Hunting privileges revoked

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On Feb. 3, the St. Mary's Band council met with a large gathering of their members to discuss the recent posting that all hunting privileges on the reserve had been revoked, effective immediately.

The council's decision was in response to allegations of over-hunting and abuse of rights. Although the council could not legally revoke the hunting rights, they certainly stirred up an hornet's nest.

Everyone who attended the meeting had his or her chance to speak about the decision. Some were in favor of closing hunting on the reserve, while others vehemently opposed it.

"Many of you did mention that we shouldn't fight each other and that we do have an agreement that we won't hunt in each others backyards," said Chief Sophie Pierre.

Several years ago at a band meeting, the members voted in favor of permanently closing the lower St. Mary Valley to hunting because it is where everyone's homes are. The effect of that has been that the elk, deer, moose, bobcats, etc. are protected in a permanent sanctuary.

"I watch the elk 20 feet from my house, but I respect the "law" that there is no shooting on the flats even though I go up on top to hunt and I don't see a thing," said band member James McCoy. "Meanwhile, right outside my door are fifty elk."

The St. Mary's Indian Reserve is one of the largest reserves in British Columbia. It is also home to a migrant herd of elk in the winter months.

Some of the accusations made were that some people were slaughtering the elk. One of the ladies present commented, "slaughter is what happened to the buffalo. The majority of people use the food and hides and we have to protect that."

It was made clear that many of the band members consume the elk meat as their main dietary staple. The suggestion was made to the council that if they were going to stop them from hunting that the council would have to purchase meat for them.

"All of us band members were raised to hunt, trap, pick berries and roots," said Maureen Alexander. "We should be working with each other not against one-another, because that's our source of food, clothing and moccasins."

A committee was established and their mandate is to draft a band by-law to regulate the human impact on the wildlife.

"If you are going to revoke the hunting rights here, it's also going to happen on the other four Bands of the Ktunaxa Nation," said William Warbrick of the Shuswap Band. The Ktunaxa are in the BC Treaty Process and such a by-law could be considered an act of self-government and conceivably be transferred to cover the entire Ktunaxa Traditional Territory from Revelstoke southward to Sparwood northward and all places in between.

The by-law will be a document based upon Ktunaxa traditional knowledge regarding wildlife management.