Aboriginal Hunting Provides Food: Expert Witness
Posted by Tad McIlwraith on March 9th, 2007 filed in Court Cases, Hunting
In-SHUCK-ch’s Space links to an article from the New Leader describing the testimony an expert witness arguing that the right of the Cowichan (Coast Salish; Southern Vancouver Island near Duncan, BC) to hunt is critical because hunting provides food for people in the group. Joe Bartleman is testifying in a case of illegal hunting where four Cowichan people are charged with using lights at night to kill deer and elk.
When Bartleman conceded pit lamping did put animals at an unfair advantage, [Defense Attorney] Sheets asked why that hunting method is practiced.
“To put food on the table,” Bartleman replied.
A few of the slaughtered elk were pregnant and Sheets asked the witness how Aboriginal hunters would traditionally deal with fetuses.
“In the past, parts of the fetus were used for medicinal purposes,” Bartleman said, adding today, “you would bury it; (do) something to show respect for the animal. It’s a life.”
This exchange is particularly interesting because it implies that hunting — in the eyes of the court at least — is potentially for reasons other than sustenance. It is instructive that the courts are hearing and recording that aboriginal hunting is often for food and not for, say, sport.
Note: Joe Bartleman appears to be a Tsartlip (Coast Salish) person. The Tsartlip have recently been involved in their own court fight over night-time hunting. See my earlier post ‘Supreme Court of Canada: Night Hunting with Lights OK’
Sphere: Related Content6 Responses to “Aboriginal Hunting Provides Food: Expert Witness”
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- Tad McIlwraith in Reviews of Widdowson and Howard’s “Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry”: Ed … nicely said. To be honest, I do not understand precisely why Marx and Morgan are the central
- Ed L. in Reviews of Widdowson and Howard’s “Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry”: They seem to be suggesting that aboriginal consciousness is the product of an all-encompassing legal and institutional framework, and not
- Pineshi Gustin in Anthropology, Dick Pound, and the Savagery Issue: First Peoples of the country had a history prior to contact. Our territories had names and our timelines had oral
- Tad McIlwraith in Anthropology, Dick Pound, and the Savagery Issue: Thanks for the link, dirk. –Tad
- dirk in Anthropology, Dick Pound, and the Savagery Issue: A couple of points should be made.First the term “Aboriginal” is a legal construct.Under Canadian law it implies indigenous peoples
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October 8th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
What is up with these Cowichan people. Food is one thing but whats up with the spotlighting. Thats legal in no state.
Thanks
November 15th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Because they have no respect. Just like the Indians I see shooting spring ducks out of the ditch with .22s, and leaving them there. Or the ones I see shooting deer for fun, and not retrieving them. Or the ones I see netting and spearing spawning fish, only to take the few they want and let the rest rot on the banks. Or the ones killing sturgeon (An endangered fish in Manitoba) and leaving most of it to rot. Or the ones I’ve seen kill a moose, then decide it was to much work to get it out and leaving it to rot…
Caretakers of the land my @$$
November 15th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I am not condoning or apologizing for deviant or criminal activity. Such things happen in all societies. I don’t think First Nations people and governments look favourably on these things either. Working with hunters in northern BC, I heard time and again that violators of social norms around hunting will be punished, whether within the context of local belief systems or by the law.
Also, look what happened in September 2007 when Makah people killed a gray whale illegally. That action was condemned by the Makah Council.
Ultimately, the point of the post was to call attention to changing views in the courts where sustenance hunting is concerned.
December 28th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
well just give us our land back and take our hunting rights away and its a done deal… easy as that there buddy dont bring all us natives down i see you white people doing exact same thing but it’s not legal for you guys as it is for us douglas treaty hunters (pit lamping) eat your heart out buddy haha
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:53 am
[...] continue not to believe that the social issues facing native people people are anything more than failed assimilation (see comments in both cases) — this piece should be an [...]
August 17th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
to all the peeps that dont like us Savages pit lamping Exspect it to come back like you exspected Jesus to come back