An Ontario Provincial Police officer demonstrated ignorance

An Ontario Provincial Police officer demonstrated ignorance of treaty relationships and rights when he pulled Nigigoonsimikinkaaning First Nation Chief Will Windigo over for having a quartered moose in his truck, he said, and that disturbed him more than the aggressive treatment of the officer against his hunting party.

Windigo said his truck was pulled over last fall, but the officer was unaware Treaty 3 members have hunting rights within the entire 142,000-square-kilometre territory.

Although Windigo was able to produce his treaty card, he doesn’t have a Possession Acquisition License on principle, he told a Thunder Bay newspaper. “I basically told the officer, ‘I understand what your position is. You have a job to do, but you guys need to be more educated as to knowing the rights holders you’re dealing with. You guys have to know about our treaties,’ and he really wasn’t willing to listen to that,” Windigo said.

There were no charges laid, but Windigo contacted OPP in Fort Frances, 40 kilometres west of his community, reports the paper. He urged police leadership to assist their officers to understand provincial laws and Indigenous rights.