Hockey motor-mouth Don Cherry’s “barbarian” remark ignites seal meat furor

Coach’s Corner commentator Don Cherry called colleague Ron MacLean a “barbarian” for eating seal meat Feb. 7, offending many viewers across the country.

New Jersey Devils player Jordin Tootoo, the NHL’s only Inuk player, has yet to weigh in on Cherry’s comments. Tootoo is pictured here wearing a seal skin coat. (TWITTER PHOTO)

Nunavut leaders called for an apology Feb. 8 from the bumptious hockey commentator, Don Cherry, after he joked that eating seal meat is for savages and barbarians.

During the Hockey Night in Canada segment of Coach’s Corner, Cherry and his side-kick, Ron MacLean, were doing their regular post game debrief and banter.

MacLean, who joined the show live from St. John’s, Nfld., had eaten a seal burger at a local restaurant earlier in the day, which he mentioned to Cherry.

“Guess what I had for lunch today?” MacLean said.

“I know, I heard, you were eating seal — a little baby seal,” Cherry replied. “What are you eating seal… I mean, come on, what are you — a savage, a barbarian?”

The comment sparked outrage on social media from across the country, from Newfoundland and Labrador to Canada’s Inuit communities.

“I’m proud to be Inuk and to be called a barbarian is just unacceptable,” Jennifer Hunter of Kuujjuaraapik tweeted Feb. 7. “You don’t have the right to call me or my people that!”

@coachscornerCBC #doncherry I am a seal meat eater & I am NOT a barbarian. pic.twitter.com/iQVgq0uJqT

— Alethea ArnaquqBaril (@Alethea_Aggiuq) February 8, 2015

@hockeynight Inuit should be able to watch @Jtootoo22 without being subjected to racism! #eatseal

— Qajaq Robinson (@Qajaaq) February 8, 2015

Other Inuit on Twitter said they planned to boycott Coaches Corner.

By Feb. 8, Nunavut’s leadership has weighed in, asking for the sports commentator to apologize for his remarks.

“Inuit and Canadians who eat seal are not barbarians,” said Nunavut premier Peter Taptuna on Twitter. “Learn more about seal. It’s the fabric of our cultural identity.”

In a tweet from Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq, she pledged the federal government’s support in defending “Canada’s humane seal hunt which is so important to many of our Northern and coastal communities.”

“Mr. Cherry’s comments last night were hurtful and insensitive,” she said. “I hope he apologizes.”

Newfoundland and Labrador premier Paul Davis also weighed in, called Cherry’s comments ignorant and insulting to the province, including its Aboriginal population.

Cherry finally responded to the criticism, again on Twitter, Feb. 8. “Evidently I upset some people about my seal burger comments,” he wrote. “I would like to try to explain my comments.”

“I do it because I feel I have hurt the feeling of some people I like and admire. I have friends who hunt deer and ducks, friends who are hunters and eat venison and duck,” Cherry wrote. “Just the same, as I have no problem with people who seals and (eat) seal meat.”

“I do however find it very unusual, in my world, that a person would go into a restaurant and order a seal burger for lunch,” Cherry said.

“I meant no disrespect to the hunters who hunt and eat seal meat just like I have no disrespect for the hunters who hunt deer and duck and eat their meat.

“If this explanation isn’t good enough, then let the cards fall where they may.”