Old Versus New

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in North America, aboriginals hunted with spears or bows and arrows.

When they started using rifles, the number of killed prey increased (and, for some reason, people think that this introduced weapon is somehow traditional).

Why split hairs over hunting techniques now?:

Drones are not widely used to hunt, but the N.W.T. government says they have been utilized to find caribou and sometimes to herd them to a hunter. That’s caused fears of increased pressure on populations that are already struggling.

The Bathurst herd, nearly half a million strong in the 1980s, has dwindled to 8,500. The Bluenose-East herd has declined almost 50 per cent in the last three years to about 19,000 animals.

“We heard significant concern about the use of drones for hunting and broad support for a ban on their use,” Joslyn Oosenbrug, an Environment Department spokeswoman, said in an email.

“A ban on drones will help address conservation concerns for some species and help prevent new conservation concerns for others.”

The territory has proposed banning drones for hunting except for Indigenous harvesters.

Some Indigenous groups argue the ban should go further. The board that co-manages wildlife between Great Slave and Great Bear lakes wants a ban on drones to apply universally.

“The Wek’eezhìi Renewable Resources Board would prefer that drones not be used for harvesting purposes,” said board biologist Aimee Guile in an email.

The Northwest Territory Metis Nation also wants to see drones banned for everyone.

Others argue that banning drones for Aboriginals would violate treaty rights.

These treaties were written by people whose interest in Canada was purely economic and waned fast. All they do now is give a segment of Canadian society a carte blanche to hunt and fish as they please without any regard to conservation or safety.