Arctic Red River (Aug 18/03) - A Tsiigehtchic hunter says he couldn't get safety courses necessary for gun registration.

James Cardinal said he had 15 people register their guns last June, but he couldn't find a gun safety instructor to visit Tsiigehtchic.

"What's wrong with the smaller communities?" he asked the delegation at the Gwich'in Tribal Council annual general assembly, Aug. 13, in Tsiigehtchic.

"The form is easy to fill out, but the acquisition is hard to get."

Cardinal said he spent two and a half hours on the phone to Ottawa trying to get some answers.

"I want to see something done," he said.

"You're elected. You do the job for us."

Dene Nation grand chief Noeline Villebrun assured Cardinal something is being done.

As of July, the national gun registration was brought to a standstill across Canada.

This fall, Villebrun will be meeting with other aboriginal leaders at a special Aboriginal First Nation assembly to discuss the issue.

Cardinal suggested training people in each community to deliver the safety course.

"I think that is a really good idea and I will take the suggestion back to the AFN," Villebrun said.

Under the new national gun law, every gun must be registered with the government.

Gun owners would not be able to purchase ammunition without a registration card.