anthropologists can help to change this by stressing “that anti-whaling arguments or the notion that whales are not a human food resource is one view only, and that many societies worldwide harvest and consume whales” (Hamaguchi et al. 2013:356). The editors conclude by stating their hope that this volume will lead to a complete re-thinking of the “whaling problem,” and then suggest several avenues of further inquiry.