First Nations man fined for hunting on another First Nation's land
A VuntutGwitchin man, caught hunting without permission outside his traditional territory, has been fined and ordered to get educated about the rights and responsibilities of First Nations hunters.
Kenneth Nukon, 49, was convicted in a precedent-setting case Friday in Yukon territorial court.
The court heard that when conservation officers confronted Nukon near Aishihik Village last winter, he told them he was hunting for moose or bison, and that he had permission from the Champagne Aishihik First Nation.
Turns out, Nukon had neither the permission needed to hunt moose, nor the permit required by all hunters to harvest bison.
Nukon tried to fight the charges, but Champagne Aishihik, which has gone to great lengths to educate First Nation hunters on the rules flowing from the group's 1995 land claim, supported the prosecution.
Court was told about Nukon's history of drug abuse on the streets of Whitehorse, and how in recent years, life on the land has turned it all around.
Still, Judge Micheal Cozens says it's imperative that Nukon educate himself on the rights and responsibilities of First Nation hunters.
Nukon is barred from licensed hunting for two years, he must pay a $1,000 fine, with orders to take the Yukon Government's hunter education course, before he's allowed a permit.
The case represents the first time the Yukon court has enforced rules that bar First Nations groups from hunting in territory governed by another First Nation.
