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March 5, 2001 |
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Planning for the wise use of fish and wildlife in our traditional territory continued in Old Crow on March 5, 2001 with the arrival of biologists from the Yukon Government, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada staff and the president of the Yukon Fish and Game Association. The purpose of this session of meetings was to gather information for some species of wildlife and for several issues that had been identified during earlier meetings and through a community questionnaire held in Old Crow.
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Topics of discussion included: Traditional knowledge, Old Crow Flats: Ducks and geese, Muskrats, and Climate change, Moose, bears, wolves, sheep, muskox, fish, Yukon Fish and Game Association, Hunting, Harvest, Dempster highway, Enforcement, Non-consumptive use of wildlife. |
Doug Urquhart of notoriety for his popular cartoon PAWS was our facilitator for the three days of meetings. Government biologists presented scientific knowledge collected from scientific reports and wildlife surveys for a number of important wildlife species. VGFN staff with the department of Natural Resources presented traditional knowledge that had been collected in Old Crow. Megan Williams, our Heritage Resources Planner, had coordinated the collection of traditional knowledge and Robert Bruce had conducted interviews of Old Crow people for the project. VGFN staff presented this information during the workshop.
The meetings were well attended by Old Crow residents, North Yukon Renewable Resource Council members and Elders contributed to the presentations and discussions. Our facilitator, Doug Urquhart commented that in his experience of eight years of wildlife management planning in Yukon communities, "this was the best presentation of traditional knowledge. The people of Old Crow are to be commended".
Traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge will be combined in our planning workshop to be held in Old Crow during the first week in April. At this workshop we will use all of the knowledge that has been collected to develop our Fish and Wildlife Management Plan. This plan will be our guide for the management of our natural resources and will help us to deal with wildlife issues that have been identified here in Old Crow.
The VGFN Department of Natural Resources appreciates the contributions that Old Crow people are making to the Fish and Wildlife Management Plan.
