Seal Hunting in Canada: Why It is Important to Inuit Communities.
Seal hunting has been Inuit tradition for a long time, and it helps them to make a living on their motherland.
There has been considerate debate on whether seal hunting is right or wrong because seal hunting which is considered evil and bloody is still getting support from people in Canada. Hunting for seals is portrayed as cruel and inhumane by animal welfare groups, for killing seals for the skin and fur is not moral. Since the 1960’s, these groups have been fighting against seal hunting, and they’ve tried to shut down the whole sealskin industry which negatively affects Inuit community in North American Arctic. Despite the ban on seal products in Europe and animal rights protests every year, it is crucial to acknowledge that seal hunting is integral to Inuit because it is their main economy, a long-lasting tradition and a way of life.
Seal hunting is a main economy of Inuit communities
As a main economy of Inuit community for over a hundred years, seal hunting is an important activity to develop and maintain Inuit communities’ economic well-being. There was misinformation about seal hunting which led to the EU ban on white seal pup products in 1983.
This ban has had a dramatic financial impact on seal hunting in Canada. People claim that seal hunting is inhumane and cruel because they hunt for white baby seal pups which are considered innocent and precious animals. In fact, Inuit people did not hunt for white seal pup products, and they did not hunt seals just for skin trading business; seal hunters also provide seal products for their communities. Moreover, the ban on trading of white seal pup products in Europe not only leads to the rapid disruption of raw sealskin but also other sealskin’ products such as mitts, boots and coats. While there were only few economic options for Inuit people, sealskin importation suddenly evaporated. As a result, there is no big market for seal’s products which is always an important income to the Inuit;
The ban on seal’s product has damaged the most important business of Inuit. Sealers then moved away from their traditional lands and come to the town for new jobs. The demand for seal’s products discontinues, and sealers earn less from hunting due to the change in sealskin pricing.
According to Angry Inuit documentary, “the price for each sealskin fell from around a hundred dollars down to about 10 dollars” , which is a huge price difference before and after the European ban. As a result, “the average income of an Inuit seal hunter in Resolute Bay fell from 53 thousand dollars to one thousand dollars”. Moreover, the collapse of seal’s products trading causes a serious problem which is suicide.
“Arctic seal hunting revenues plummeted, nomadic hunters were forced to settle into fixed communities and the region’s already-high suicide rates became among the worst on the planet”.
While animal welfare activists out there still prepare for anti-seal hunting protest every year, Inuit communities are struggling to maintain their economic well-being which depends heavily on seal hunting and sealskin trading. Consequently, overturning the bans on seal products not only helps sealskin products grow into a thriving industry but also support Arctic communities.
Seal hunting is Inuit tradition and culture
The European ban on seal products has damaged Inuit seal hunting economy which is in fact their tradition and culture. In a Canada where Indigenous communities have suffered extremely because their traditional ways of making a living have become inaccessible, Inuit are thriving to live with their tradition which is seal hunting. In order to adapt to their natural habitat which does not allow them to invest in agriculture, hunting has become their way of living. Seal meat is their traditional food, and sealskin is used to make their traditional clothes. Besides, hunting is important to them because it identify who they are, which makes sense because from 1941 to 1978 they had no identity.
In “Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit issues in Canada”, Chelsea Vowel states:
“Inuit were forced to wear “Eskimo” identification discs similar to dog tags for ease of colonial administration, as bureaucrats had difficulty pronouncing Inuit names” .
Hunting is their main culture, and the collapse of seal skin market can gradually detach them from their tradition. Because of this, the young generation of Inuit has been taught how to preserve this tradition practice and be proud of it. They show their pride of Inuit culture by using the hashtag “#sealfie” on social media during anti-seal hunting protest every year to support their communities. Seal hunting is not only a practice, it’s much more than that.
According to “Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit issues in Canada”, “going out and hunting is a pretty important part of a hunting culture […] The focus on hunting informs the language, the traditions, the stories, the music, and the art” .
Inuit hunters hunt seals to make a living
It is no doubt that seal hunting is an important tradition practice of Inuit. On the other hand, it is their way of life. Their lifestyle is totally different than people outside their community. Inuit eat seal meat which is an organic meat rich in nutrition for them and their children, and they wear seal’s skin clothing to stay warm in the severe weather condition. Due to the collapse of seal skin market, their life has been completely changed as hunters bring less seal meat home to their family. Food is expensive in the Arctic, and Canada’s Inuit communities are the most food insecure in the country. That is the reason why they have to depend on natural resources in order to survive and nurture their children. “When I see sealskin, I see an ethical and sustainable economy that feeds people”, said Arnaquq-Baril in Angry Inuk . Seal skin trading is an integral part of Inuit’s life. Undoubtedly, seal hunting is critical for Inuit to have a sufficient income in order to feed the Inuit families and develop their life quality.
Seal hunting is a controversial topic in Canada, and animal rights groups have been fighting against it for a long time because they claim that it is brutal and unsustainable. Despite the negative effects from the EU ban and boycotts, it is important to recognize that seal hunting is integral to Inuit communities because it is their local economy, a long-lasting tradition and a way of life. Although the EU voted to ban only one kind of sealskin it damaged the reputation for the whole sealskin market which is the main economy of Inuit. Consequently, it caused many problems, including depression, unemployment, poverty, and even suicide. Additionally, seal hunting has been Inuit tradition for a long time, and it helps them to make a living on their motherland.
Final thoughts
Hunting for seals which is considered a moral problem is in fact a common practice of Inuit communities, and they depend heavily on seal products to survive. In order to help Inuit communities and their collapsed sealskin market, people should learn the truth of seal hunting which is a traditional and environmentally sustainable way of life.
