Metis hunter challenges rules a second time
Terry Halifax
Northern News Services
Fort Smith (Oct 30/00) - A Metis hunter has once again challenged the law of the land by hunting within the boundaries of Wood Buffalo National Park.
Kenny Hudson made headlines in April 1999 when he shot a moose within park boundaries in a bid to force the courts to rule on Metis rights. He was angered when those charges were stayed in September, and vowed to return the park to hunt again.
Last week he did just that.
"Today, I exercised by going out into the park and shooting a bunch of chickens," Hudson said last Tuesday.
Hudson shot a dozen spruce grouse in the sand hills near Little Buffalo River and then turned himself in to park officials in Fort Smith.
"I said, 'I was busy out in the park today, killing your chickens,'" Hudson said later. "He took his little card out and read me my rights."
The warden took a statement and Hudson turned in his rifle and a cardboard box containing the 12 dead birds. Hudson said now he'll wait and see if he's charged.
"We have to do something, otherwise time goes by and they hope we'll forget about it," he said.
He's been advised by park officials and others who say he should wait until a similar case is tried in Ontario. The case involves a Metis father and son hunting without a license. The defendant, R.W. Powely, has won his case in the lower courts and the government has appealed the matter to the high court.
"Why should we have to wait to see what other provinces do?" Hudson said. To force the issue further, Hudson plans to hunt until something is done in the courts or at the negotiating table.
"I plan on doing it next week again and I'll keep doing it until they wake up and do something -- either negotiate with us or take me to court," he said.
President of the South Slave Metis Council Rob Tordiff, said they can offer little beyond moral support for Hudson as they are in the midst of negotiations, but have asked Ottawa to expand the negotiations to include park hunting rights.
"The South Slave Metis Tribal Council is certainly interested in what's occurring in Ken's case," Tordiff said. "What he has done is important to many of our beneficiaries."
