Anishinabek Nation, MNR sign trapping agreement

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The Anishinabek Nation will have greater control of natural resources in Ontario with the establishment of a new trapping licensing management regime as a part of the Anishinabek Trapping Harmonization Agreement.

On April 28, Anishinabek Nation Grand Chief John Beaucage and Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Minister David Ramsey signed the agreement in Sault Ste. Marie.

"The work of the Anishinabek/Ontario Resource Management Council is key to maintaining a good relationship with the Ministry of Natural Resources and upholding our mutual values of conservation as joint stewards of Mother Earth," said Beaucage in a press release announcing the signing.

The implementation of the Anishinabek Trapping Harmonization Agreement includes the promotion of the cultural and traditional harvesting activities of the Anishinabek people and the harmonization of the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) and the MNR systems of wild furbearer management.

The Anishinabek Nation incorporated the UOI as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 42 member First Nations across Ontario. The UOI is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires. The Ojibway, Odawa and Potowatomi Nations formed the confederacy in times before European influence in North America.

The agreement essentially gives the UOI the authority to issue trapping licenses to its members at a reduced cost over the old licensing regime of the MNR, said Allan Dokis, director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the UOI.

The agreement applies to members who are already licensed under the existing regime with the MNR.

It also gives the UOI control over who gets traplines, which is a change over the old scoring system used by the MNR.

"Right now the scoring system doesn't work in favour of our community members, especially those trappers who have been trapping for a long time and, say for example, haven't taken a course and aren't certified," said Dokis.

Dokis said these members tend to be older trappers and they are losing out on getting traplines with the old scoring system.

The new agreement will give First Nation's members first right of refusal when traplines become available.

Dokis also says that the new agreement will allow the UOI to change or even discontinue royalty payments that trappers have to make to the government when they bring their furs to market.

The UOI is looking at rebating royalties to trappers or perhaps setting up an UOI program of their choosing such as training that would be funded by royalties, said Dokis.

The UOI is also now responsible for reporting the numbers of furs taken to the MNR instead of the old fur managers, said Dokis.

The MNR views the Anishinabek Trapping Harmonization Agreement as an administrative partnership between the UOI and the MNR, said Graham Vance, policy advisor in the field services division of the MNR, and the lead negotiator for the MNR on the agreement.

"The intent here is for the increasing role of the trapping administration in the UOI," said Vance.

"We are continuing to work with them on implementation and increasing that role. We see it as an expanding partnership," he said.

George Ross, acting deputy minister of the MNR, said he is pleased to see the trapping agreements between the Anishinabek Nation and the ministry being implemented.

"They are a good example of the government commitment to greater involvement of Aboriginal people in programs and the delivery of services that effect their communities," he said.