October/November 2006

Vadzaih srii (Caribou Month)

Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board Vadzaih srii

Introduction

Drin Gwiinzii, Gwich in traditional tion, health and general Welcome to the GRRB foods. habitat. newsletter for the months The weather has been This newsletter brings of October/November unusually warm this time you some updates from Inside this issue: 2006. of year. I think we can the staff at GRRB and all say that we enjoy the also some information I hope everyone was able Fisheries Updates 2 to stock up for the winter nicer weather, but at the on upcoming workshops months with berries, same time we can see and conferences. NTFP Workshop & 3 how these changes can upcoming conferences caribou and other On behalf of the GRRB I Highlights from the 4 affect us. Late snowfall hope you enjoy the news- GRRB Meeting in Sept/06 and Freeze Up does have letter and feel free to Wildlife hearings in 5 impacts to the land and contact me with any to our lifestyle. People Traditional Values 6-7 comments or ideas you words from our elders are basically forced to may have for future Contact information for 8 adapt to the changes. newsletters. GRRB Staff The animals, fish and Mahsi Cho birds are also impacted and they too are already Bobbie Jo experiencing changes to Special points of in- their population, migra- Communications Manager terest: Fisheries Updates Walking Together Finding Solutions for the Future GRRB Meeting JRP Wildlife Hearings

The Department of Envi- Caribou Management in NT on Novem- Gwich in Tradit ional Values ronment and Natural Re- Board and Inuvialuit ber 1st and 2nd, 2006. Hunting & fishing long ago sources, along with the Game Council came to- Contact your local RRC NWT Wildlife Manage- gether for a workshop office if you would like ment Advisory Council, on the Impacts of Cari- more information on this Gwich in Renewable Re- bou Population Decline. workshop. source Board, Porcupine This workshop was held

Fisheries Project Update Population Structure

The GRRB is conducting a study 3. Loche to examine the number of popula- tions of three species of fish:

1. Coney

We need your help in collecting samples (one fin per fish)!

If you have been fishing for these 2. Crookedback fish (have frozen fish), or plan to go out fishing, please contact your local RRC or Nathan at the GRRB. This project is a joint ef- fort between the Sahtu, Gwich in, and Inuvialuit to find out more about our shared resources.

Mashi Cho!

Update on Fish Migration and Spawning Patterns By: Amy Thompson

As an update from the last news- find funding for them. letter, I am making the final revi- sions to the draft report completed As always, feel free to contact me in September, Traditional knowl- anytime. My direct line is 777- edge of fish migration and spawn- 6607 and my email is biolo- ing patterns in the Arctic Red [email protected]. River and lower Mackenzie River . I will be taking my annual leave from December 14th to January Once I am finished I will distrib- 15th to visit my family back in ute it as an official GRRB report. Halifax. During that time, I will I will ensure that copies are sent still be periodically checking my to each community. I distributed email. harvest surveys to all the RRC of- fices to present to their council for Mahsi Cho! comments before distributing to harvesters.

My next objective is to develop a couple research projects for the upcoming fiscal year (March) and

Page 2 Vadzaih srii (Caribou Month) Non-Timber Forest Products Workshop, Hay River By: Amy Thompson

I attended the non timber forest prod- mushroom harvesting, Forest Product s in the ucts (NTFP) workshop in Hay River traditional craft mak- area. during the week of October 2nd to Oc- ing, and even tourism. On Thursday, we all tober 6th (some of you may have seen There was also a na- participated in a basket my picture in the newsnorth paper re- ture walk along the making workshop, I leased on October 9th). twin water fall trials on chose willow basket Wednesday afternoon but there was also The workshop was very informative. with a few local elders spruce root baskets and

There were many presentations regard- that told us about the birch bark baskets. ing small business opportunities for traditional uses of certain Non Timber

More workshops & Conferences By: Amy Thompson

Dall Sheep Management Plan Vancouver, BC. To apply Workshop, for support, students are invited to visit: www.pbli. I attended the dall sheep manage- com/student. ment plan workshop in Aklavik during the weekend of October 2. National Aboriginal 13th. It was a very productive Achievement Foundation weekend, we completed discus- (NAAF) is hosting their sions on elements 1 and 2 of the Blueprint for the Future plan and started working on ele- conference in Yellowknife ment 3. Another workshop is on November 25th. For scheduled for the weekend of Oc- more information, please tober 27th. visit the NAAF website: http://www.naaf.ca. Youth conferences I attended the NAAF Blueprint I recently received a couple for- for the Future conference when I warded email messages regarding was in grade 11 (in Halifax). some youth conferences coming up in November. I strongly en- While there, I made contact with courage all interested students to one of the division managers at attend. the local Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) facility, which 1. Pacific Business and Law eventually landed me a job there Institute is organizing that lasted for 5 years. The NAAF Forestry 2006 - Industry also provided me with a $5000 Challanges and First Na- scholarship for my first year of tions Opportunities dur- University. ing November 23-24th in

Vadzaih srii Page 3 Gwich in Renewable Resource Board Meet ing in Tsiigeht chic,NT

