Canadian Inuit Not Very Happy With American Politics And Listing Polar Bear
Posted by Tom Remington on May 17, 2008
What most Americans don’t know and I would venture to say don’t care, is the decision on Wednesday by Sec. of Interior Dirk Kempthorne to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, will spell economic disaster for some of the native people who rely on American hunters who spend $3 million a year hunting polar bears.
The locals are also angry because their science and field research doesn’t show the same thing as what the U.S. claims in making their decision. The Inuit say the populations of polar bears are for the most part holding steady or increasing in numbers.
Grise Fiord resident Larry Audlaluk:
“There are many polar bears, so I think the Americans have no right really to decide on an animal like that,” said Audlaluk, a former hunting guide in the small Ellesmere Island community.
The Nunavut government says Americans are misinformed.
“Our scientists in the field as well as Inuit elders have observed an overall increase in the polar bear population,” Premier Paul Okalik said in the release.
“It is unfortunate the [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] has decided to disregard facts collected by those who have the greatest contact and longest history with polar bears. The truth is that polar bear populations are at near record levels.”
The Northwest Territories are also affected and aren’t real impressed with the politics to the south.
“Clearly there’s going to be an impact on especially the sports hunting — I would suggest a chilling effect,” said Michael Miltenberger, the territory’s environment and natural resources minister.
Miltenberger further said that this is an example of people outside the North making decisions for the North.
But it becomes clear that many people don’t really care about these people. Read the comments contained below the article I have referenced and you can see the antipathy, hatred, uncaring, ignorant attitudes of people toward the natives.
Tom Remington
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May 17th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I had not known that the Inuit were dependant on U.S. sports hunting…and how stopping that can actually lower the polar bear population, and well as the Native American Population…. Good blog after the referances you gave..still living and still learning, thanks, Tom.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Clearly those in American goobernment do not care for any people any where, I know some body is getting Representation by these goobers in goobernment I just dont see it as being anybody of value. Next the Inuit people will be in body bags for poaching what was once their right and lively hood. I know maybe they can move to the suburbs and work at Taco Time. I care Tom…..thats why I expose them.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Ignorance backed by lies. Tom,
I’ve struggled posting a comment to
this, I’m so angry. It’s a little
personnal as I’ve known B.J. for six
years, now,(Native Alaskan)and still
I’m shown daily, how much I don’t
know about him or his culture.
I’m an american; of which, I’d like to stop apologizing for some
day.
What I read for comments out
there cannot be real. If they are,
I’m fearful for the Inuit and scared
that people actually think like this.
My father would have disciplined
me, severely.
May 19th, 2008 at 2:48 am
Don’t apologize for being American, Inuits are American, Apologize for being a u.s. corporate slave living in the Holy Roman 14th Amendment Empire. Who hates Indiginous peoples of this earth or world? Elite Anglo-Saxons do. All roads lead to Rome.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I think what exists for comments at the end of the news article is an accurate reflection of the kinds of people and how they think/react these days.
One thing to bear in mind while spending time on the computer and especially places where people are allowed to leave comments or post threads, i.e. blogs and forums, people are embolden to say things they might not normally feel the freedom to say because they can do so anonymously. This is both good and bad.
I’m glad you shared about your friend B.J. being a native Alaskan and the length of time you’ve known him and yet there is so much you don’t know.
Isn’t this the way? When you don’t know anything about anyone or their culture, background, etc., it is permission to shit on them and force your culture and ideals down their throat because they are unimportant.
