What gives the Makahs a legal right to hunt whales?
Under the treaty made by the United States with Makahs in 1855, the United States promised to secure to the Makahs the right to engage in whaling. This is the only treaty ever made by the United States which contains such a guaranty. The treaty which was ratified by the United States congress in 1855, is the law of the land under the U.S. Constitution and has been upheld by the Federal Courts and the Supreme Court. To us, the Makah Treaty is as powerful and meaningful a document as the U.S. Constitution is to other Americans; it is what our forefathers bequeathed to us.
