Clark gov't under fire for “illegal” grizzly hunt in Tsilhqot’in

The Clark government is under fire following remarks from Tsilhqot’in leaders in B.C.’s interior last week that the grizzly hunt licences issued by the province for their neck of the woods are “illegal.”

“This is Question Period material,” reacted B.C. NDP MLA Scott Fraser, the Aboriginal Relations critic on Friday.

The Official Opposition also responded to a slew of internal B.C. government memos obtained via the Vancouver Observer that show, among many revelations, a senior wildlife official warning against the hunt in the backcountry of one of the most legally trailblazing tribes in Canada.

The Tsilhqot’in are fresh off a Supreme Court land rights victory, and view the grizzly as sacred.

"[The Liberal government] is making [grizzly hunt] decisions based without science, and against the advice of their own staff, and against the views of First Nations who have title to the land. This is crazy,” said Fraser.

On Wednesday, Chief Joe Alphonse, tribal chair of the Tsilhqot’in National Government said:

"The hunt is illegal...If [grizzly] hunters come on to Tsilhqot’in title lands, they better check with us.” He represents six bands in the area.

The chief of one of the directly affected bands, Xeni Gwet’in Chief Roger William, said the recent tripling of provincial grizzly hunt licences in the area was “mind boggling."