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6TuesdayMarch242015ENVIRONMENTWILDLIFEBethersttotranslatetheaboveCreephraseandwinafreelanguagepackageBringyouranswerintotheNorthernJournaloremaileditornorj.ca.ApiminanitohtamowinascikiyakehtehiyaMarchisAboriginalLanguagesMonthBroughttoyoubyTheNWTCreeLanguageProgramTheNWTMtisNationByDALICARMICHAELAstudyexaminingnewwaystotestforbovinetuberculosisBTBandbrucellosisinfectionsinwoodbisonandeventuallyotheranimalsisinjeopardyafterAboriginalgroupslocaltoFortSmithpulledtheirsupportfortheproject.TheNWTMtisNationNWTMNSmithsLandingSLFNandSaltRiverFirstNationsSRFNdecidedtohaltthestudylastweekstat-ingtheywereimproperlyconsultedonwhatitwouldentail.NWTMtisNationpresidentKenHudsonsaidthethreegroupsmadethedecisiontogetherastancethatSLFNChiefAndrewWanderingSpiritconrmed.AsofpresstimeSRFNChiefFriedaMartseloshadnotreturnedarequestforcomment.InitiallyweknewallaboutwhatthestudywasaboutandweinitiallysupporteditoverthephoneHudsonsaid.Wewereaskedtosup-portitandthenoncetheguysdoingthestudygotheretheywouldsitdownwithusandworkoutthedetailsofourinvolvement.HoweverHudsonsaidthiswasnothowthesituationworkedout.ThentheycameintotownandwentoutintheeldandstartedtheirprojectwithoutevencallingusorworkingoutthosedetailsHud-sonsaid.InadditiontoimproperlyconsultingthegroupstheyhadcontactedAboriginalgroupssaidthescientistsfailedtoreachouttoDeninuKueFirstNationDKFNinFortResolutionwhichalsoclaimstraditionallandsintheregionandhuntstheWBNPbisonherd.Additionallythegroupssaidtheywerecon-cernedbysomeofthemethodologyespeciallytheuseofhelicopterstochasebisondownandtheimpactthatmighthaveonfuturehuntingefforts.Thethreatofdepopulationwasalsoaworryformany.MastersstudentAdamHeringtheUniver-sityofSaskatchewanscientistbehindthestudysaidhebelievedhehadfollowedthroughwithproperconsultationafterexplaininghisplantotheleadershipbelievingtheywouldpassonhisintentionstotheirmembers.ScientistscomplywithcommunityOnMar.18HeringandToddShuryaParksCanadawildlifespecialistandapartnerinthestudyheldacommunitypresentationlettingthepublicknowtheprojectwaslikelybeingaban-donedforthetimebeing.CurrenttestingtodetermineifanimalsareinfectedwithBTBandbrucellosisislargelyin-effectiveandassuchHeringstatedhisintentwastocreateamoreaccuratetesttoavoidani-malsfrombeingunnecessarilyculled.WhatotheroptionsdowehaveBasicallyweneedtobeabletotellifotheranimalsarein-fectedwithoutkillingthemhesaid.Theonlyreallyreliablewayofseeingwhetherananimalisinfectedornotistokillthemandcutthemupandlookatthetissuesofthatanimal.Additionallyoptionsfordiseasemanage-mentarelimited.Rightnowtheonlytoolthatsbeingrecom-mendedfortryingtomanagethisdiseaseistotryandkilloffallofthebisondepopulateandthatshowweeradicatedtuberculosisfromcattleinCanadabasicallyjustkillingoffanyherdthathadanyanimalthatwasinfectedHeringsaid.ItwassuggestedwedothatinbisoninCanada.Wefeelstronglylikethatsnotagoodoptionthatsnotsomethingthatanybodyisokaywith.Toconducttheresearchtheteamwouldhaveperformedtheexistingskinteston180-200bisonfromWBNPandtheSlaveRiverlowlandsoverthreeyears.Inadditiontheyexpectedtoconductvedifferentbloodtestscurrentlyusedoncattleaswellasapostmortemexaminationoneachanimal.ThescientistsweretargetingolderbullsHeringsaidinordertohavetheleastimpactontheherdspopulation.Heexpectedtond70to80infectedanimalstotest.ThemeatofanyculledbullswithoutsignsofinfectionwouldhavebeengiventotheAboriginalgroupsforconsumption.InFebruarywhentherstroundoftestingstarted28bullsweretranquilizedtestedt-tedwithacollartrackingdeviceandtaggedwithbrightyellowmarkerstoensurehuntersdidnotshootthem.Ofthosebulls26wererecapturedwithinthreedays.TwentytestedpositiveforBTBorbrucellosiswiththeskintest.AccordingtoHeringthebloodtestscouldnothavebeenreadaccuratelywithoutthepostmortemexamtoconrmthediagnosis.ToremoveornottoremovetrackingcollarsAsofpresstimethedecisionastowhetherornotthetrackingcollarsshouldberemovedwasstillupfordebateasthefutureoftheproj-ectisundetermined.TheprocessoftranquilizingthebullsandremovingthecollarsinwarmerweatherwhentheyareintheirrunningseasoncouldstressthemoutcausinglastingharmHeringsaid.ItoldthemmypreferencewouldbetoremovethosecollarsHudsonsaid.Halfanhourofstresstothoseanimalsisnothingcomparedtoyearsofhavingthosecollarsaroundtheirneck.WanderingSpiritagreed.Buffaloarequiteexibleyouknowtheycantaketheirbackhoofandscratchbehindtheirearhesaid.Ifthecollarisbigenoughthatamanshandcantthroughittheydhavenoproblemgettingahoofstuckinthere.Thentheydbedead.AtthecommunitymeetingParksCanadarep-resentativeStuartMcmillansaidthescientistshadalreadyappliedtoconductthestudywithherdsinWBNPfornextyearthoughwhetherornotthatstudywillgoaheadwilldependonfeedbackfromthe11Aboriginalgroupsthathavetreatyrightsintheterritory.Somearenotreadytoforgiveandforget.ResearchonbuffaloisnotnewtoFortSmith.TheMtisNationandFirstNationssincethe60s70s80shavebeeninvolvedinresearchofthebisonsaidSLFNelderFrancoisPaulette.YouwouldthinkthatafterallthesecourtcasesthedutytoconsultthattheseyoungpeoplewouldknowtheprotocolsofhowtodealwithFirstNa-tionleadershipandtheyjusttotallydismissedthat.Thatsverybadbusinessthatstheworsethingyoucanstartouton.WoodBuffalobisonTBstudystoppedinitstracksFailuretoproperlyconsultlocalAboriginalgroupsacauseforconcernPhotoChristaCoetserScientistsfromSaskatchewanconducttestingforbovinetuberculosisandbrucellosisonawoodbison.Theresearchprojecthasbeenputonholdfornow.