The Makah Indian tribe of Washington state is gearing up for another whale hunt, 11 months after its first hunt in 70 years drew international attention and impassioned protests from many environmentalists. The U.S. government made a deal in 1997 with the International Whaling Commission that allows the Makahs to kill up to five gray whales a year through 2004; last year, the tribe killed one. With the gray whales’ spring migration underway, anti-whaling activists are heading for Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, hoping to disrupt the hunt and protect the whales.
