Let me weigh in on the side of the Makah. This whale hunt IMHO has nothing to do with whales or with culture. It has everything to do with power. The Makah killed that whale because they could. The Makah (and all other tribes that signed the treaty of 1855)do have special rights. Those special rights were granted to the tribes by the Federal Government in the name of the people - that would be us. Now, you and I may not like the fact that they have special rights guaranteed by treaty, but that's just the way it is. A treaty is like a contract. Let the buyer beware. It is ironic that the treaties grew out of the fact that the Indians were a conquered race. But who's the victor now? The Indians have casino gambling, special fishing and hunting rights, sales of tobacco and fireworks all without statutory control by the State. Let's make certain that we understand the motivation of the Makah and other tribes. Let me ask a question - If the Federal Government made a deal with everyone that held a Washington State Steelhead Punch Card that stated you would not pay Federal Income Tax for twenty years - would you take advantage of that special right? The same reasoning holds true for the Makah and the whale. They killed it because they had the power to do so and they chose to exercise that power.