Manitoba Métis president ticketed for fishing without a licence, province says

A caller relationship betwixt a conservation serviceman and David Chartrand, president of nan Manitoba Métis Federation, appears group to go nan latest skirmish successful nan conflict complete Indigenous hunting and sportfishing authorities successful nan province.
Chartrand was fixed a summons past period for angling without a licence connected a reservoir adjacent nan bluish organization of Cranberry Portage, nan government’s cardinal communications agency said Friday. Chartrand has until Aug. 14 to respond. Such tickets tin transportation fines of $298.
Chartrand said he has not been charged pinch anything, was not breaking nan law, and was exercising his correct to fish.
“One of nan officers was trying to fig retired what he had to do, and I deliberation he was not decently briefed,” Chartrand said successful an question and reply this week.
“It was much of a warning, I guess, successful my position because I had a speedy chat pinch him to please do his homework.”
Chartrand said he later returned to nan dock, nan conservation serviceman did arsenic good and they some went their abstracted ways. He said he will conflict immoderate charges successful tribunal if request be.
The Manitoba authorities recognizes Métis earthy assets harvesting rights, which includes nan correct to food without a licence, successful astir of southern, cardinal and occidental Manitoba, on pinch a mini area successful nan northwest. The area does not see lakes adjacent to Cranberry Portage.
The federation has called for an description to much bluish areas, which nan state has been considering. Chartrand said Métis citizens should not look charges “all nan measurement to Churchill,” a municipality connected nan seashore of Hudson Bay successful nan northeast.
First Nations communities successful nan northbound are not connected committee pinch that idea. While nan Manitoba Métis Federation says it has humanities ties to communities crossed nan north, immoderate First Nations chiefs opportunity pact authorities based connected group who were connected nan onshore thousands of years agone return precedence.
“We entity to nan description of Métis harvesting authorities successful nan northbound and, very importantly, anterior to immoderate chat of lands aliases harvesting authorities pinch nan Métis, First Nations onshore claims and different related issues must beryllium resolved,” Chief Angela Levasseur of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation said.
“We are nan rights-holders of our lands and our territories, and immoderate authorities aliases immoderate different ethnicity must travel to america first earlier they effort to do anything,” Chief David Monias of Pimicikimak Cree Nation said.
Chartrand said he wants to activity pinch First Nations connected what he describes arsenic communal rights.
“Without doubt, First Nations person rights. I’ll ne'er mobility that, and I dream they don’t mobility me.”
Dana Rudy, lawman curate of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources, said a determination was made successful precocious June to backmost disconnected enforcement against Métis harvesters successful nan areas presently being discussed pinch nan federation.
The areas, projected by nan federation successful 2016, do not spell arsenic acold arsenic Churchill but see a agelong of bluish Manitoba successful and astir Cranberry Portage.
“At this constituent successful time, because nan discussions are underway, conservation officers are forgoing nan enforcement actions successful nan expanded area,” Rudy said.
The NDP authorities has been dealing pinch contention complete caller changes to nan moose hunt. The authorities reduced nan number of moose hunting licences disposable to non-Indigenous hunters this twelvemonth by 75 per cent successful immoderate parts of bluish Manitoba.
Some First Nations leaders wanted nan authorities to trim further to protect nan moose population. The Manitoba Wildlife Federation, which represents licensed hunters and anglers, said nan authorities had nary grounds that nan moose organization was successful diminution and successful request of further restrictions.
This study by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2024.

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