A Whale Warrior's Words

I find myself more than a little frustrated lately. I don't put my name on "causes" and fundraisers lightly. I'm not one of those "Sure! Put my name down and here take this 20 bucks and add it to the donations pile" kind of person. However, every once in a while something comes along that I give a flying fu..woah.."crap" about and I usually get a little intense. As of late I have been trying to raise money for Sea Shepherd and I've even had a few people question my reason for such action. I will be straight with you. I'm no vegetarian or animal rights activist. Yes, I eat meat. No, I don't wear fur. No, I am not a member of PETA and probably never will be. I've gutted, skinned, and cut up more white tailed dear than I can count. I've hooked, reeled in, cleaned, and cooked my fair share of fresh water fish. I was raised in a family that hunts and fishes for sustenance. I remember winters as a child where we were damn lucky to have had deer meat in the freezer to get us by. That, however does not mean that I am a hypocrite for raising money for an organization that spends it's time trying to stop commercial fishing, whaling, and other unnecessary and very illegal activities. My main focus when it comes to Sea Shepherd is their anti whaling program. Ever since I was a child I had a deep and profound fascination with these majestic mammals of the sea and have tried to do my part to protect them as their numbers dwindle. So, a few years ago when Whale Wars debuted on Animal Planet I was more than interested in finding out more about this organization. They are often referred to as Eco terrorists which is odd when you consider the real terror of the Antarctic expeditions is watching the Japanese kill whales for "scientific research." Bear with me here, this is where I get heavy. I have no issue with blue collar fishermen. Men and women spending their time out on boats fishing for whatever in order to sell it for profit to make a living for themselves and their families. What pisses me off is the people who are out there hunting endangered species. Animals with population numbers so low by the time my nephews grow up they may not even exist anymore. That's what pisses me off. Moreover, they are hunting these animals in an international whaling sanctuary. A safe haven, a place that these beautiful creatures are supposed to be swimming in peace. The Japanese say that this is all in the name of science and that they are killing these whales to collect information on stomach contents and to take tissue samples. However, they are doing this "research" with a self implemented quota. Taking the lives of anywhere from 50-150 whales of various species. Various endangered species...and then selling the meat, blubber, and bones for profit. This is what breaks my heart. I've always believed in hunting and fishing. It's the development of those skills that have allowed us to survive as a species. In my family we believe in Native American tradition. We believe that one must always give thanks for the life lost in order to sustain our lives. Prayers, offerings, and even tears have been shed over the body of beautiful animals who lost their lives for us. There is a morbid beauty within the tradition. I lose patience with sport fishers and hunters. The people that are out for trophies and disregard the integrity and beauty of all of the Creators creatures on this earth...But I find myself immersed in anger at the greedy men and women who take the lives of animals, of endangered animals for the sake of profit. So, in the Antarctic while the Japanese are raping and pillaging precious animals, Sea Shepherd is there to try and stop them with non violent acts. So, it was that anger and passion that fueled me to start raising money for the organization. I've been so desperately disappointed in my friends and family for their lack of support for me in raising money. It's not the lack of support for me that hurts my heart so much, it's the lack of support for this worthy cause. I'm not asking people to empty bank accounts. I'm not even asking them to empty their wallets. I am simply asking for them to help me raise my small goal of $200. I just want to be apart of the change that I wish to see in this world. A world where the endangered species list doesn't shrink because animals go completely extinct..but instead a world where the endangered list shrinks because the animals population grows. So I'm asking you, the person reading this right now to visit the link that I provided at the bottom of this blog to go and make a donation. I've been asking everyone to match my $5.00 donation, but a donation of any size will mean the world to me. All species on this planet are interconnected so by helping me help an organization that is dedicated to saving the lives of the oceans creatures you are really helping yourself and maybe..just maybe making the world a better place for generations to come. 



Oh, Great Spirit, we come to you with love and gratitude for all living things. 
We now pray especially for our relatives of the wilderness - the four- legged, 
the winged, those that live in the water, and those that crawl upon the land. 
Bless them that they might continue to live in freedom and enjoy their right 
to be wild. Fill our hearts with tolerance, appreciation and respect for all 
living things so that we all might live together in harmony and peace.
- Unknown
LINK TO MY FUNDRAISING PAGE!:
http://my.seashepherd.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=381&frsid=55


I'd also like to say a special thank you to my old friend (and fellow native girl) Ariel for being the first and so far only one to make a donation! It means more to me that you will ever know Ariel!