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Queen’s rep eats raw seal heart
‘It’s like sushi,’ says governor-general Michaelle Jean, in an act of solidarity with the Inuit people
A mixture of praise from the Inuit people and outrage from Europeans has greeted the gutsy Canadian governor-general's decision, during a visit to an Inuit community in the Arctic this week, to cut out the heart of a slaughtered seal and eat it raw.
Michaelle Jean, who has been the Queen's representative in Canada since 2005, was making a gesture of solidarity with the Inuit people who claim their way of life is threatened by an upcoming EU ban on the import of seal products.
When her hosts in the Nunavut community of Rankin Inlet laid two freshly killed dead seals in front of her, she took a traditional ulu blade, sliced through the flesh and, pulling back the skin, asked one of the Inuit women: "Could I try the heart?"
A piece was cut out and Jean popped it in her mouth. "It's like sushi," she said, wiping the blood from her mouth and fingers with a tissue. "And it's very rich in protein."
Jean, 51, a Haitian who fled to Canada in 1968 to escape the Papa Doc regime, said the EU ban, due to come into effect in six months' time, would affect the hundreds of people who saw seals as their daily sustenance as well as relying on the income derived from by-products.
Her action has brought condemnation from animal rights groups - and, inevitably, drawn comparisons with that other icy frontierswoman, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska (though the gossip blog Gawker reckons Jean is the more "badass" of the two).
But the Inuit people are delighted at her gesture. Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada's national Inuit organisation, said: "Hunting and eating a seal is not a political act, nor is it 'bizarre' or 'disgusting' as the anti-sealing lobby have commented."
And in a letter that illustrates the culture gap between the Inuits and Europeans, a local man, Aaju Peter, wrote in an email to the Canwest news service: "Both she and the Inuit are showing great respect for the animal and great respect for each other in the sharing and accepting of this seal that has offered itself to the hunter." ·
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I agree with Peter Simmons: most of those who follow the herd are either hypocrites or just stupid suckers who get all mushy inside when some ignorant outback smiles for the camera and throws some cultural crap in to give that "Hollywood" effect to justify themselves. There are so many levels of 'ulterior motive' here, and it sickens me to know these people just may have their way because so many fools took the bait. SUCKERS!
Linda Dalton, what makes you think pate de foie gras, or veal IS any more acceptable? What are you saying, that you approve of these forms of sick behaviour so 'we' should leave seal clubbing Inuit alone to do whatever perverted thing they wish?
Roddy Steele, since quite a few philosophers would disagree with your statement 'animals have no rights' as would I, I think you need to justify that remark, rather than do the usual sneering job whenever your particular perversion is attacked.
Michelle Dyck, 'soy-drinking pansy Londoners'! So, you think anyone opposed to the brutal clubbing of seals is a homosexual, and you think this is worthy of insult? Racist indeed, these people don't hunt because it's their culture, they hunt for free food to stock the freezer, which was built by another culture, certainly not theirs. I have every right to pass judgement on anyone whose behaviour I find disgusting, and don't think you can take that away from me. If a cannibal culture still existed, would you be defending their right to club people [babies even] to death to satisfy their culinary desires and fill the freezer? Babies are no more defenceless than other species of animals, so you think might is right and if I am more powerful than you I have the right to kill you? So much for civilisation.
I am a Canadian.
The only thing I have ever disliked about my country is the yearly seal massacre.
The governor general thinks that she is being clever by doing this. She needs to think again.
And Linda eating foie gras is not clever either but try watching a seal getting clubbed to death....
Well done Michaelle Jean. At last some one who shows a little respect for diverse cultures and long held traditional beliefs. Would that the arrogant 'fluffy bunny' brigade of blind and anthropomorphic fools could realise that animals have no rights. Humans have duties! Long may you survive as a representative of the truly civilised and inclusive, non judgemental elements of our modern world. If you eat meat or wear leather then surely you should be prepared not only to recognise but also to participate in the process from start to finish. Once more, respect to you Michaell.
Criticising the Inuit people for eating seal is, quite frankly, racist. I find it disgusting that some soy drinking pansy Londoner thinks they have the right to pass judgement on how the rest of the world lives.
I personally wouldn't want to eat it but why is eating pate de foie gras, or veal any more acceptable than this? Get over it - it's their culture and just because it's different from ours doesn't mean it's wrong
Would that be the way of life that depends on petrol driven jet skis and high powered rifles? If these people want to keep their 'indigenous way of life' going, they should go back to making their own canoes and weapons and living off the land, not hunting for the freezer.
And as for the idiotic and self deceiving ''... this seal has offered itself to the hunter" yeah right. It's all a question of development, and these people are not developed and we should not be encouraging them in their backward ways. The ban on seal products should be followed by a ban on all Canadian products until they ban this barbaric practise. I bet they think the seal babies offer themselves for killing and welcome the pick through their brain, knowing there are rich bitches all over the planet who need their fur to keep them warm.
This idiot woman clearly learned her best tricks from Papa Doc. Even stupider than Sarah Palin.