Eurocentrism on Inuit seal hunting

Eurocentrism, a tendency to judge the world with standards and views of European values and worldviews. This euro-centered or Anglo-American doctrine leads a very assertive and one-sided attitude to treat affairs from other cultures that European are unfamiliar with. Colonialism is defined as the “domination of a people or area by a foreign state or nation”(1), this is aimed to control a region or other countries in cultural, economic, and political. Although nowadays most of the countries which used to be colonized already get independent, actions which relevant to colonialism are not disappear on the world. In contrast, it is still conducted by one of the biggest and most advanced alliances in the world. Inuit exemption policy and a series of activities is a very classical example. Inuit’s main economic income is seal hunting. With generations of inheritance, the Inuit community has its cycles on seal resources. They are fully utilizing every part of seals, hunting with control, and following the life cycle of seals. Inuit hunting only covers daily economic usage and uses it as daily clothing and food resource. However, European is treating seal hunting with different views. The seal is an adorable animal that wins lots of favors in Europe. In addition, hunting in modern western society is considered a “brutal” and “primitive” living way. Due to these reasons, the Europe union try to use its moral standard to judge seal hunting, so they post out Inuit exemption law to protect Inuit and use other laws to standardize the sealskin market. However, these series of laws essentially hurt Inuit’s’ benefits and communities seriously. With the regulation on seal skin sales, seal skin prices decline dramatically. In 2006, export value for seal skin is at peak, which is 18 million but it drops to nearly 0 in 2016. The falling price of the international market cause a series of economic inflation, which undermine Inuit’s income deeply. Inuit’s community start to cover by poverty and depression. The consequence is a huge rising in the suicide ratio in the Inuit community and a mass of mental problems. However, there are so few options for Inuit to express their thought and explain the truth about seal hunting to the world and persuade Europe Union. As a minority group which doesn’t have too much impression to worldwide. It is hard to against the image that the European Union and other major international animal protection groups build for seal hunting. Their voice is too weak to contend with the groups which have the biggest right to speak in varied fields in the world. Europe Union uses Inuit exemption law to offer rights for Inuit hunting, which seems to follow the standard of freedom and respect a variety of races and cultures from their view. Nevertheless, apparently, the union did not think about this affair overall. If seal products categories get more band and price get more inhibition, then it is useless for exemption law to give Inuit right to hunt seal. Anyway, it is not worthy enough to spend so much effort to operate a less-worth business, even will let them in a loss. In the end, the income way which can be considered as the only one has been cut down. Inuit seal hunting problem can be considered as the controversy or conflict between two cultures. Essentially, both Europeans and Inuit are thinking from their own cultural aspect and it is common for them can not understand or accept each other’s thoughts. For Inuit, the way to depend on seal hunting is a living style that is close to nature, love the nature. With sustainable hunting, they take from nature moderately. In their views, letting food resources depend on large-scale poultry farming and catling is not a thing that is worth to proud of. For Europeans, living on hunting is not a majority choice for people, no need to say the people who have conflicts with them are hunting cute and non-livestock animals. What sadly is European did not treat it in a way that is respectful to cultural differences. Their choice is trying to suppress other cultures, denounce the brutality of hunting, and force them to change their living way without Inuit’s permission. Anti-seal-hunting protest and Inuit exemption law seem to be two independent affairs. However, after linking and analysis, we will find it is a very classical events circle that shows out Colonialism and Eurocentrism for Anglo-Americans. Besides, the behavior of some animal protection groups making profits by anti-seal-hunting activities demonstrates European Union’s thought more directly. That is, they are strongly trying to benefits and “correct” the world with their moral standard. The disregard for other races’ people’s rights is showing vividly manifested.