The GRRB held their Fall Meeting black & white in , NT on September spruce on seismic 14th and 15th, 2006. The meeting lines, forest manage- was held at the Community Gym- ment plan, Studies nasium. on Grizzlies, Dall Sheep and Wolves in the Richardson There was a lot of items discussed Mountains. Also on the agenda that were followed Black Ducks in the by decisions and recommenda- Cardinal Lake area tions. GRRB Executive Director and Fish Tagging in and Staff have a number of Action the Mackenzie River. Items to work on before the next Board Meeting. Some of the main concerns being heard from the RRC s were in re- There were a number of project gards to Group Trapping Areas, updates and presentations given Environmental Monitoring, at the Board meeting. Not just Dempster Highway Safety Corri- from the GRRB Staff, but also dor, Gwich in Harvesters Assis- from Staff of Department of Fish- tance Program (GHAP), Caribou eries and Oceans (DFO), Envi- population & health, Rat River ronment & Natural Resources Char population, youth & elders, (ENR), Ducks Unlimited, Cana- traditional knowledge skills and dian Wildlife Services (CWS), also community based harvest Gwich in Tribal Council (GTC) monitoring. The two main management issues and local Renewable Resource have been the decline in the Cape Councils (RRC s). Bathurst and the Bluenose-West Interested persons can contact the Caribou Herds and also the continuous GRRB office in Inuvik or their lo- decline of the Rat River Char. The two main management issues cal RRC office to obtain more in- have been the decline in the Cape formation related to any of the Bathurst and the Bluenose-West specific issues noted above. The Caribou Herds and also the con- next Board Meeting is scheduled tinuous decline of the Rat River for February 2007 and will be Char. These important issues will hosted in Aklavik, NT. be discussed again at the next Board Meeting along with more information provided.

Other wildlife & resource topics presented were Boreal Woodland Caribou Project, Regeneration of

Page 4 Vadzaih srii (Caribou Month)

Oil and Gas Development and Woodland Caribou By: Jennifer Walker Larsen

Discussion at the Joint Review Upcoming Wildlife Hearings Panel wildlife hearings in Yellow- knife last month focused on the The Joint Review Panel has an- impacts of oil and gas develop- nounced wildlife hearing in Inuvik ment on woodland caribou. from November 15-16th and a Woodland caribou have been hearing on harvesting on Novem- identified as a threatened species ber 17th. Hearings will be held at in the NWT. the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex from 9 to 4:30 each day. Woodland caribou are known to Discussions will focus on the im- be sensitive to development. pact of the Mackenzie Gas Project Woodland caribou have been on wildlife and wildlife habitat. shown to avoid highways, roads, Presentations planned for the cutlines, and industrial sites. As hearing include: Based on these results ENR stated these types of developments · grizzly bear (ENR) that the Mackenzie Gas Project spread, there is less space for · barren-ground caribou (ENR) underestimated the impacts of the woodland caribou to live. Also, · migratory birds (Environment pipeline project on woodland caribou caribou are more easily found by Canada, Nature Canada) throughout the NWT hunters and wolves that travel · wildlife concerns (GRRB and roads and cutlines. These are be- GTC) lieved to be the main factors be- · wildlife management and hind dramatic declines in wood- monitoring (WMAC) land caribou populations through- out and that have been seen with the de- velopment of forestry and oil and For more information on the Joint gas activities. Review Panel (JRP) and list of community hearings and other up- At the Yellowknife hearings John dates, you can visit the JRP web- Nagy from the Department of En- site at: vironment and Natural Resources http://www.jointreviewpanel.ca (ENR) presented results from his woodland caribou satellite- Or contact the JRP Manager: collaring project in the Inuvik Re- Paula Pacholek gion. These results show that Suite 302, 125 Mackenzie Road woodland caribou in the GSA also P.O. Box 2412 avoid seismic lines and roads. Inuvik NT X0E 0T0 Collared woodland caribou, on Phone: (867) 678-8604 average, stayed 7 km away from Fax: (867) 777-3105 the Dempster highway and 500 m Email: away from seismic lines. Based [email protected] on these results ENR stated that the Mackenzie Gas Project under- estimated the impacts of the pipe- line project on woodland caribou throughout the NWT and stressed the need for regional planning.

Vadzaih srii Page 5

Some elders views on Ri ches Some words about Gwich in t radit ional values. By: Bobbie Jo Greenland

