イヨマンテは祭式儀礼と環境省が認める

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アイヌ儀式：「イヨマンテ」禁止通達を５２年ぶりに撤廃というニュース

＜アイヌ儀式＞「イヨマンテ」禁止通達を５２年ぶりに撤廃
(毎日新聞　2007年5月2日　1時04分【横田愛】)

アイヌ民族の伝統儀式「イヨマンテ」（クマ送り）を「野蛮な行為」として事実上禁じた１９５５年の北海道知事名の通達について、道は４月、５２年ぶりに撤廃した。イヨマンテは、神とあがめるクマの魂を天上に送るための儀式で、撤廃により行政が初めてアイヌ文化の枢要をなす儀式を認めた形だ。北海道ウタリ協会の阿部一司副理事長は「（イヨマンテの禁止は和人とアイヌ民族との）同化政策の総仕上げの意味合いがあった。今後は力を入れて儀式を復活させていきたい」と話している。

イヨマンテについて道は５５年、支庁長と市町村長に対し、「アイヌ民族の宗教儀式として生活文化を形成する要素となっていることは是認されるが、社会通念上または教育上好ましくない」「野蛮な行為であり廃止されなければならない」とする通達を出した。通達に法的拘束力はないが、近年の開催は極めて少なくなっていた。道自然環境課は「どういう目的、経過で出されたのか今となっては分からない」と説明する。

同協会は０５年、道に対して通達撤回を求め、道は国に動物愛護管理法との兼ね合いで正式な見解を出すよう要請。環境省は昨年１０月、同法に基づく基本指針で、動物を利用した祭式儀礼について「正当な理由をもって適切に行われる限り法律に抵触しない」と初めて示した。これを受け、道は今年３月、環境省に改めて照会し「イヨマンテは祭式儀礼に該当する」との回答を得たため、４月２日付で通達の廃止を通知した。

阿部副理事長は「通達の廃止は評価するが、今後どれだけ徹底していくかが重要。多民族、多文化の共生と、アイヌ文化の復活につなげていきたい」と話している。

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イヨマンテ　アイヌ民族は、クマを「人間の世界に姿を変えてやってきた神」と位置付けており、大切に育てたクマの魂を天に返すことで謝意を示し、再び人間の世界に恵みがもたらされることを願う儀式。古くは近隣の村から大勢を招いて執り行われ、生け捕りにして２年ほど飼い育てた子グマに矢を放ち、肉をふるまった。近年は胆振管内白老町、日高管内平取町、旭川市などで数年に１度行われている。

▼ English　Hokkaido retracts ban on Ainu people's traditional ceremony

Hokkaido retracts ban on Ainu people's traditional ceremony

SAPPORO -- The Hokkaido Prefectural Government has retracted a ban on the Ainu indigenous people's traditional ceremony "Iyomante," which the governor placed in a 1955 directive, officials said.

The retraction of the ban in April means that the prefectural government approves the ceremony that is the core of Ainu culture.

The Hokkaido Utari Association comprising of Ainu people said it will take this opportunity to promote the coexistence of difference ethnic groups and cultures and revive Ainu culture.
"The directive represented the completion of Japan's assimilation policy (between Japanese and Ainu). From now on, we'd like to step up efforts to revive the ceremony," a high-ranking official of the association said.

"We appreciate the retraction of the directive, but the important thing is to ensure that the ban is no longer valid. We'd like to ensure that it will lead to the coexistence of different ethnic groups and cultures and the revival of Ainu culture," he said.

Iyomante is a ceremony to return the soul of a bear, which Ainu people believe is a God visiting the human world, to heaven to express gratitude to the God and pray for a blessing of the human world.

Specifically, Ainu people catch a wild bear cub, raise it for two years, and then kill it with a spear. They then eat its meat.

In 1955, the governor sent a directive to the mayors of all Hokkaido cities, towns and villages and the directors of the prefectural government branches saying that Iyomante, in which an animal is killed, is a barbaric act.

"It can be recognized that Iyomante, a religious ceremony, is an important part of Ainu culture. However, it is undesirable in light of commonly accepted norms and from an educational viewpoint," the directive said. "It's a barbaric act and it should be abolished."

Even though the directive is not legally binding, Iyomante has been rarely observed in recent years. It is held in Shiraoi, Biratori and Asahikawa once every few years.

Prefectural government officials have no idea of why such a directive was issued. "We don't know the reason and motives for issuing the directive," an official of its natural environment division said.

In 2005, the Hokkaido Utari Association urged the prefectural government to retract the directive.

The prefectural government asked the Environment Ministry about whether the ceremony in which a bear is killed constitutes a violation of the Law concerning the Protection and Control of Animals.

In October last year, the ministry responded that the ceremony does not violate the law as long as it is observed in an appropriate manner for justifiable purposes. The ministry also recognized Iyomante as a ceremony and festival.

The prefectural government officially retracted the directive banning Iyomante on April 2. (Mainichi)

May 2, 2007