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2TuesdayDecember22014POLITICSABORIGINALNEWSBRIEFSSuspiciousresunderinvestigationinHayRiverTuktoyaktukSuspiciousresinHayRiverandTuktoyaktukhaveleftoneresidenceburnttothegroundandatownwithoutoneoftheirrecreationcentres.OntheeveningofNov.24HayRiverRCMPrespondedtoahousereoffHwy.2wheretheyfoundanunoccupiedhouseburnttotheground.OnlyafewdayslateronNov.27TukRCMPannouncedtheyhadarrestedandreleasedsuspectsforthearsonofKittyHallcausingabout300000indamagesandshuttingdownthecentreuntilfurthernotice.Allwereundertheageof18.HayRiverwomansentencedtooneyearfordrugdealingAknowndrugdealerfromHayRiverhasbeensentencedtoayearinjailafterbeingconvictedofthreedrug-relatedof-fences.ThechargesagainstRachelMartelcomefromtwoseparatedrugbustsonefromAprilofthisyearandoneinDecemberof2013.Shewasconvictedofpossessionofcrackcocaineandmarijuanaforthepurposeoftrafcking.Martelhasalreadyservedmostofhersentencehavingbeenincus-todysinceApril.Shealsoforfeited2400seizedbytheRCMPandissubjecttoamandatoryrearmsprohibitionforlife.TwochargedwithpossessiondrugtrafckinginInuvikTwomenfromInuvikhavebeenarrestedandchargedwithpossessionforthepurposeoftrafckingfollowinganRCMPinvestigationintoallegedillegalactivityinalocalhotelroom.ThesuspectswerearrestedonNov.27.Policeuncoveredandseized88gramsofcrackcocainetwocellphonesandcashasaresultofthesearch.OnemanwasreleasedonapromisetoappearinInuvikTer-ritorialCourtonMar.102015.Theothermanwasheldincustodytobetakenbeforethecourt.SANTACLAUSANDTWOELFHELPERSwillbearrivingattheFortSmithairportonFridayDec.5andwillstayattheTerminalBuildingfrom11a.m.to1p.m.tovisitwiththeyoungandyoungatheart.ALLAREWELCOMETOCOMEOUTtomakesureyourChristmasWishListgetsthroughtotheelfinchargeNorthwesternAirLeaseChristmasscheduleinformationcanbefoundonlineatwww.nwal.caorbyphonetollfreeat1-877-872-2216.SantaClausSantaClausisflyingtotownisflyingtotownTaxescoulddetertrappingHudsonContinuedfrompage1.Hudsonsaidhechosenottogototheboardbecausehefelthecouldmakemoreheadwayandrepresentmorepeoplebyghtingitonthebasisofrightsinfringementbackedbylegalcounsel.Irepresentalotofpeopleincludingallthetrappersthathavecabinsandwillbetaxedeventuallyhesaid.Wehavehuntingrights.Thosehuntingrightsare247365daysayear.Wehavetherighttoharvest.Whenwerehar-vestingshouldntwehavearighttoshelterourselvesatthesametimeHudsonsaidaddingmorecoststothegrowingex-pensesfacedbyhuntersandtrappersintheNorthwhichincludethecostsofsnowmobilesfuelchartersboatsandsoonwillonlydeterpeoplefromgoingoutontheland.Atthesametimethesamegovernmentencour-agespeopletogetoutonthelandandexercisetheirrightsandwhatnotandthentheymakeitalothardertodoitthansimplygoinghesaid.AmeetingwasheldinMaybetweentheNWTMtisNa-tionandMACAaftercon-cernswereraisedaboutthenewtaxes.Hudsonsaidhehasyettoreceivearesponsefromtheminister.TheMtispassedaresolu-tionattheirrecentAGMinFortSmithtofurtherlobbytheGNWTtochangeitsleg-islationsothatcabinsownedbyAboriginalharvestersarefreefrompropertytaxes.WilliamssaidMACAisopentomeetingagainwiththeMtisNationtodiscussthematter.FilephotoStillnodecisiononpossiblecaribouharvestingbanByMEAGANWOHLBERGAboriginalleadersandgovernmentofcialsfailedtocometoaconsensusagainduringwhatwassupposedtobethenaldiscussiononharvestingrestrictionsforbarren-groundcariboulastFridayinYellowknife.EnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersaidthepartiesranoutoftimebeforethethirddiscussioncouldresultinaconcretemanagementplanforeithertheBluenose-EastorBathurstherdsbothofwhichareinsteepdeclineandre-quireconservationmeasuresaccordingtothedepartment.AtotalharvestingbanisonthetablefortheBathurstherdafteritspopulationwasfoundtohavedropped97percentfromthemid-1980sto15000animalsthisfall.Milt-enbergersaidthesituationisnowthoughttobeworse.Itcouldbemovingto98percentsotheherdisverg-ingondisappearinghesaid.ENRisalsoproposingatagsystemfromtheBlue-nose-Eastamountingtoanallowabletotalharvestofbe-tween1200and1500ani-mals.Thatherdwasprevi-ouslysubjecttoavoluntaryharvestrestrictionof2800animals-anumberthatwasexceededbytwoorthreetimesMiltenbergersaid.TheBluenose-Eastarenowsittingataround30000animals.Thosenumberswerecol-lectedthroughyearlyrecon-naissanceflightsthatoffertrendsinthestatusofcari-boupopulations.Thenextfullpopulationsurveydoneeverythreeyearswilltakeplacenextyear.Miltenbergersaidtherearepartiesatthetablewhowanttowaituntilthattimetomakeanydecisionsbutfromhisownviewpointdisagreesthatthereisanyroomtodebatethepresentnumbers.Weoperateundertheprecautionaryprinciplehesaid.Thedebateofwhetherornotadropof98percentisanemergencyisonethatsomefolksmaystillwanttohavebuttomethatsade-batethatsbeenlongsettled.Oneoftheissuestoconcludeconcernsthesizeoftheproposedbanarea.Satellitecollarsoncaribouallowthegovernmenttotracktheirmovementsandprotectawinteringrangeforthemfreefromharvestersbutitiscomplicatedbytheoverlapofherdswhichseesseveralspeciesofcariboucoverthesameareas.RightnowweknowtheherdisinonespecicsmallerzoneMiltenbergersaidoftheBathurstwhoarewinteringinanareasmallerthanthecur-rentzoneofrestrictedharvestwhichallowsFirstNationsatotalof300tags.Theissueistoprotectthosecariboufrombeingharvestedsowehavetolookathowbigofanareatodes-ignatehowmobileitcanbeiftheherdmovesoutofthatareaandwehavetomovethezoneofrestrictionhesaid.Butwedontwanttonec-essarilyblockoffthewholeNorthSlavefromanyhar-vestingbecausetherestheBluenose-EastinthereandtheBeverlysinthereaswell.ThedepartmentnowplanstoengageindividuallywiththevariousAboriginalgov-ernmentsandcaribouman-agementboardstoironoutthenaldetailsbeforeMilt-enbergerleavesthelegislatureforChristmasonDec.18.Weregoingtokeepsort-ingouttheseissueswithsmallertypesofgatheringsandconferencesbetweennowandtheendofDecemberMiltenbergersaid.Theselargemeetingshavefilledtheirfunction.HesaidtheGNWThasspentaround300000oncariboumeetingssinceOctober.ENVIRONMENTWILDLIFEFortSmithMtispresidentKenHudsonsaystaxingtrappercabinsinfringesuponAboriginalharvestingrights.