Williams Lake, B.C.: The Tŝilhqot’in Nation is asking that those with Limited Entry Hunt (LEH) moose authorizations stay home and forgo their moose hunt in the Tsilhqot’in (Chilcotin) Territory. Hunters that have been issued LEH authorizations from the province of B.C. should consider the impacts of their hunt on the local Indigenous population.
Over the strong objections of the Tŝilhqot’in Nation, the Province has doubled, from 2021, the number of moose LEH authorizations issued in the Chilcotin region. This was done despite the Province’s data showing the lowest levels of moose on the historical record. This data is based off stratified random block surveys that occur ever year to estimate population levels.
Moose feed our families and sustain our culture. In our lifetimes, moose populations have plummeted in the Chilcotin. Moose were once abundant, but in recent years Tŝilhqot’in hunters are reporting too few moose on the territory to feed their families and communities. Many have chosen not to hunt moose out of deep concern for future generations.
B.C.’s decision to increase the LEH in Tŝilhqot’in territory means that there will be less moose for Tŝilhqot’in people to exercise their Aboriginal rights to hunt.
“We have to take every action possible to keep our moose population from declining even
further. LEH hunters need to stay home. They will not be welcomed in our territory. We haven’t
been properly consulted by the Province over these issues. A lot of our moose habitat has not recovered from the 2017 wildfires. Upwards of 80% of some of these areas have burnt and the large scale impacts of wildfire has not been resolved. Moose do not have the protection like they did before wildfire and extensive logging. Our people rely on moose meat to feed their families. Our households are predominantly low income, meaning a nearby food source is not only a constitutionally-protected Aboriginal right, but also an absolute necessity for healthy living. Now is not the time for LEH hunters to come here. We need to protect our food sources to protect our families and communities.”
— Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse, O.B.C, Tribal Chair, Tŝilhqot’in National Government
Myanna Desaulniers
Communications Manager
Tŝilhqot’in National Government
(250) 305-7885
myanna@tsilhqotin.ca
The Tŝilhqot’in National Government is calling on the Province of British Columbia, Royal Canadian Mounted
June 26, 2024 — Xeni Gwet’in (Nemiah Valley), British Columbia— Tŝilhqot’in Nation, Province of British
