Washington tribes are lobbying Congress to grant the Makah Nation a waiver to conduct its controversial whale hunt.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the tribe's right to whale but said the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay has been limited by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The tribe has since applied for a waiver through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But leaders of the Makah Nation and other Washington tribes are pressing Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and others for a bill to exclude the tribe from the law. Some Alaska Native tribes have already been granted waivers for their hunts even though they do not have treaty rights.

Get the Story:
Makah officials ask Cantwell, other officials to waive marine mammal act for whaling, but no bill on table (The Peninsula Daily News 3/11)

Relevant Links:
Makah Nation - http://www.makah.com

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