The Northwest Territories Court of Appeal has dismissed the territorial government’s challenge to Indigenous-led caribou harvesting and conservation plans
In a joint news release from the Colville Lake Renewable Resource Council (RRC) and the Behdzi Ahda First Nation, the court upheld the Dehla Got’įnę to steward the Bluenose West caribou herd through a culturally grounded conservation plan, acknowledging Colville Lake’s authority under the Sahtu Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement.
“The RRC’s powers to manage harvesting in our area are clearly set out in the Treaty, but the GNWT wanted to limit us to managing only local people, not our local area,” stated David Codzi, the former president of the Ayoni Keh Land Corporation, on behalf of RRC.
The Bluenose West caribou is an essential species to the cultural and economic livelihood of the Colville Lake Dene but has been steadily declining over the past decade. From about 21,000 animals in 2005, the herd’s population dropped to 18,440 in 2021.
In 2019, the Colville RRC proposed a culturally grounded conservation plan, rejecting the GNWT’s tag and quota system, which put a limit on the number of a wildlife species that can be legally harvested in a year.
The court have upheld the Indigenous-led plan twice, first time in 2023, and found that the Treaty gave specific responsibilities to the Sahtu RRC to manage wildlife harvesting.
Chief Richard Kochon of Behdzi Ahda First Nation called the ruling a “reaffirmation of our role as stewards of this land, as Dene knowledge has proven effective in sustaining our lands and wildlife for thousands of years”.
While the court’s decision could mark an end to the long-standing dispute, the total allowable harvest may remain in place until final measures are decided.
Moving forward, the Colville RRC plans to refine its conservation measure through collaboration with Sahtu communities. “It’s time for the GNWT to work with us as equal partners,” said Joseph Kochon of the Ayoni Keh Land Corporation.
