MAKAH INDIANS PREPARE FOR WHALING OFF WASHINGTON COAST, 1998-10-01 (photo)

Keith Johnson, spokesman and president of the Makah tribal whaling commission, speaks to the media on October 1 about why the tribe has delayed the commencement of whale hunting near the coastal town of Neah Bay, Washington. The Makahs, who have been granted permission by the International Whaling Commission to hunt up to five gray whales a year, will hunt the whales via eight-man traditional paddling canoes using a harpoon and a .50-caliber rifle to kill the animal. The Makahs cultural heritage included whaling for 2,000 years until the U.S. government stopped the hunting in the 1800s and have since pursued the effort to revive the cultural practice especially since the gray whale is no longer on the endangered species list. APB/SV/JDP