My objection to hunting, trapping and seal clubbing is colorblind as well as culture-blind. I oppose cruelty to animals, no matter who is doing the shooting, trapping or clubbing. A victim doesn’t suffer any less because of the ethnicity or cultural beliefs of their executioner. An animal’s right to a life, free from harm, trumps anyone’s right to exploit or kill them
Over the weekend I received the following question, which I’ll attempt to answer below…
Dear Mr. Robertson,
I was wondering your opinion on the subject of animal rights vs. the rights of indigenous people. What do you think about hunting by Native American tribes, or the hunting of seals by the Inuit? Also, of course, the various other tribes around the world that have their culture based off of hunting. What do you think about their participation in hunting, trapping, etc?
Hmmm, one of those questions…one of those I-wouldn’t-touch-that-with-a-ten-foot-pole kind of questions. Do I risk being called a hypocrite, or “culturally elite?” I could spend all day tip-toeing around this—tap-dancing on egg shells—but here’s an answer just off the top of my head:
My objection to hunting, trapping and seal clubbing is colorblind as well as culture-blind. I oppose cruelty to animals, no matter who is doing the shooting, trapping…
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Exposing the Big Game 
Yes indeed.
Hunters have debated and worried that Cecil the lion poaching incident (July 1, 2015) in Zimbabwe will negatively affect public attitudes toward ethical hunting and their dwindling “sport”. Actually, the unethical, non legal, unsporting killing of Cecil the lion brought to light the nature of hunting and trophy hunting. It was a catalyst for the public to take a look. Hunting is quite simply the recreational killing of wildlife. It is not a wholesome thing to do for man or wildlife. In the case of some animals, like the African lion, it is killing a diminishing species. It also brought to light the myths of hunting as conservation and the economics of wildlife killing over wildlife viewing. Hunting is a primitive and barbaric pastime, not a sport, sporting, nor ethical. There is no such thing as ethical killing of wildlife for fun; no such thing as sporting and ethical game farming in the wild or on game farms for recreational killing. Hunting leads to game farming in one form or another and a distortion in wildlife balanced ecology, a balance of apex predators in the natural wild and trophic cascades. Wildlife viewing is more valuable than wildlife killing, and healthier for man and the wild.
Man considers himself an apex predator, not because of tooth or claw or super strength or super senses, speed and cunning, but because of an arsenal of tools (weapons) and intelligence. He likes the image of himself as apex animal, but without his weapons and protective clothing he is puny and not a competitive apex predator and may become the prey.
Man presents as more as a harmful trophic cascade effect (harmful apex predator) than a natural healthful trophic cascade effect. He (man) really could be viewed as a parasite on the wild, something harmful that stands outside the wild since the dawn of civilization and his declaration of war on wildlife. With his pollution, destruction of biodiversity, destruction of wildlife habitat he may even be classified as a disease (departure from health) to the earth, and the earth would be better off without man. Mankind was not even a healthful apex predator when he was a subsistence hunter. Hunters are not true conservationists nor are most state wildlife agencies, in that they destroy natural trophic cascade ecology and in effect game farm. Wildlife agencies like to manage through hunting, but it is neither management nor conservation. Hunting, trophy hunting, trapping are primitive and barbaric, parasitic activities. They are harmful profiteering of and recreational killing of wildlife and a disruption of healthful trophic cascade ecology and biodiversity.
You’re right. In nature, predators attack the weaker, older or sick preys. This keeps the health of the species. But hunter try to kill the biggest and strongest animal of the species. It’s not conservation.
Really good points. Hunting/trapping are not ethical or necessary or “sporting.” The usual reasons given for hunting do not prove necessity and the defenses of hunting do not stand up. But when I hear hunters trying to explain what they do and their excuses turn to rage, I wonder from what dark force in the human psyche that love of killing comes from.
I agree one hundred percent!
No human society has the right to torture and kill in the name of culture. What’s more, if these indigenous people are so concerned with their culture, then they should reject everything that was not part of their culture in the past. That includes using technology, earning and spending money, eating fast food and generally all comforts of today’s modern life. If they do not reject the comfort items, they no right to claim killing as their cultural right.
I agree! I have two degrees an anthropology, and people who know that assume I will always be in favor of traditional ways of doing things and on the side of indigenous rights. Wrong! As President Obama recently mentioned when he was in Kenya, just because something has been the part of a culture does not mean it is right. I know that those who oppose other lifeways, even as issues of cruelty, are often called racists or bigots, but that is simply political correctness used as a weapon.
Every culture/country has traditions that are inherently wrong or cruel. The people of those cultures often move beyond them. America had a tradition of slavery. India had a tradition of suttee in which widows were expected to immolate themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre. Europe tortured suspected witches, and the Inquisition burned heretics. The Aztecs were practicing human sacrifice when the Spaniards arrived. The Bible called for stoning adulterers. Traditions continue as long as people adhere to them. They do not have some inexorable life of their own. They can be abandoned when people choose to, or are forced to, move beyond them.
Now animals are the victims of most of the barbaric customs in the world, as we read about on this blog daily Those customs should be fought, not excused. The political correctness that would shut us up needs to be ignored. As for indigenous people, having to hunt or trap for food is not a widespread requirement. No one needs to sacrifice animals for “religious” reasons or for ceremonial purposes. Torture for traditional entertainments such as bullfighting, circuses, and rodeos should have been abolished long ago. The torture will stop when enough people say” no more.”
The hunting/trapping industry/lobby, now exposed world-wide as greedy, pathological killers, will be busy re-marketing and re-packaging itself to the general public. While most people do not hunt–about 95% or more–most are unfortunately not “anti-hunting.” These animal serial killers know this, and they will continue to reinforce the lies: “hunters are just trying to feed their families, most hunters are ethical hunters, hunting pays for conservation, and hunting is needed to control wildlife populations.” Many well-meaning people still swallow this trash. That is why we anti-hunters need to keep the momentum going regarding Cecil’s slaughter–and link it to all the other animal serial killers and their cowardly activities.
Here in the West, I make the hunting/ranching connection as often as I can, because ranchers who graze on public lands (millions of acres) also hunt, trap. On the NM Game Commission, there are at least 2 Safari Club Int’l members, ranchers, and they may be one and the same. It is imperative that we blast the lies perpetrated by game agencies, in every state. There is even a dangerous trend now to open all National Parks to hunting/trapping, and some National Parks already are doing it, especially in Alaska. Thanks for all the great comments here!!
http://www.foranimals.org.
We just can’t afford to kill wildlife anymore. Their population numbers are too precarious (not that it was ever right to do IMO). But at least indigenous peoples had a respect for animals that is terribly lacking for some reason in the dominant culture, and didn’t take more than they needed. But now, years of greed have taken their toll on wildlife populations. For people to insist upon trophy hunting in Africa and other places, when numbers are greatly threatened speaks volumes about human narcissism and greed.
Had, perhaps, but the modern Makah have no more respect for whales than the Dutch, Norwegian, Japanese or Icelandics. Using modern-day guesstimates that they are “recovered” to rationalize the resumption of whaling does not justify the killing of even one sentient whale,
Totally agree. The transformation has been (nearly) complete.