La Verendrye FAUNIC RESERVE, Quebec—Tempers have stirred in Quebec as the Algonquin Nation has blocked access to hunting trails until a proposed moose-hunting moratorium is called. Dozens of sports hunters angered by the move recently blocked a stretch of Highway 117 in Quebec’s La Verendyre Faunic Reserve in protest—on what was supposed to be the first day of gun hunting for big game.
After more than two hours, officers with the provincial police force finally persuaded hunters to leave.
The hunters pay thousands of dollars to kill approximately 80 to 90 moose in the La Verendrye Faunic Reserve every year.
Barriere Lake councilor Charles Ratt says three to five moose can feed his entire community for quite a while—in an area where it takes two hours in travel time to get to towns that are large enough to offer food or supplies. A cull of 80-90 moose would feed the community of Barriere Lake—and beyond—for close to four years, Ratt says.
According to Quebec’s Forestry Ministry, sports hunters culled more than 26,000 moose in the whole territory in 2019. A survey in early 2020 noted approximately two moose in every 10 square kilometres of the faunic reserve. Government officials say these findings are concerning, but not critical.
Ratt disagrees. “To me, it’s only common sense that [Quebec] take drastic measures now, rather than later. That’ll affect seven, 12, 15 generations down the line if we don’t do something now with the [moose] population,” he said.
Without a hunting management plan the Chiefs from the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation agree the moose could disappear altogether. They are calling for a moratorium on moose hunting for five years.
Verna Polson, grand chief of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council, is calling upon Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolynn Bennett to intervene with a moratorium.
“This is a question of subsistence for many Algonquin families and the federal government cannot deny its responsibilities,” Polson said. She also stressed that the nation will not back down.
The Algonquin groups who congregate at five checkpoints along Highway 117 are also combatting racism and intolerance from the non-Indigenous population over the issue.
In Algonquin tradition, no part of the moose goes to waste. It is respected and honored through the hunting process. But the Algonquins feel this message is going unheard.
“This is [our] grocery store – this is how [we] live. This is how we’ve always lived,” explained Ryder Coté Nottaway, a youth from Kitigan Zibi. “Non-Native hunters, that’s what they don’t understand. They think we hunt and hunt for sport just to fill up our freezers. [But] we take what we need to feed our families.”
