As Łutsël K’é Dene, we rely on ɂetthën for physical, cultural, linguistic, emotional, and spiritual sustenance. Our relationships with and responsibilities to ɂetthën are established in histories and accounts that go back thousands of years. These relationships and responsibilities are the foundation of Dënesųłıné law and our traditional management systems.
Many of our members are deeply concerned by the state of ɂetthën across the sub-Arctic and Arctic regions. Ɂetthën no longer reliably return to traditional water and land crossings in our nuwé nëné, and in 2015 and 2016, ɂetthën did not come anywhere near Łutsël K’é.
Based on our traditional knowledge, natural fluctuations in the number of ɂetthën and where ɂetthën migrate are normal; we have experienced these variations in the past. Sadly, these natural fluctuations have been disrupted and exaggerated by global climate change; mineral and energy resource exploration and extraction; the ice road; past and present big game hunting; and, in some instances, disrespectful hunting practices.
In January 2020, the Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation’s Chief and Council formally approved a community-led stewardship plan called Yúnethé Xá Ɂetthën Hádı. The purpose of Yúnethé Xá Ɂetthën Hádı is to protect ɂetthën in order to ensure ɂetthën and our way of life continue to exist as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the river flows.
This plan, which was developed through extensive community engagement that included a series of five Ɂetthën Talks, is based on Łutsël K’é Dënesųłıné beliefs, values, stories, and words. It applies to the nálze of ɂetthën and k’ech’ąı̨́dı (other animals) by Łutsël K’é nálze dëne (hunters) in Łutsël K’é’s nuwé nëné (traditional territory). It outlines hunting policies, protocols, and activities to encourage and support respectful hunting practices.
At a special meeting held in Łutsël K’é on February 2, 2023, Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation (LKDFN) members directed Chief and Council to renew Yúnethé Xá Ɂetthën Hádı for five years. The Chief and Council proceeded to do so by Band Council Resolution on February 3, 2023.
The Story of Yúnethé Xá Ɂetthën Hádı(Caribou Stewardship Plan)
One of the key policies in the plan is a self-imposed, five-year moratorium on hunting Bathurst caribou. “Although we do not believe that respectful, subsistence hunting has caused the decline of the caribou herds, we think the Bathurst caribou herd’s population is too low to sustain any harvesting or any more disturbances within their home range,” said Chief Darryl Marlowe, when the self-imposed moratorium was first passed in 2020. After five years, we will consider continuing the moratorium based on the best available Indigenous and scientific knowledge.
Ni Hat’ni Dene monitor the land, animals, and visitors, including hunters, within Thaidene Nëné and the rest of nuwé nëné. They also play a critical role in embodying and promoting respectful hunting practices, recording harvest data, and documenting the health of the caribou herds. Łutsël K’é’s Wildlife, Lands, and Environment Department (WLED) also plays a role in education and communication, ensuring our members are aware of the policies and protocols in the plan
