SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
An aboriginal program activities co-ordinator with Yellowknife Catholic Schools is under fire for comments he made on Facebook calling Tlicho hunters on a caribou hunt last weekend "animals."
David Radcliffe, the aboriginal program activities co-ordinator with Yellowknife Catholic Schools, left, sits on some caribou hides after finishing a meal of bison and whitefish with students and Prime Minister Stephen Harper during a Yellowknife federal election campaign stop in April 2011. - NNSL file photo - |
"These animals should be ashamed of themselves," wrote David Radcliffe, below a Facebook post Sunday containing a video showing hunters from Behchoko and Dettah arriving in Lutsel K'e for the hunt.
"They call themselves the keepers of the land. Well this just goes to show that they keep only what they can get no matter the cost."
The hunters were apparently travelling to the community - with their knowledge and permission - to stock up on caribou meat after a ban was implemented on hunting from the now dwindling Bathurst caribou herd - the herd most associated the Tlicho and Yellowknives traditional hunting grounds north of Great Slave Lake.
In another comment, Radcliffe referred to the hunters by an expletive, stating they "are killing off an entire species of animals. Your kids will never see a caribou and all because they are killing them because they think it's their right to do so."
Those comments, shared on the Dene Nation Facebook page, set off a firestorm from people accusing him of racism.
"I think they were very rude and I think his point of view is quite astonishing and shocking," said Iris Catholique, who posted the video and was involved in the Facebook brawl.
"We live in a day and age when we're all supposed to treat each other as equals but yet he can get away with calling people down and calling a whole race down."
Speaking to Yellowknifer, Radcliffe, who's wife Sandy Lee is a former NWT health minister and federal Conservative Party candidate, said his "animals" comment was not meant to be racist but was referring to the hunters involved.
"I really hurt people," he said, adding that he felt badly. "I do appreciate that my comments could have been perceived as being wrong."
He refused to make further comment on the record, citing legal advice that he should not speak to the media.
Catholique has two sons in the Catholic school system but said she will send them elsewhere if Radcliffe remains employed with YCS.
"If he's teaching there in the fall next year my sons will not enroll," she said.
She hopes Radcliffe resigns from his position with YCS.
"I don't think this is going to be the end of it," said Catholique. "People are going to be petitioning for him to be removed from his position."
Radcliffe said he has 100 per cent support from the Yellowknife Catholic school district as an employee.
John Bowden, assistant superintendent of learning with YCS, would not confirm the district's support, saying he would not comment on private issues involving employees but said he was aware of the situation.
"No statements that are being made through social media in any way reflect or represent the views of YCS," said Bowden.
"We have a longstanding and very positive relationship with the aboriginal community, and we are going to continue to work with all our educational partners in supporting our students."
He said YCS is reviewing the situation.
Catholique said the comments are a wake-up call that there is still racism in the North. But she debated whether caribou were as endangered as claimed.
"I don't think (extinction) is going to happen in my lifetime or my children's lifetime," she said.
"Caribou migrate. They have a history of travelling and to be honest I don't even know if the GNWT's survey numbers are accurate."
