Guide to Metis Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, and Gathering

Interim Metis Laws of the Harvest

FIRST EDITION

Message from MMF President David Chartrand

Dear Harvester, On behalf of our Mani-toba Metis Community,

I am pleased to present the unprecedented first edi-tion of our Interim Metis Laws of the Harvest. These interim laws build upon our rich cultural heritage and our longstanding commitment to our harvesting rights and our conservation responsibilities. Our Ancestors had unwritten and written rules, such as the historic Metis Laws of the Buffalo Hunt, and others. Today the Metis people continue to practice our traditions that have been passed from generation to generation. Carrying on the proud tradition of the Otipemisiwak, “the independent ones,” these interim laws will help

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

to ensure we can meet our obligations to our families now and in the future. Through further consultation we will continue to develop your Metis-made laws as part of our Metis Harvesting Initiative. Our Metis Nation’s traditions, expressed in part by these interim laws, are crucial to protecting our fu-ture. Following the direction expressed by the Metis, these interim laws are intended to protect the wildlife, fish, and other resources upon which we depend. To-gether, we will protect our community, our environ-ment, and our rights by implementing the principles and laws found in this booklet. I would like to thank all our Elders, volunteers, staff, and elected members of the Manitoba Metis Federa-tion Board, who have worked hard to move our Metis Harvesting Initiative forward. I would also like to thank all those who contributed by providing valuable advice and clear direction. Meeqwetch, David Chartrand

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

Introduction to the Interim Metis Laws

of the Harvest by

Darrel Deslauriers MMF Natural Resources Chair

Dear Harvester, You have in your hands a

milestone document in the history of the Metis Na-tion. This booklet is the product of the hard work, ex-perience, and knowledge of literally thousands of Metis people across our province.

The Interim Metis Laws of the Harvest are based on the results of the Commission on the Metis Laws of the Harvest, the Elders Conference, the workshops, surveys, and much discussion amongst the Metis within Manitoba. We listened very carefully to what you said in these forums. The Principles and Laws of the Harvest that follow are intended to guide us in our Metis harvesting.

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

These laws, and related policies and procedures are subject to change. These laws are also intended to be the starting point for flexible and ongoing devel-opment of future Metis Laws of the Harvest.

Future Metis-made rules will continue to be devel-oped with further consultation at upcoming MMF Local and Regional workshops. These rules will re-flect the traditions and aspirations of our Ancestors, our Manitoba Metis Community, and the Metis Na-tion within Manitoba.

I want to thank everyone for their participation and assistance in making this an ongoing success. I look forward to seeing many of you again at the future workshops, and on the hunting trail. Good luck! Thank you, Darrel Deslauriers

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

Principles

1. Metis harvesting and Metis harvest, for the purpose of the interim laws of the harvest, means hunting, trapping, fish-ing, and gathering for food and domestic use, including sharing, social and cere-monial purposes, of fish, big-game, small-game, furbearers, game-bird (upland and migratory), berries, mush-rooms, medicinal and other plants includ-ing wild rice, and firewood for domestic use;

2. Metis harvesting is a Metis right. This right is not subject to a provincial govern-ment draw system;

3. Along with our Metis right come respon-sibilities to our community, and to our wildlife, fisheries, and other environ-mental and natural resources. Conserva-tion has top priority;

4. Metis have Metis harvesting access to re-sources equal to that of other

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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Aboriginal Peoples. The Metis right to the Metis harvest has priority over those of the non-Aboriginal recreational and commercial harvesters;

5. Sharing the Metis harvest through those ways traditionally used by the Metis Community, is a Metis right. This in-cludes using designated community hunters to harvest for disabled, elderly, and those unable to hunt;

6. To protect our rights, and to meet our responsibilities and obligations, the Metis people have identified four principle ob-jectives to guide the implementation of our right. These are proposed to be im-plemented in the MMF Metis Harvesting Initiative and include:

a. Metis Harvester Identification Cards. These cards will identify Metis harvesters and prevent the fraudulent abuse of our Metis har-vesting rights by non-Metis;

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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b. Metis Conservation Trust Fund. A trust fund will be created to raise and distribute funds to be used for local and regional Metis-directed conservation initiatives and to sup-port and safeguard our section 35 rights;

c. Metis Management System. The commitment to a Metis-developed management system recognizing Metis rights and Metis jurisdiction. Management would include a har-vest recording process;

d. Metis Laws of the Harvest. Our An-cestors had our own unwritten and written rules such as the “Laws of the Buffalo Hunt.” The Metis people want Metis-made common-sense rules to protect our rights and re-sources such as bag limits and re-strictions during calving and spawning periods.

