Yellowknife (Feb 25/04) - A Dettah man says his desire to carry on a family tradition for his daughter is under attack from the Canadian military.

Brian Sundberg said his wife's side of the family has kept a trapline near Dorothy Lake since her great-grandfather's time.

His daughter Stacey, an 18-year-old Dettah resident and status Indian, was excited to have been awarded a general hunting licence. She was anxious to start trapping this winter along the family route 160 km outside of Yellowknife.

They set snares for wolverines on Friday, but when they returned Sunday, they discovered one of the traps had been dismantled and the Canadian Forces' 440 Squadron was setting up camp nearby -- with children in tow.

"It just shows a total disrespect for the people who are out there," said Sundberg, a non-aboriginal married into a Treaty 8 family.

"These guys should be educated one way or another."

Illegal to tamper with traps

He complained to Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development the next day. Under the NWT Wildlife Act, it is illegal to tamper with set traps and snares.

Senior wildlife officer, Raymond Bourget, says he has spoken to 440 Squadron, and an investigation is ongoing. He wouldn't say whether charges will be laid.

Sundberg also called Canadian Forces Northern Area, where he says he was put in touch with 440 Squadron's commanding officer, Lt.-Col. Scott Archer.

He says Archer told him the squadron intends to use the area from now on to stage military exercises, which may include family outings.

"I asked him if this was an official exercise or a family day and he said, 'both,'" said Sundberg.

"We were in there first. My daughter's grandfather used it in the '40s and '50s, and her great-grandfather before that."

Snare blocking a route

Archer could not be reached for comment, but Maj. Glenn Maxwell, who was among the 440 Squadron group that ventured to Dorothy Lake on the weekend, said the snare was removed because it was blocking a route that is clearly marked on published maps.

He said they used the trail often last year and never encountered any traps on it before.

"We sized it up to see if we could go around it because I recognize how important it is to these folks," said Maxwell.

"It was one of those things because it's on a recognized route, and because of the safety side of things, we had to move it aside so we didn't injure anybody. We tried to minimize damage to the snare itself."

He said the soldiers and their families were in the area to clear an abandoned airfield, which they intend to maintain as an emergency runway and training area.

Sundberg said now that the military has moved in, the family trapline is in jeopardy. He said there may well be an old runway in the area, but it's himself and his family that have been clearing out a path.

He also doesn't understand how 440 Squadron could have not seen traps in the area last year.

"After a Ski-Doo goes through, the wolverine are as good as gone," said Sundberg.

"Just because there's a line on a map that doesn't make it right, but I guess you can't win against the government."