The moose in La Verendrye Wildlife Park are in a state of emergency. The Anishnabe people have relied on the moose for thousands of years for healthy food, clothing, and ceremony. The declining moose population in the Park is, therefore, both a biodiversity crisis and a threat to the Anishnabe way of life.
The Anishnabe Moose Committee (AMC) advocates for the rights of Anishnabe people living in their traditional family territories in and around the Park. This past summer, the committee conducted the most in-depth study to date on the region’s moose population. It shows that moose numbers have declined more dramatically than ever in the past decade, and the main causes of the decline are sport hunting, logging, and climate change.
The Quebec government and industry are profiting from the region’s resources at the expense of the moose and the Anishnabe people. Continuation of current logging and hunting practices constitutes violations of territory, species health, and Anishinabe rights supported by UNDRIP. Urgent actions are needed to protect the moose in La Verendrye Wildlife Park, and the rights of the Anishnabe people, now.
Join us in calling Quebec Premier François Legault to respect the rights of grassroots Anishnabe people to protect the moose that have, since time immemorial, provided for them. That means implementing the recommendations from the Anishnabe Moose Committee report, including extending the current sport hunting moratorium, ending logging in the Park, and supporting a moose management plan according to Anishnabe traditional knowledge and governance.
