Pimicikamak Cree Nation is calling on moose hunters in Manitoba to surrender their licenses this year due to concerns about dwindling moose populations and the loss of access to their traditional hunting grounds. Chief David Monias highlighted that hunting moose is crucial for their subsistence and not merely a recreational activity.
In a recent advertisement published in the Winnipeg Free Press, Pimicikamak Cree Nation explicitly stated that they do not authorize the use of any licenses issued by Manitoba. The ad emphasized that Pimicikamak citizens have the primary right to hunt moose for sustenance and accused the province of violating treaty rights and the Northern Flood Agreement by issuing licenses despite warnings about low moose numbers and food shortages.
The Northern Flood Agreement, signed in 1977, ensures that First Nations have priority access to wildlife resources within their traditional territories until their food requirements are met. Lawyer Byron Williams, representing Pimicikamak, underscored that no hunting licenses should be issued until the food needs of the Indigenous communities are adequately addressed.
Pimicikamak’s traditional territory covers a vast area across several game-hunting zones in Manitoba. Despite the province’s decision to grant 350 moose hunting licenses this year, certain areas have been designated off-limits to licensed hunting to prioritize Indigenous hunters.
Chief Monias expressed the challenges faced by Pimicikamak hunters, who have had to travel to other provinces due to the scarcity of moose in their territory, exacerbated by recent wildfires. The community is demanding an aerial assessment of moose populations before allowing licensed hunting to resume.
Pimicikamak has been advocating for the fulfillment of hunting promises outlined in the Northern Flood Agreement since 2022. Legal proceedings have been ongoing to address the allocation of moose-hunting licenses to non-Indigenous hunters, with a decision pending.
The community’s plea for hunters to return their licenses follows legal actions by other Indigenous groups in Manitoba, such as Misipawistik Cree Nation’s lawsuit against the province and Bloodvein First Nation’s establishment of a buffer zone to restrict non-Indigenous hunters. CBC News sought a response from the provincial authorities but has not yet received a reply.
