Residents in Barrow respond to Hayden Panettiere

Fri, February 1, 2008
Posted in Alaska News

Earlier this week we aired a story about the efforts of a group called Save the Whales Again! The organization is trying to pressure the Bush administration to stand firm against the attempt by Japan to resume commercial whaling. The International Whaling Commission is holding a special meeting in March. But the organization is also taking aim at subsistence whaling — and that inspired a backlash from whaling families in Barrow. Actress Hayden Panettiere of the NBC TV program “Heroes” is the celebrity face of Save The Whales Again! Her comments about consuming whale meat garnered a storm of outrage by North Slope residents.

Janelle Everette, KBRW - Barrow and Lori Townsend, APRN - Anchorage

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Comments

4 Comments to “Residents in Barrow respond to Hayden Panettiere”

Marie Adams Carroll on February 4, 2008 at 9:47 am

Misinformed public comments like the one made by Save the Whales Again hurt our communities. The traditional subsistance food we eat are so much healthier for us than store bought food. There is no comparision when it comes to the cultural value of traditional foods shared by our extended families up north. The bowhead is one of the cleanest mammal on the planet. I know because the bowhead is also one of the most studied mammal in the United States of America.
JImmy Nukapigak on February 4, 2008 at 6:32 pm

Our way;s of lifes on northern alaska as a whaler;s within our poeple that living on day by day as of today, our sea is our garden that we depent on in wilflifes Bowhead whales is out food we eat all the times here in alaska,then buying food we buy in store,God has make the earth to take care of as each human;s that lives in each corner;s. as a inuit,we use the sea,land. air up here in northern alaska as a subsistance user;s that we share it to another villages , way of lifes will never end;s as we stood for our right;s
Drena on February 5, 2008 at 1:10 pm

We need to start a “Save the Inupiaq Culture” campaign! The First Nations people of the Arctic have been subsisting on marine mammals for over 10,000 years and have survived successfully because of it. There is no Safeway, McDonald’s, or Pizza Hut on the North Slope of Alaska, the last time I checked. Ms. Hayden needs to live in Pt. Lay or Barter Island for a year before she can even have a barely adequate point of reference to protest the Inupiaq’s traditions and way of life. Thank you for this forum.
E.Koutchak on February 5, 2008 at 3:47 pm

I was born and raised in Anchorage.I am half Inupiat & half Tlinget. I have also lived,worked,fished and hunted around the village of Nuiqsut years ago. In fact,I just had smoked salmon & muktuk the other day(I’m still here)..yummy! So much healthier & tastier than what I buy @ the stores! I miss being able to live the subsistance way of life(currently living in Anchorage).People who have never stepped one foot in any village, have no room to speak of how they(villagers) live,work & play!