Posted 27/05/09 By Tim Querengesser

For eating a small piece of raw seal heart with the Inuit of Rankin Inlet on Tuesday, Governor General Michaëlle Jean has been called many things, from "Canada's new Braveheart," to "the Sarah Palin of Canada," to "barbaric." Rather than wade further into the emotional debate surrounding the seal hunt, Jean was succinct when asked what her actions meant. "Take from that what you will," she said. And sure enough, from all corners of the world, many have taken what they will.

If you haven't seen it, check out the mostly unedited video footage of the event - it helps put the ensuing reaction and commentary in perspective. Or watch news coverage of it below.

Reaction to Jean's snack has been intense, highly emotional, and nearly global. Some have accused Jean of crossing the line into "bloodlust" with her actions.

Defence Minister Peter McKay has promised on a future trip to Nunavut that he, too, will eat some seal. Some writers, with overtly Conradian language, have dramatized the event as if they were being paid by the adjective.

In Europe, where opposition to Canada's seal hunt is official policy, Jean's request to try a piece of the mammal's heart was called "bizarre." One British writer recalled the many foods the royal family and its entourage has eaten, including monkey brains, noting few have been taken to task for their snacks with the "enthusiasm" Jean is now facing. Strangely, Buckingham Palace found it necessary to assure anyone who doubted it that Jean's position as the Queen's representative in Canada "remains the same."

Few have asked, however, how strange, off-putting or culturally insensitive it would be for Canada's Governor General to visit a highschool in Rankin Inlet and not participate in the community's traditions. And few animal-rights activists have offered up ideas for a substitute for the seal industry in places like Rankin Inlet, where sealing is one of few viable industries in Canada's poorest region. And few journalists have quoted one Inuit teenager at the event, who put it succinctly. "The seal is our life," she said. "The seal is our way of life."

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