A couple of years ago Eastern Woods & Waters magazine attracted the attention of all other regional media and a whole lot of people when we ran a series exposing gross abuse of aboriginal hunting rights in the Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia. (read the article here)

Rumours and anecdotal complaints had been rife for several years, but we were never able to collect enough evidence to justify publishing an article before then.

For an absurd $500, under this "rent an Indian" scheme, a non-aboriginal would accompany an Indian into the Highlands, illegally shoot a moose, safe in the knowledge that unless caught in the act, the aforesaid Indian would simply claim he did the shooting.

We were careful to point out that a very small minority of Mi'kmaq was actually involved in this activity: that non-Mi'kmaq were equally culpable; and that most Mi'kmaq were appalled at the activity.

Mi'kmaq elders and community leaders, their attendant federal and provincial bureaucrats, and true sportsman everywhere were all a-quiver at the same time. The story finally received the attention it warranted on television a, radio and newspapers.

We caught on that something was severely amiss when one white person was charged with (mistakenly) fatally shooting another white person while "moose hunting" in Cape Breton in August. The mainstream media missed it-failing to ask themselves what the hell two white guys were doing "moose hunting" in Cape Breton in August in the first place.

We followed up, researched it, and published the stories in a subsequent issue of the magazine.

A whole lot of poop hit a whole lot of fans. The outcome was a series of high-level meetings among Mi'kmaq and bureaucrats with a view to resolving the situation. It took an incredible two years to come up with a set of guidelines that are only voluntary in the meantime. Given the time frame, that is a disappointing and less than strident measure-but it is progress, and it does appear to place Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq ahead of those in the region in terms of a formal commitment to responsible wildlife harvesting practices.

The details of the guidelines can be downloaded here:
Moose GuidlinesWeb 101
Moose Guidlines FAQs
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