Ray Mackie wrote:
>
> I think the sad thing about the Alaska Eskimos is that the US
> government won't leave them alone and let them live their
> traditional lifestyle i.e. diet.

I have to wonder, though.  They've been straying from their
traditional raw diet for SO LONG now, and have incorporated
so many unhealthful foods, foods that I'm sure they're quite
addicted to.  I doubt that having more cooked whale around is
going to do anything positive for their health.

> Don't get me wrong I don't advocate whale harvesting in other
> than a traditional setting

How many "traditional" peoples who want to hunt their traditional
prey are willing to go about it the traditional way, though?  Some
animals (such as the dugong) may become extinct thanks to "tradi-
tional" peoples going after them with rifles instead of spears and
having much greater success.  Also, many "traditional" peoples are
having very non-traditional gains in their populations these days,
and are outstripping the ability of their traditional prey's
populations to provide enough food.

Sometimes it just doesn't work to mix the past with the present.

Carol

PS:  eskIOMs?? :D