‘Extremely disappointed’: hunters being turned away near Bloodvein First Nation, Manitoba Wildlife Federation says

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation says hunters are again being refused access to land near Bloodvein River First Nation, a year after leadership told court it would let them through.

The senior policy adviser for the Manitoba Wildlife Federation said he’s had five reports of hunters being turned away at a checkstop the First Nation set up last year to stop the flow of drugs and alcohol into the community.

“(Checkstop officers) said they’re not allowing hunters through,” Chris Heald said. “They made that clear, and that was the end of it. This is just a rinse and repeat of last year.”

The wildlife federation took the First Nation to court last year after several hunters were refused access to Crown land during hunting season. The federation argued the checkpoint was unlawful and impedes access to hunters, who have the right to be there under the province’s Wildlife Act.

During the November hearing before Court of King’s Bench Justice Theodore Bock, Bloodvein Chief Lisa Young said through her lawyer the checkstop’s officers wouldn’t deny licensed hunters access to its traditional land, provided they stick to a no-booze rule.

The judged ruled the checkpoint could stay in place and dismissed the application for the injunction because it didn’t follow proper procedure.

Heald said he hadn’t heard any instances of hunters being denied access after the court case last year — until hunting season reopened this month.

“I’m extremely disappointed. I mean, I think that Judge Bock made his decision based on the chief’s commitment to allow hunters through, so I mean I’m disappointed in it,” Heald said.

Moose hunting in the area this year runs from Sept. 21 to Oct. 18 and again from Nov. 30 to Dec. 13. Hunters have a limit of one moose per licence.

Bloodvein First Nation, located about 235 kilometres north of Winnipeg on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg, has been vocal about its concerns about declining moose populations in the area.

After Bock rendered his decision, Young told reporters the decision affirms the right for First Nations to decide what is best for their community.

The province imposed 500-metre hunting buffer zones near the community last September after complaints of lower moose populations. The buffer zones have since been removed.

The province conducted aerial surveys this year in game hunting area 17B — which connects Bloodvein First Nation to Berens River First Nation — which showed “ongoing reproduction” within the moose population, a provincial spokesperson said. Recent aerial surveys show that moose populations in Manitoba’s east side are generally stable, the spokesperson said.

Young declined comment and directed questions to the band council’s lawyer.

Other First Nations have taken the issue of moose hunting into their own hands. On Saturday, both Misipawistik and Pimicikamak Cree Nations ran large ads in the Free Press asking hunters to stay away from their communities to protect moose populations.

Pimicikamak’s full-page ad said it doesn’t consent or give permission for moose hunting licences to be used within the Cross Lake Resource Area and Cross Lake Registered Trapline Section.

It points to the Northern Flood Agreement, which was signed by five northern First Nations, Manitoba Hydro and the federal and provincial governments in 1977 during the creation of the Lake Winnipeg regulation and Churchill River Diversion projects.

The agreement stipulates that members of Pimicikamak, also known as Cross Lake, have “first priority” to hunt within their resource area and that Manitoba will prohibit non-members from hunting in the territory, which intersects with four provincial hunting areas (3, 3A, 9A and 10).

Misipawistik’s notice cited a declining moose population in the area. Chief Heidi Cook told the Free Press last week the licenses issued for the area is putting the entire population at risk of collapse and warned there could be no moose left come next year.

Heald said the federation had several meetings scheduled with Bloodvein leadership to discuss their concerns, but both were cancelled at the last minute. The advocacy organization has since sent registered mail in an attempt to communicate with chief and council, but has received no response.

The organization also wrote a letter to RCMP assistant commissioner Scott McMurchy asking Mounties prevent the checkstop from turning away hunters.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Melanie Roussel said Mounties are aware of the checkstop and are “working with provincial partners as well as all stakeholders on this matter.”

Indigenous Futures and Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie has a meeting with Bloodvein leadership scheduled for Friday, a provincial spokesperson said.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca