LUTSEL K’E/SNOWDRIFT
A caribou hunt several days ago on the east arm of Great Slave Lake was not in violation of any legislated restrictions, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed last week.

Tlicho hunters travelled by snowmobile to Lutsel K’e Dene Band territory to hunt from the Beverly caribou herd last week, on invitation from the band. The hunt sparked controversy online when an aboriginal program co-ordinator for Yellowknife Catholic Schools posted derogatory comments about the hunters. - NNSL file photo

Controversy began to swirl March 21 after a video of Tlicho hunters arriving in Lutsel K'e for the community hunt was posted on Facebook - provoking Yellowknife Catholic Schools aboriginal programming co-ordinator David Radcliffe to refer to the participants as "animals" and accuse them of contributing to the caribou's extinction.

However, Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) spokesperson Judy McClinton told News/North the Tlicho were perfectly within their rights to conduct a hunt on the Beverly and Ahiak herds in that region.

"There's no harvest restrictions on that herd, even residents can get a tag to hunt caribou in that management unit," McClinton said.

"I think people misunderstood where they were actually hunting."

She added ENR encourages community hunts and provides resources to help make them happen.

"The support we provide helps to cover the cost of gas and groceries for them and the hunters go out and hunt for the whole community and bring it back, bring back the meat and share it."

Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger announced a ban on hunting from the Bathurst herd early this year; save for 15 bulls for ceremonial purposes, which require a permit first. The Bathurst herd has reportedly declined to 15,000 from 460,000 in 1986.

Iris Catholique posted the video of the Tlicho arriving by snowmobile. She said the band allows their neighbours to come hunt on Akaitcho territory and is part of a way of life that has been the norm for hundreds of years.

She said Lutsel K'e Dene Band provided guides to take the hunters to the caribou and ensure proper procedures were followed.

"The caribou herd in our region is healthy and we're not low in numbers and it's a healthy herd so we've always worked in partnership with other First Nations when it comes to harvesting," she said.

"We have no issue of allowing them to come over here as long as they respect the harvest and the way we practice."

She emphasized more education is needed so people in the North are aware of the integral role caribou hunts play in their culture and understand strict guidelines are followed during hunts.

"We would expect the same co-operation and hospitality from other First Nations if we needed to go to their region to harvest caribou to feed our families," she said. "It's our way of life, we live off the caribou."

Under the Lutsel K'e band's jurisdiction, local monitors are assigned to each hunting party, all of the meat must be salvaged instead of sold and each hunter is only allowed three-to-five caribou maximum over no more than two days of hunting.

The Ahiak and Beverly caribou herds are estimated to have populations of 71,000 and 124,000 animals respectively.

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