Come out west and see how many animals are on my reserve. None of the traditional lands I hunt on are decimated, I don't think anyone has plans to decimate them in the future either. Last thing you wanna do is call First Nations unrespectful too. You are entitled to your opinion, but some you may want to keep to yourself.
When my family has FN drive through their street every year selling fish to the white folk from the back of their truck, fresh from the river, you call that respecting the game? I wasn't aware FN could kill and sell on the street.. This is fact not opinion.
When my family has FN drive through their street every year selling fish to the white folk from the back of their truck, fresh from the river, you call that respecting the game? I wasn't aware FN could kill and sell on the street.. This is fact not opinion.
Over the years, I too have seen exactly what you are talking about. However, I don't think it's fair to say FN are the ones guilty of doing that. No matter which race, there are abusers and adze-holes. What I found distressing in the past s that many reserves tolerated this, under the guise of "treaty rights". Fortunately, over the past several years, this has begun to change. I certainly hope it continues to the point where bands manage wildlife properly. Just as not all Natives are drunks and lazy, neither are they all the Disney-like characters that spew the Circle of Life crap. They are exactly like the rest of the human race. Some excellent, most good, some garbage - exactly like whites, blacks, Muslims, orientals, you name it.
I agree - The problem is with the Federal and Provincial authorities applying the wildlife statutes equally and fairly for all Canadians.
I admire and respect the initiative that Brunswick House FN has taken and hope it's a model for all FN groups to adopt across Canada.
It would be great if everyone helps preserve the herds so they will always be here. Good on them.
With intensive management and all groups playing by the rules there would be plenty of game for all. Again, management is the keyword. Greed, lack of education, arrogance and simple stupidity will ensure no large ungulates for any stakeholders... Kudos for a First Nation taking the initiative but I see none of this here in Manitoba...
As far as I'm concerned, they don't necessarily have to be applied equally and fairly. It should be determined by the capacity of the herd to sustain hunting pressure. I would like to see subsistence hunting allowed to all people that live in remote areas, regardless of race, and I would have no objection to those people getting the lion's share of the tags. If they decide it's more beneficial to give up some of their tags to bring in tourists and their dollars, that should be a local decision. Who was it that said fair does not necessarily mean equal. And, regardless of race, anyone caught selling or wasting game should be castrated with a rusty butter knife, have the wound cauterized with a red-hot coal shovel, and given their testicles to wear in a little pouch around their necks.
Does it cost money to apply for a moose tag or do you only pay when you're awarded one?
Does it cost money to apply for a moose tag or do you only pay when you're awarded one?
This is language I can agree with 100%
No one is asking anyone to forego treaties or heritage. However, there a few things many Native people seem unable or unwilling to accept. First of all - rights and treaties are not immovable objects. Evolution takes place, and affects those issues as well. 100 years ago, my great-grandfather's wife was his property, as were his kids. He was allowed to beat them, treat them as he wanted. It was his God-given right. Women had no rights as people. Likewise, Native people were granted certain rights and privileges, based on the conditions at that time. Those have changed. No Native person in Canada still lives in the traditional way. All are given access to health care, education, modern housing, weapons, vehicles. Fish and game are now known not be limitless. The ROC have placed limits on what they are allowed to harvest, and when they are allowed to do so, based on the capacity of nature to sustain their numbers. Native groups, who want self-government, must do the same.
Traditions and heritage? No one in Canada lives the way their ancestors did. My grandparents had 10 kids (a modest family in Quebec at the time). They could provide all the necessities of life with their small 160 acre farm, supplemented by some logging income. Religion was a huge part of their life. Times have changed. As a professional storyteller, I do what I can to ensure the memory of our heritage lives on, but those times are gone, never to return. We remember, we celebrate, we cherish, but those days are long past.
Treaties and documents? All of those change over time as well.
Chronic unemployment? A terrible thing. However, how did people in Northern Ontario, Northern Quebec and the Maritimes deal with it? They pulled up stakes and moved where the work was. I had lived my entire life in small-town Northeastern Ontario. My family and friends were there. My kids were raised there. My way of life was a small-town way of life. When I lost my job, I had 2 choices - stay, end up on welfare, and cry over the "good old days", or move to Ottawa, where I found work.
Successful reserves/tribes/groups seem to be those that, while they still cherish and celebrate the ways of their ancestors, accept that the world is changing, and evolve with it.
What I find most encouraging about this move by First Nations is that they seem to finally be accepting that the path to healing, growth and success is within their control, and that they must adapt to the modern world without sacrificing their roots.
Am I a racist? I really don't think so. I realized a long time ago that we are all the same, regardless of race, religion or nationality. Some are great people, most are good people, some are adze-holes, some are a waste of human flesh. Being a Muslim does not make you a terrorist. Being Native does not make a person a great friend of nature.
Oh yeah - definitely keep your opinion to yourself - Don't be voicing any criticism of First Nations now matter how indirect or mild. Just shut up already.
Back to the topic at hand initiated by the O.P. The last time I hunted moose in Ontario was on Hwy 655 north of Timmins. We were scouting the seismic lines and power lines. Right on one of the power lines was 5 dead cows and calves that were killed by one pickup of native hunters. There was no open season for Cows or calves. This is the type of practise that has to stop if there is any hope of maintaining any kind of sustainable moose hunt in that area or anywhere for that matter.
Last year in B.C. one of the locals where I was hunting told me of three moose that were killed on their private property during the winter outside of any open season. It was once again native hunters. You know the area 45 ACPKING. Once again, this type of practice has to stop in order to maintain any kind of population for future generations. Both of these two areas once had more moose than people. Now they are hurting badly. First Nations has to start limiting the number of animals they kill or soon there will be nothing to hunt.
I do want to acknowledge that disease and wolf predation is reducing moose populations in the area faster than human interaction. But that is mostly out of our hands thanks to the NDP in B.C.