GENTLE GIANTS, BARBARIC BEASTS AND WHALE WARRIORS: Contentious Traditions, Eco-Political Discourse and Identity Politics

Traditions are usually enmeshed in cultural politics, especially if they are highly controversial and heavily contested. In this article, I will firstly go into the tradition of the Faroe Islands' grindadráp, a bloody pilot whale drive, which in Faroese eyes constitutes an inalienable part of their culture. It is strongly opposed by environmentalists and a wider audience. Secondly, I will examine the attempts of Makah Indians to revitalize their tradition of whale hunting in an effort to reinforce their identity. In this case, too, there was massive opposition, but the tribe nonetheless obtained permission to go whaling again. The eco-political discourse on Faroese and Makah whale hunting harbors a strong component of evaluating the merits and demerits of Faroese and Makah culture and the genuineness and legitimateness of the whaling traditions. The present article describes and analyses the debate, in particular as it relates to the issues of heritage and its contested authenticity. It argues that authenticity is not an ontological category but can only be produced in practice.