After the Cree Nation Government condemned the unauthorized hunting of caribou in the Nichicun and Lac Catalogne areas of Eeyou Istchee by members of the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, Quebec’s Ministry of the Environment announced it has opened an investigation into the incident.
The province’s wildlife protection agency has requested action to document the alleged activities and “offence files could be filed for judicial consequences.” Although several sources confirmed that Naskapi hunters killed 200 caribou in mid-February, it’s unknown how many were from the endangered woodland Caniapiscau and Témiscamie herds as they’re known to mix with migratory caribou.
“At this time of year, it is likely that the animals are a mixture of the two ecotypes,” said Martin-Hugues St-Laurent, professor of animal ecology at the University of Quebec in Rimouski. “Having tissues taken from the harvested animals would make it possible to determine the ecotype of each animal killed.”
Quebec’s caribou are divided into three ecotypes: migratory, mountain, and woodland. The woodland caribou are particularly at risk and populations in Val-d’Or and Charlevoix are so vulnerable that enclosures have been used to protect them. The George River herd has declined 99% since the 1990s, which prompted a ban on hunting these caribou in 2018.
In the interest of conservation, the Cree Nation has not authorized any caribou hunting within its territory this year and has requested the cooperation of all communities and hunters in respecting these efforts. The Eeyou Istchee Land Keepers program has raised community awareness about the caribou status and is mandated to monitor ecological health and report suspicious activities.
The CNG recently received reports indicating that further caribou hunting is being planned by Innu hunters from Matimekosh Lac-John around the same Nichicun area and that these proposed hunts are not supported by the other Innu Nations. The CNG, along with the Cree Nations of Chisasibi and Mistissini, strongly condemned these unauthorized hunts.
“For many years, the Cree Nation has invested much effort to protect these vulnerable herds, and the sacrifices made by our communities are now at risk,” stated Mistissini Chief Michael Petawabano. “These hunts threaten the caribou’s survival and undermine the trust and cooperation that we have all worked to build. I call for an immediate end to these activities and urge all to respect the collective efforts being made to protect these caribou herds.”
The CNG urged all hunters and communities to respect conservation measures and immediately cease all hunting activities in the Nichicun and Lac Catalogne areas. It called on Quebec Wildlife Protection to intervene on unauthorized hunting, conduct aerial patrols to investigate and monitor the situation, and coordinate with Cree wildlife protection assistants.
On February 28, the Naskapi Nation responded in a statement acknowledging that the hunt took place in the Cree Area of Primary Interest and that prior authorization from the Crees should have been sought, in accordance with treaty obligations and the existing Nation-to-Nation agreement.
Voluntarily ceasing to hunt the George River herd in 2018 due to its plummeting numbers, the Naskapi traditional community hunt then shifted to the Leaf River migratory herd, whose population has been higher but is generally further away from their community. In this case, the Naskapi hunters said that targeting the more vulnerable herd was unintentional.
“We were following the tracks north of the Caniapiscau River, near Eaton Canyon,” explained one of the Naskapi hunters, Christopher Mameanskum. “We thought it was the Leaf River herd, because last year that’s where they were.”
The Naskapi traditional territory, Nuchimiyuschiiy, overlaps with the traditional territory of several other First Nations, highlighting the importance of joint stewardship, coordination, and communication efforts. Through initiatives like the Ungava Peninsula Caribou Aboriginal Round Table, they hope to develop sustainable conservation strategies.
A spokesperson told the Nation that “the Naskapi Nation deeply regrets the situation and takes it very seriously. They reaffirm their commitment to preserving both forest and migratory caribou populations and strengthening the collaborative efforts for their long-term protection.”
To ensure this kind of incident never happens again, the Naskapi Nation has committed to promptly adopting a comprehensive Naskapi law to be developed in consultation with its members. This law will include existing and new enforceable procedures and protocols applicable to any future community hunt.
Section 24 of the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement stipulates the Naskapi have the right to hunt on Cree territory “without being subject to the control of the Cree Tallymen,” but only if the person is “within this area for the purpose of harvesting caribou and only for purposes of food in case of need.”
The annual caribou hunt has long been a rite of passage for Cree, Naskapi, Innu and other communities, a species deeply connected to Indigenous cultural and environmental heritage. However, community hunts have grown more controversial as population levels have dropped.
A harvest of hundreds of caribou by some Naskapi hunters in Chisasibi territory in 2016 drew outrage. In 2021, a cull of 300 caribou by Innu hunters near the Labrador border had Naskapi Kawawachikamach Chief Noah Swappie questioning “when are we going to eat caribou?”
In 2022, the Cree and Innu Nations reached a mutual understanding that enabled Innu hunters to harvest caribou in Eeyou Istchee with a winter harvest limit of 300, a prohibition of for-profit hunting and other protocols. Due to the declining numbers of the Leaf River herd, this mutual understanding was not renewed this year.
Quebec’s environment ministry estimates an “average 11 percent decrease in the population per year” among woodland caribou. As some herds approached “the threshold of near disappearance,” Canada’s environment minister Steven Guilbeault recommended an emergency decree to protect boreal caribou last year.
On March 10, Guilbeault announced a $100 million Canada-Quebec agreement to advance nature conservation in the province. Nearly a third of this funding is aimed at supporting Indigenous leadership in biodiversity conservation, which could include targeted measures to ensure the boreal caribou’s recovery.
“This species cannot be protected without the input and involvement of Indigenous peoples,” stated the federal government. “This is why the Government of Canada is committed to continuing to include Indigenous communities in discussions on the conservation of the boreal caribou and to supporting them in their efforts to protect the species.”