File 361714

DEPARTMENT

OF

MINES AND RESOURCES

Indian Affairs Branch

Ottawa, March 19, 1943

Memorandum:

– Mr. Allan –

In Dr. Mellings report of meeting on February 3rd with the Indians living in the “B” and “C” areas of Wood Buffalo Park, he set forth three requests made by the Chiefs and Councillors.

1. That the trapping privileges of the Indians residing in the “B” and “C” areas be equalized.
2. That great leniency be given Indians living in the “C” area to visit friends and relatives in “B” area.
3. That an Indian Reserve be established within the boundaries of the Wood Buffalo Park at the Quarter Fourches.

In consideration of these requests, the third seems to present the least ground for argument as it is quite evident that the Wood Buffalo Park Administration would not look with favour on such a request and this Branch would not feel justified in putting forward such a suggestion. If the Indians need and are entitled to a reserve, it would have to be located outside the boundaries of the Wood Buffalo Park.

The second request would seem to rest on the past behaviour of the “C” Indians who had been allowed to visit their friends or relatives residing in the “B” area. It does not seem unreasonable for the Wood Buffalo Park Officials to keep a check on the movements of the former when in the “B” area by requiring any visitors to obtain permission from the resident Warden so that he may keep track of their movements.

The first request is one of long standing and has been put forward with more or less regularity from the time the annex south of the Peace River was added to the original park areas in 1926. The Order-in-Council setting up the park states that those eligible to trap in that portion of the Wood Buffalo Park north of the Peace River, which includes areas “B” “shall be Treaty Indians who had hunted and trapped in that area prior to the 16th December 1922”. Those eligible to trap in that portion of the Park south of the Peace River, areas “C”, “shall be any person who had hunted and trapped in that area prior to the 24th day of September, 1926”.

Those in the first category immediately established their right to trap in area “B”. Then when area “C” was added some of these people were eligible from their past trapping activities to trap in area “C” also. The area south of the Peace is essentially a muskrat country and has been the scene of the spring rat run for the Indians residing in both the “B” and “C” for a good many generations.

According to the records of the Wood Buffalo Park Administrations there are approximately ninety Treaty Indians who are eligible to trap in both the “B” and “C” areas and about the same number who are eligible to trap in the “C” –

(over)

areas only. If the former were confined to the “B” area, the loss to them resulting from the lack of suitable country for their spring hunt would be very considerable. On the other hand if the Indians who are eligible for the “C” area only were allowed access to the “B” area, it would mean that the fine fur and beaver, particularly beaver, would become seriously depleted if the area was thrown open to an additional ninety trappers.

As well as the Treaty Indians there are approximately sixty-five halfbreed and white trappers who are eligible for trapping in the “C” area only. These people would undoubtedly protest, and with considerable justification, that they should also be given access to the “B” area. If this request was granted too, more than one hundred and fifty trappers would be added to the ninety now trapping in the “B” area which very definitely would not support that many trappers.

It would seem therefore that for the present at least, none of these requests can be met. A possible solution to the first is the future development and the control of trapping in the exceptionally fine muskrat country that makes up such a large portion of the “C” area. When developed areas come into production, then trapping preference in the improved areas could be given first to those who are confined to the “C” area.

J.L. Grew