Visiting the First Nations people of Japan the Ainu is always a part of my annual Hokkaido Photo workshop tour. (99.999% of Japanese do not know of the Kofun Ainu wars, in which the Ainu were eliminated or enslaved, and they The First Nations Peoples of Japan migrated north to survive, in today what is called Hokkaido.)
The Ainu of Hokkaido, have struggled since the 15th century to preserve their lands and national identity. Unfortunately, when the Japanese government officially incorporated Hokkaido into Japan, non-Ainu Japanese people immigrated to Hokkaido seizing the best plots of land for their farming endeavors, leaving the more rugged and underdeveloped lands for the First Nations people of Japan, the Ainu. In 1997, Japan’s parliament enacted the Act on the Promotion of Ainu Culture and Dissemination and Enlightenment of Knowledge About Ainu Tradition which was a first step In recognizing Ainu autonomy and preserving their remaining cultural traditions. Later in 2007, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a declaration that Japan also endorsed. And by doing so, they tacitly agreed to further the scope of the rights that their indigenous people the Ainu were entitled to. More than half a millennium after their initial oppression, during 2019, the Japanese parliament passed the Ainu Promotion Act which formally recognizes the Ainu as both the indigenous people of Japan, as well as acknowledging the importance of their diversity and contribution to Japan’s society as a whole. Most importantly, the Ainu Promotion Act means the government must adopt measures to ban discrimination against the Ainu, and let them live a humane life in peace without prejudice. Finally, Ainu works of art and cultural intangibles such as their traditional dances are being preserved, going so far as allowing them to pursue trademarks for their traditions and cultural practices. While leading my annual Hokkaido photography workshop, I will introduce you to my Ainu friends and their culture, in the Akan volcanic complex region, a repository of Ainu culture and craftsmanship. There you can witness the ancient lomante fire festival in the Ainu tradition. The rarity and exclusivity of this experience makes this a once in a lifetime opportunity. While witnessing the performance, you will see the distinct link between the natural world and the dancers and singers performance as they imitate the motions and intimations of the hunt and commune with nature an important element of Ainu culture and tradition.
Kamuy or guardian spirits represent the inherent connection between the Ainu and the natural world, and one kamuy, the Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) occupies a special place because of its role in Hokkaido’s raptor hierarchy. Steller’s Sea Eagles often arrive with the pack ice before the official beginning of winter and begin hunting as soon as they arrive. The Steller’s Sea Eagle's plumage is blackish brown-black all over except on the shoulders, rump, tail, thighs, and forehead, which are white. Their HUGE, hooked bill is yellow; when they feed, they do it with raw power. These eagles are huge, on average, the heaviest raptor on our planet, weighing up to and over 10 kg (22 pounds). They are also tall, measuring up to 94 cm (3 ft) sometimes even taller, with a huge wingspan of up to 250 cm (8 - 9 ft). The Steller's Sea Eagle prefers a diet of trout, salmon, or other fish but will eat sea lions or land animals when fishing is slow. Based on all the attributes the Steller’s Sea Eagles possess, the First Nations people of Japan, the Ainu have given the Steller’s Sea Eagle the Ainu name 'Kappachiri Kamuy’ or Eagle god.