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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Laws

1. The Metis harvest is not to be sold. Com-mercial use, either selling or buying, is to be done only under a commercial permit or licensing agreement as currently re-quired by federal or provincial regulations;

2. Subject to the requirements and excep-tions in the attached Harvesting Quick Ref-erence Guide, all Metis harvesters must be in possession of a validated Metis Har-vester Identification Card obtained through the MMF Metis Harvester Card Application Process. This Card must be validated an-nually for the period from August 1st through to July 31st of the following year. For validation, the Card must be affixed with the Metis Conservation Trust Fund Sticker for the applicable period;

3. In addition to the MMF Metis Harvester Identification Card and Metis Conservation Trust Sticker, hunting of big game requires the appropriate management tags for re-

porting and conservation purposes;

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4. Metis Harvesters must meet all health and safety regulations and re-quirements, including possessing all ap-plicable federal and provincial firearms, vehicular, and boating safety and operat-ing certificates and licenses;

5. Metis Harvesters may harvest year-round subject to Metis Regional decision-making, planning, and management con-siderations as enacted from time to time, and with the following exceptions:

a. No big game hunting from January 15th to July 15th. During the rest of the year, no hunting of female big game if the animal is accompanied by offspring under one-year old;

b. No fishing by net during species-specific fish spawning seasons;

c. No game-bird hunting during nesting. Spring game-bird hunting may take place during migration before nest-ing.

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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6. Metis harvesters may engage in Metis harvesting throughout the Manitoba Metis Community’s province-wide tradi-tional harvesting territory on all unoccu-pied provincial Crown Lands in Manitoba and on occupied provincial Crown lands, including provincial parks, wherever First Nation Members are allowed to harvest; and on any privately owned lands in Manitoba on which that Metis Harvester has been given permission by the owner or occupant, or Indian Reserve lands, with permission of Band Council;

7. 50 pounds possession limit on fish har-vest. For game, as an interim measure until further Metis Laws of Harvest re-garding bag limits are developed, use common sense and our unwritten Metis traditional rules or existing provincial bag limits;

8. Don’t waste. Eat what you kill and if there are other uses for the animal, try to do that.

HARVESTING QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

The reference guide tables on the following pages are intended to help the Metis Har-vester identify what requirements must be met if he or she intends to harvest various resources on the land. This guide may change. The left hand column is used to identify the resource to be harvested. You will notice an 18 years or older line, 16 to 17 years line, and a 12 to 15 years line. Choose the appli-cable line and move to the boxes to the right to determine the requirements needed to harvest. For example, if you are over 18 and want to harvest deer, you would look under big-game and follow the “18 or older” row and would determine that you require an MMF Metis Harvester Identification Card, a Metis Conservation Trust Sticker, and a Manage-ment Tag or Tags.

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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tabl

e co

ntin

ued

on n

ext p

age.

..