We must remember that to many of these people, saving a polar bear is far more important than whether some stupid Inuit lives where there is no Starbucks.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:56 am
When Rockefeller and Dewey got hold of our education around 1920 we were in trouble, but look at what the schools are turning out now and have been for about thirty years. I live in The Wood River Valley, thats Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey Idaho, I get called a six-toed stupid Idahoan hunter Neanderthal every day here. I get spit on. I was special Operations Navy for 12 years 1978 1990. I have more formal education than these pukes destroying this country do. I can make a bow and arrows, dig roots and pick plants and live, I can set snares and catch small game, I can track a spider across rocks. I was happy in the forest minding my own business and keeping my mouth shut, then they screwed over my hunting spots with that Satans Dog from Hell, I look every where but those huge bucks I love are gone, you know the ones over 200″ class, and those 400″ Bulls as well. Now the little forest dwellers are getting slaughtered by this Hybrid government dog, I have nothing left to do now but kick the devil and his soldiers in the ribs, they have stolen America from those of us who slept, now they are stealing other rights and lands that they have no right to, and doing it in your and my names. Look up, look around your selves, it is all about this stinking New World Order of things these creeps want. You can not even watch tell-a lie-vision with out having Roman Catholicism crosses in your face, nor a Hollywood flick either. The New World Order of disOrder and it is what Rome Wants, the Reformation is almost over. Nice words will not get us out of this hole we are in. The Inuits just suffered a land grab, simple as that. Dirty Dirk has shown you who he REPRESENTS. Not us.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Inuits are not Americans. Some Inuit Tribes live on American Soil but the vast Majority live on Canadian soil, making them Canadians.
I can tell you regardless of what happens I am hunting Polar Bear sometime before 2012. I just hope I will have the opportunity to bring my trophy back to the USA.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I disagree, Inuits live on the North American Continent and did so prior to the British East Indies Company renaming our Northern lands Canada. They are Native Americans. Soon like the rest of us living in the incorporated u.s., Mexico, and South America we can call them North American Unionists. Enjoy your Polar bear hunt but us hunters should refrain from calling our kills trophys or our hunting sporting events as these uses of our language are being used to demonize our lifestyles.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Greg,
I am a Trophy Hunter!! I hunt for meat, passion, vacation, for tradition, for my own spirituality and for the trophy at the end of the hunt. Whether that trophy is the meat that nourishes my family or the one that hangs on my wall.
I am hardly going to argue the rest of your post. Either way, the Inuit people and the Nunavut people are going to be hurt by this decision. Trophy Hunters provided the Polar Bear with a value to the people who must live with those animals. When the Polar Bears come in and eat one of their dogs and/or sometimes family, the people in those tribes are hesitant to hunt those animals because of the value placed on those animals by American hunters. Without those bears having that value, there will be a lot more animals that will be poached in these northern territories.
You may or may not know this but Polar Bear meat is toxic so no one hunts them for the meat. It is only the pelt, the tradition and the adventure that draws those of us who can afford to hunt these animals to the chase. At the current cost of a hunt at around $30,000 plus expenses, it is hardly for the average hunter.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Don’t know who told you Polar bears are toxic, but you must believe a lot of what people tell you. A statement like that could cost you a lot of credability. It also belies the fact that polor bears are simply another bear or subspecie. And all bears are eatable. Anything out of the ordinary fast food is toxic to most U.S. Americans. (North, South, or Central Americans being different in tastes) Maybe a diseased bear would be bad news to your diet, but lets not quibble. Have a good hunt, and try eatin whats in the native diet.(But only when you’re real hungry! Because that’t the best time to “condition” your patate.)
May 21st, 2008 at 7:29 am
Kevin,
What is an average hunter in your estimation? Is it a guy like me that used to guide rich guys around in the forest and stood them up in front of their objective for their wall for pay because with out me they couldn’t find the latrine?
I once was a trophy hunter myself, but then I grew up and realized these mounts in my office were only tributes to myself, my pride, or ego. Now of course if I were a North American Inuit I would gladly take you by the hand out to a polar bear and let you trip your trigger, I’d even skin it for you, you get your monument to your manhood and I get the $30,000, but I want Euros, gold or silver buddy, your Fiat FRNs aint worth diddly anymore.
While you are playing big bad monument hunter I will keep exposing these commie creeps who are screwing over the Inuits Nunavuts and the u.s. corporate citizen slave hunters who think they are Americans, by taking away more freedoms Liberty’s and personal choices.
Damn, $30,000!!! last time I was up there it cost $17,000. Oh well. Enjoy your rug.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:07 am