Its a hard life
\nWhen you live closer to Nature
\nThe wild beasts have the option
\nAnd they try
\nTo eat what comes in Nature
\nTo eat within the seasons
\nThey don’t have supermarkets
\nAnd can’t fly<\/p>\n
Whale hunting we know
\nPeople around the world
\nDo not like the idea that we do this
\nBut in this inhospitable place
\nWe have been hurled
\nNo trees at all grow here
\nSo not one apple
\nOur basic food is whale meat
\nAnd we try
\nTo share it nothing is wasted
\nIts our sustenance
\nWithout it we know
\nMost of us would die<\/p>\n
the IWC sets every year
\nOur quota
\n136 whales thats the price
\nWe are the indigenous
\nWe use harpoons and buoys
\n2 aluminium boats and spears
\nAnd its not one of our joys<\/p>\n
Getting the boats to sea
\nIs hard for they are heavy
\nThe sea is often rough
\nAnd what we do
\nIs stand up in the boat
\nWhen we sight anything
\nToss our spear and make sure
\nIt is true<\/p>\n
Another may be thrown and perhaps another
\nThe buoys show us our progress
\nAnd just where
\nWe also have a rifle and will
\nShoot them
\nWe are sorry about all their despair<\/p>\n
We share the spoils with the sea birds
\nAnd the wild bears, the wild dogs
\nAnd the coyote seem to come
\nAnd then each family has whatever they
\nRequire
\nWe also eat it raw
\nBut we all eat some<\/p>\n
We stew it up and eat plates of it
\nIt does smell a bit
\nA sort of iodine smell
\nBut theN We are
\nForced to eat this protein
\nBecause it can be very cold
\nThe winds can blow
\nAnd our skin it just does scar<\/p>\n
This year its been much warmer
\nNo real blizzards yet we have felt
\nMinus 25 it can be thats when we are dealt
\nQuite a lot of punishment
\nWhen roofs can blow away
\nWe really are a hardy bunch
\nAnd some of us do pay<\/p>\n
The men who go out whaling
\nAre answerable of course
\nTo the unpredictable weather
\nSqualls of tremendous force
\nAnd sometimes the whales they fight back
\nThey are intelligent and strong
\nThey do not give in easily
\nFor the sea is where they belong<\/p>\n
We get back racked up with agony
\nOur joints and backs on fire
\nIt hard to put the gear away
\nLife can be really dire
\nBut then to see our children
\nIn the oil light glow
\nWith some whale stew in their tummies
\nThat is when we know<\/p>\n
Its good we have these animals
\nTo share along our shore
\nIts good we can take advantage
\nAnd never want for more<\/p>\n
If the westerners banned whaling
\nFor everyone we know
\nThat we would perish one by one
\nAnd our children couldn’t grow
\nSo we thank our gods and we thank the whales
\nFor its probable that we
\nCatch the older ones their sacrifice
\nThat each of us must be<\/p>\n
Grateful for these natural gifts
\nAnd respect all of the sea
\nCreatures and wild animals
\nThat live around and be
\nNeeding us to share with them
\nWhat little we can find
\nYes we are whale hunters
\nThe chukchi, all of one mind<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Its a hard life When you live closer to Nature The wild beasts have the option And they try To eat what comes in Nature To eat within the seasons They don’t have supermarkets And can’t fly Whale hunting we … Continue reading