Who Are the Makah?
The Makah (Qʷi·qʷi·diččaq, "People of the Cape") are a Native American people inhabiting the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, centered on Cape Flattery—the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. Numbering approximately 2,800 enrolled members, they are the only Native American tribe in the contiguous US with a treaty right to hunt whales. They speak Makah (Qʷi·qʷi·diččaq), a Southern Wakashan language related to Nuu-chah-nulth languages of Vancouver Island—the Makah's closest cultural and linguistic relatives are Canadian First Nations. The Makah developed one of the Northwest Coast's most sophisticated maritime cultures, hunting whales, seals, and fish in the challenging waters where the Pacific Ocean meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Whaling Culture
Whaling was central to traditional Makah culture—spiritually, economically, and socially. Whale hunts were led by high-ranking individuals who inherited the right and underwent extensive spiritual preparation including fasting, praying, and ritual bathing. Hunting crews pursued gray and humpback whales in ocean-going canoes, using harpoons with sealskin floats to exhaust the animal before the kill. A successful hunt provided tons of meat and blubber, distributed according to social protocol, and brought great prestige to the whaler. Whaling imagery pervades Makah art; whale bones were used for tools and structures. Commercial whaling and whale population decline ended traditional Makah whaling by the 1920s. The 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay, unusually, explicitly preserved Makah whaling rights—"the right of taking fish and of whaling or sealing at usual and accustomed grounds."
Ozette and Archaeological Treasures
The Ozette archaeological site, excavated 1970-1981, is one of North America's most significant. A mudslide around 1750 buried part of a Makah village at Ozette, preserving wooden houses, tools, weapons, baskets, and ceremonial objects in waterlogged conditions—including whale hunting gear, elaborate carved items, and everyday objects that normally decay. Over 55,000 artifacts were recovered, now housed in the Makah Cultural and Research Center museum in Neah Bay. The excavation was a collaboration between archaeologists and the Makah tribe, returning ancestral belongings to community control. The Ozette finds demonstrate the sophistication of pre-contact Makah culture and provide tangible connections to ancestral practices. The museum interprets Makah history and culture for thousands of visitors annually.
Contemporary Makah
Modern Makah revitalized whaling in 1999, controversially taking a gray whale using traditional methods combined with a rifle. The hunt generated intense opposition from animal rights activists while affirming Makah cultural sovereignty. Subsequent hunts have been blocked by court challenges despite treaty rights; the tribe continues pursuing authorization. Beyond whaling, the Makah economy includes fishing, forestry, and tourism. The language is critically endangered—only a few elderly fluent speakers remain—though revitalization programs exist. The annual Makah Days celebration (late August) features canoe races, traditional dancing, and cultural events. The Makah museum attracts visitors and maintains cultural knowledge. The tribe successfully co-manages fisheries and has led marine habitat protection efforts. The Makah case illustrates the conflict between indigenous treaty rights, cultural revitalization, and contemporary animal welfare movements.
References
- Colson, E. (1953). The Makah Indians
- Kirk, R. & Daugherty, R. D. (2007). Archaeology in Washington
- Sullivan, R. (2000). A Whale Hunt: Two Years on the Olympic Peninsula with the Makah