Nunavut Traditional Hunt: Victory at Last

It has been a long time coming, but the people of Repulse Bay in Nunavut have finally received a license to hunt a single bowhead whale from a population shown by research to be increasing. The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans issued this license, and a spokesperson added that the eastern Arctic population of bowheads might soon be downlisted from endangered to threatened. This is all good news.

The August 15 National Post made the hunting license announcement. This must have been known earlier to the Federal Environment Minister, Stephane Dion, who was quoted in the August 12 Nunatsiaq News when he made a short but disturbing announcement; "Ottawa will eventually create a long-sought-after bowhead sanctuary at Iqaliqtuuq, near Clyde River." The Minister had "nothing to say" further on the sanctuary subject. He must have known that this hunt license for the Repulse Bay people was about to be issued.

The proposed sanctuary is apparently up in the Davis Strait area, since this is "near Clyde River", and is not connected to the Hudson Bay, where the Repulse Bay people shall have their long-awaited hunt.

There are two warring factions in the Canadian government; one that defends Native rights to sustainably use their resources, and one that supports the ever-present green voices that attempt to influence national environmental policies. We congratulate the Government of Canada for making this significant decision on behalf of the Inuit people of Repulse Bay, Nunavut. Their sustainable use of the traditional resource is a right that deserves both national and international respect and recognition.

Congratulations, Canada! IWMC wishes the people of Repulse Bay the best of luck with the hunt.