I am the descendant of Norwegian whalers.   As recently as about fifteen years ago, I sat around a kitchen table on an island off the west coast of Norway listening to an uncle tell tales of hunting sperm whales - the whales of Moby Dick legend - all over the world. He also talked of high principles both in hunting and in life. 

One story in particular has always stuck with me, a story of a ship-wide search set off by a missing pencil with the offending "thief" ending up banished from the ship. 

Men who treat mere pencils with respect and also have ethical protocols to make sure their game is treated to a swift death with as little agony as possible are honorable men even if public opinion on their hunt changed in their lifetime.  I, personally, will not hunt whales. I will not even eat whale meat when I visit Norway. But that is my personal choice, and not one I will ever force on my Norwegian family.

I hope others can respect this family in Alaska, they deserve peace.