Our elders have so many stories mon values to the often gossip about others more about long ago. They share these people. Even if an than they try to help them. stories as well as the skills and elder offered money, She hopes people think about this knowledge they have. It is really the young people and try to be kind to one another, up to each person if they want to would not take it. help one another and don t for- learn these stories. We should all The parents made get how Gwich in use to live make some time to visit with the sure of that. long ago. elders and listen to what they have My grandmother to share. told me that now What my grand- One of my favorite elders to visit days in Old Crow mother told me re- with is my grandmother Ellen there are a few young people who minded me of what some elders Bruce (nee Kyikavichik) of Old still do this for the old people, but said to me in one time. I Crow . She is now 94 years it s not like long ago. People all was in a meeting where we were old and still pretty strong physi- over the world are too busy think- talking about Oil Development in cally and mentally. She is the only ing about money and lots of them the Caribou Calving Grounds and living grandparent I have and I get greedy & many people out the impacts it would have on the enjoy talking with her and listen- there do not want to help others Gwich in. ing to all her stories about the unless they know they are going to changes she seen in her lifetime. get paid for it. She also stated that Some elders told me that even other Gwich in elders around the though they do not have as much Just recently I was talking with my money in Alaska villages and that grandmother about money and NWT, Yukon and Alaska would agree with her. some villages still don t even have how our lives revolve around it. indoor plumbing, the important She told me that even though there So I found it very interesting that thing to know is they still have a is more money among our people even though there is elders pen- better grasp on language and cul- today, she thinks that our elders sion, land claim cheques & other ture. They reminded me that our lived much better a long time ago benefits today, that some elders real riches are not all about as compared to today. She said tell us that they lived better long money, but rather it is about that long ago, young people ago. Even with less money, they knowing our own identity & val- worked hard for themselves and felt they were better off with the ues as Gwich in & taking care of they also worked hard for the eld- values and resources they abun- what we have within our lands ers. She said young people lis- dantly had. and resources. It s something we tened well to their parents and the Another thing my grandmother can all think about. parents took good care of their talked to me about was in regards kids and taught them what to do. to family problems & how they Young people would always have handled it long ago. She said lots of wood cut for the elders and long ago when someone was hav- they also provided caribou, fish ing troubles in their home or in and other foods to them. My their marriage, the old people grandmother also said that ice would meet with them and talk was hauled for their drinking wa- about it. She said people would ter. All this was done out of kind- support them to make things good ness & respect which were com- again. And today people Page 6 Vadzaih srii (Caribou Month) Hunting & Fishing in the Fall (Taken from t he t ext of an int erview in 1974 wit h t he lat e Gwich in Elder Paul Bonnet plume )

There were no guns in them days, there is a lot of work to get the just bow and arrows and caribou caribou into the corrals. snares. They would make a corral People of today are very wasteful. about five miles long and the Sometimes they kill only a few width of the mouth of the fence, caribou, but sometimes a lot of about five miles wide. Gradually meat is wasted. Long ago they getting narrower at the end of the would take the caribou bones fence. Snares would be set, as smash them up and boil it. After it close together as possible. These is boiled they take the grease out, snares were made out of thick strain it and its white as crystal. moose hides. These snares are They eat this grease with dry about an inch thick in diameter. meat. Sometimes the people The caribou herd is chased to- would get quite a bit of caribou wards the fence by the people and in the summer time they from behind, being forced up to would have dry meat besides fish the narrow end with the snares. to eat. There are always people waiting on the other side of the snare Them days there were no fish nets traps in case of any escaping cari- but the people made their own fish bou. Usually over half of the herd traps of willows. They would set is caught. This is one way the these fish traps in the shallow part There is one thing about the people people got plenty of meat for the of the river. It keeps people busy them days, is that they wasted winter. This is the way my mother taking fish out of these traps. use to tell me how the people use That s when the fish run is over nothing. to get caribou. I am 78 years old and everyone has enough fish. but I have never seen the corral Just after the Hudson Bay arrived myself but have seen the remains down here the people get fish nets. of it. After the guns arrived here Before that they made nets out of among the people nobody used the willow bark too. The nets are corrals anymore. Even in the very well made and people still summer which is the best time to get lots of fish with them. The only get caribou skin as the hair is not trouble with them is that they have too long and the skin just right to to always be kept in the water. On make clothes and tents from. the Rat River the Arctic Char There is one thing about the peo- comes up and in the fall the peo- ple them days , is that they wasted ple would go down and try to get nothing. Although they had hard- all the fish they can. ships they enjoyed the life they lived. This is one way the people got their caribou them days when there was no guns. Sometimes if they see a big herd they always try and drive them into this corral. They have got a way to scare the caribou into this corral but they always have good luck although

Vadzaih srii Page 7

Gwich'in Renewable Resource Board

2nd floor -105 Distributor St. P.O. Box 2240 Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0 Phone: 867-777-6600 Fax: 867-777-6601

Newsletter Contact: Bobbie Jo Greenland TK Communications Manager Phone: 867-777-6616 Fax: 867-777-6601 Email: [email protected].

www.grrb.nt.ca

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GRRB St aff Direct Lines (Area Code 867)

Executive Director Wildlife Biologist Jari Heikkila 777-6602 Catherine Lambert 777-6610 [email protected] [email protected] Office Manger Technician Sara Fosbery 777-6600 Brian Dokum 777-6609 [email protected] [email protected] TK Communications Manger Technician Trainee Bobbie Jo Greenland 777-6616 Ryan McLeod 777-6613 [email protected] [email protected] Fisheries Biologist Nathan Millar 777-6615 [email protected] Environmental Biologist Amy Thompson 777-6607 [email protected]