HISTOrical Context
In historical contexts, the Iomante was not only spiritual, but it was practical. The Ainu were prolific hunters, and much of their livelihood depended on resources which the bear provided, such as their pelts and liver, believed to be a potent medicine. (Kitagawa 1961, pg. 134)
In the Tokugawa era, the Ainu suffered subjugation by Japanese rule. Assimilation tactics were implemented to separate the Ainu from their cultural identity. In the Mid 1960's, tha Ainu began to fight back for their rights to their cultural identity, and to reinterpret their misrepresented image from years past. (Clercq 2017).
MODERN Context
In modern contexts, the Iomante is not practiced in the same way for a few reasons. Firstly, Iomante was outlawed by the Japanese government and was not practiced again until recently. Modern Iomante is not that of a sacrificial rite, but held when an animal is found dead in the wild, or dies of old age in captivity. With a dwindling bear population, as well as a lack of need for resources from a bear in their modern life, many communities do not feel the need to perform sacrifice regardless (Dosanko 2010).
The right to hold Iomante is one of great significance to the Ainu, as hundreds of years of oppression and assimilation laws have left them with a disoriented vision of what Ainu culture used to be. The right to perform Iomante is an important step in cultural revival and identification in the Hokkaido Ainu community.