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EnvironmentWildlife9TuesdayJune182013PhotoCreditGNWTPhotoCreditGNWTPhotoCreditJ.F.BergeronGNWTUnderstandingAboriginalandTreatyRightsintheNorthwestTerritoriesAboriginalrights.Treatyrights.Aboriginalgovernments.WehearthesewordseverydayintheNWT.WeknowtheyarepartofthefabricoftheNorthbutwhatdotheymeanTheGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieshascreatedaseriesofvebrochurestohelpexplainwhyAboriginalpeoplesintheNWTtheDeneMtisandInuvialuithavespecialrights.Tolearnmoreandtoviewthesebrochuresgotowww.daair.gov.nt.caRespectRecognitionandResponsibility.NorthernersvoiceconcernsatWildlifeActhearingsByRENEFRANCOEURWhenitcomestotheNorth-westTerritoriesproposednewWildlifeActNorthernersareconcernedaboutgovernanceharvestreportingandhuntersresidenciesasheardatrecentpublichearings.TheWildlifeActalsoknownasBill3includesmajorchangestothecurrentpieceoflegislationwhichwasrstdraftedin1988.Afterbeingvoteddownattheeleventhhourattheendofthe16thAssemblythebillreceivedsecondreadingintheLegislativeAssemblyonMar.5beforebeinghandedovertothestandingcommitteeonEconomicDevelopmentandInfrastructurechairedbyYel-lowknifeCentreMLARobertHawkinstoundergoapublichearingprocess.UnderthenewactpeoplewithAboriginalandtreatyrightsintheNWTwillrequireagreed-uponIDtohuntandharvestintheirarea.ExistingGeneralHuntingLicenceswillbegrandfathered.Thenewlegislationsetsoutupdatedacceptablehar-vestingmethodsandequip-mentforbothbigandsmallgamehuntersandincreasesnesandpenaltiesforwild-lifeoffences.Additionallytheactestab-lishescooperativegovernancethroughanannualmeetingoforganizationsresponsibleforwildlifemanagementintheNWT.ThismeetingislimitedtoAboriginalgovernmentsandtreatyholders.IwanttoseeallauthoritiesintheNWTrepresentedatthatmeetingPaulMcAdamsaFortSmithresidentformerpresidentoftheFortSmithConservationAssociationandformervicepresidentoftheNWTWildlifeFederationcomplained.WhenanewWildlifeActwaspulledoffthetablein2011itwaspartlybecausetheideaofaconferenceboardwassuchabigissue-itdidntincludeanyrepresentationofresidenthuntersorreallyhalfofthepopulationoftheNWT.McAdamswasoneofeightpeoplewhoturnedupatthehearinginFortSmithlastMonday.SpeakingtoMcAdamsconcernsHawkinsnotedthattheactdoesstatethatinaddi-tiontotheannualgovernancemeetingtherewillbeanes-tablishedprocessforotherin-dividualsandorganizationstomakesubmissionsonwildlifemanagementissues.CommitteememberandWeledehMLABobBromleytoldMcAdamshedalsoliketoseeallvoicesatthetableworkingtogether.Justbecauseitsnotpre-scribedinthelegislationdoesntmeanitcanthappenhesaid.ThisacthasverylittletodowithgivingortakingawayresponsibilitywithrespecttoAboriginalgovernments.Thathastobeclear.ThisactdoesnotprovideAboriginalgov-ernmentswithanyadditionalauthority.Itisoneofthemostcomplexpiecesoflegislation.Othercommentsmadeduringthehearingincludedthoughtsonthescrappedman-datoryharvestreportingpieceinitiallydraftedintheact.ThedepartmentofEnviron-mentandNaturalResourcesENRdecidedthatmanda-toryreportingcannotbetiedtoobtainingahuntinglicenceasAboriginalpeopledonotrequirealicencetoexercisetheirharvestingrights.Wecantgetpeopletore-portbutwedlikethemthentodosomesortofinformalreport-ingsetupsomeinformalmech-anismbutthiswouldhavetobedoneinternallyHawkinssaid.Aboriginalgovernmentsrecognizetheimportanceofreporting...TheENRminis-tergaveusassurancethatthisissuewillbeaddressed.MandatoryreportingwillbedealtwithintheregulationspartoftheprocessifthebillpassessuccessfullythroughtheHousethisfall.AccordingtoBromleyregulationswouldtakeoneyeartodevelop.Theactalsoreducesthelengthofresidencyrequiredforaresidenthuntinglicensefromtwoyearstoonewhichhascausedsomedebateinthehearingssofarthecom-mitteesaid.Somepeoplewantittostayattwoyearssomewantittobeone.Itskindofa5050dealsaidRobertBouchardcommit-teememberandMLAforHayRiverNorth.Someregionswereconcernedthereductionwouldbringinmorepeoplewhoareonlyheretemporarilybutwehavetorememberweredealingwithasmallnumberofresidenthunters.AccordingtoHawkinsthereareabout1000activenon-Ab-originalhuntersintheNWTandthechangeinresidencywillaf-fectlessthanadozenofthem.ThehearingswhichbeganinTsiigehtchiconApr.10con-tinuethisweekinFortProvi-denceandFortSimpson.ThepublichasuntilJune24tosubmitwrittencommentsontheactafterwhichthecommitteewillmakeitsreporttotheHouse.PhotoReneFrancoeurBobBromleyrightandRobertHawkinschairofthestandingcommitteediscusstheWildlifeActwithinterestedmembersofthepubliclastMondayinFortSmith.