IF I

HA

RV

EST…

DO

I N

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?…

MM

F M

etis

Har

-ve

ster

Ide

ntifi

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Card

10

Met

is C

onse

r-va

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t Fu

nd S

ticke

r11 M

anag

emen

t Ta

gs9

Ad

ult

acco

m-

pani

men

t1

BIG

-GA

ME2

18 y

ears

old

or

olde

r Ye

s Ye

s Ye

s N

o

12 t

o 15

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

SMA

LL-G

AM

E3

18 y

ears

old

or

olde

r Ye

s Ye

s N

o N

o

12 t

o 15

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

Yes

18 y

ears

old

or

olde

r Ye

s Ye

s N

o N

o

12 t

o 15

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

Yes

UP

LAN

D4 A

ND

MIG

RA

TOR

Y5

GA

ME-

BIR

DS

16 t

o 17

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

Yes

No

16 t

o 17

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

No

16 t

o 17

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

No

8

IF I

HA

RV

EST…

DO

I N

EED

?…

M

MF

Met

is H

ar-

vest

er I

dent

ifi-

catio

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rd10

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Trus

t Fu

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r11 M

anag

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t Ta

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Ad

ult

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m-

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men

t1

FISH

6

18

yea

rs o

ld o

r ol

der

Yes

Yes

No

No

12 t

o 15

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

Yes

SMA

LL-G

AM

E FU

RB

EAR

ERS7

, FI

REW

OO

D A

ND

WIL

D R

ICE8

18 y

ears

old

or

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r Ye

s Ye

s N

o N

o

12 t

o 15

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

Yes

18 y

ears

old

or

olde

r N

o N

o N

o N

o

12 t

o 15

yea

rs o

ld

No

No

No

Yes

BER

RIE

S, M

USH

RO

OM

S,

MED

ICIN

AL

AN

D O

THER

PLA

NTS

16 t

o 17

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

No

16 t

o 17

yea

rs o

ld

Yes

No

No

No

16 t

o 17

yea

rs o

ld

No

No

No

No

9

Footnotes on table: 1 All harvesting is subject to and harvesters must

meet the requirements of, all federal and pro-vincial health and safety regulations. For har-vesting requiring firearms or bows, or for activi-ties involving potentially hazardous conditions, or exposing the harvester to risk or possible harm, adult accompaniment is recommended. The adult must meet all his or her adult require-ments for the resource being harvested.

2 Moose, elk, barren-ground caribou, woodland caribou, white-tailed deer, mule deer, black bear and gray wolf.

3 All other animals not listed in footnotes #2 or #7

4 Ruffed grouse, gray partridge, wild turkey, rock ptarmigan, willow ptarmigan, spruce grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and ring-necked pheasant.

5 Ducks, geese, coots and snipe, sandhill cranes. 6 Arctic char, arctic grayling, black crappie,

brook trout, channel catfish, goldeye,

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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mooneye, lake trout, muskellunge, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, walleye, white bass, whitefish, yellow perch, and freshwater mussels, and other species.

7 Beaver, short-tailed weasel, long-tailed weasel, coyote, fisher, artic fox, red fox, river otter, badger, bobcat, marten, mink, muskrat, red squirrel, wolverine, raccoon, lynx.

8 Firewood and wild rice are for own use and not for sale. Gathering of berries and plants does not require any cards, stickers or tags.

9 Tags required for big-game reporting and conser-vation purposes. Other species-specific reporting to be used.

10 Youth 12 to 17 years require card. Children 11 years or younger do not require Metis Harvester Identification card. Children should be accompa-nied by adult at all times.

11 Metis Harvester Identification Card will be consid-ered validated without sticker for those 12 to 17 years of age.

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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If You Are Approached by a Conservation Officer

If a Manitoba Conservation Officer, or other en-forcement authority, approaches you regarding your Metis harvesting or your Metis harvest, please fol-low these steps:

1. Ensure that you have your validated MMF Metis Harvester Identification Card with you at all times while harvesting;

2. Be sure that you are following the MMF In-

terim Metis Laws of the Harvest; 3. Be polite, and answer his or her questions to

the best of your knowledge; 4. Identify yourself as a Metis Harvester to the

Conservation Officer, and show the Conserva-tion Officer your Metis Harvester Identifica-tion Card;

continued on next page...

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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5. Tell the Conservation Officer that you are practicing your Metis right to harvest, and that you are harvesting for food or domestic purposes and not for commercial purposes, and not for trophy or sport;

6. If you have any portion of your harvest

seized, or you are given a warning or sum-mons (charged) for practicing your Metis right to harvest, please contact the MMF Natural Resources Portfolio Staff immedi-ately to report the incident at 204-586-8474.

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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Remember… 1. The Metis Harvest is not to be sold;

2. Have with you, when you harvest, your vali-dated MMF Metis Harvester Identification Card;

3. Follow all health and safety regulations or re-quirements;

4. Harvesting is year-round with the exceptions found in the Interim Metis Laws of the Harvest;

5. Hunt on unoccupied Crown land and occupied Crown land wherever First Nations Members are allowed to harvest. Hunt on Indian Reserve land only with permission from Band Council;

6. Hunt on privately owned land only if you have permission by owner or occupant;

7. For fish, use the limits found in the Interim Metis Laws of the Harvest. For game, for the interim, use common sense, unwritten Metis traditional rules, or existing provincial limits.

∞ Manitoba Metis Federation ∞

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Published by the Manitoba Metis Federation Inc.

For more information, please contact the MMF

Natural Resources Portfolio Staff at

300-150 Henry Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3B 0J7

Phone: 204-586-8474 Fax: 204-947-1816

E-Mail: harvest@mmf.mb.ca www.mmf.mb.ca

August 31st, 2004