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Home
Answers to your questions: archives for 2004
- A website that tracks the George River herd?
- Need to get updated info from satellite collars
- How to treat a fur parka
- Tips for caribou watchers
- Taiwanese aboriginal student seeks caribou knowledge
- Moose hair/caribou tufting
- Support organizations
- How to order caribou meat
- Sharing traditional knowledge
- Caribou Schools Program
- Origin of lake names
- All in the family
- Hunting in northern Manitoba
A website that tracks the George River herd?
Dec. 22, 2004
Q. hello i was just browsing your site it's very informative however i can't seem to find a web site wher i can track the george river herd if you can provide me with a site it would be great help for my hunting trip. thank you
G.N.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
A. The Quebec government's Resources naturelles, faunes et parcs posts weekly maps tracking the movements of collared George River and Leaf River caribou. You'll find it at: www.fapaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/faune/caribou/index.htm If you're interested in tracking the movements of other satellite collared herds, our "Links" page has a section dedicated to satellite collaring. This points to sites where maps for a few other herds, like the Bathurst herd, are posted.
Need to get updated info from satellite collars
Oct. 26, 2004
Q. I need some information on caribou satlite collers,so we can get up dated info. On the movements of the caribou that is going down south.
L.M.
Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation, Saskatchewan
A. Thanks for your message. We have just added a lot more information about tracking caribou by satellite collars to our web site, and you will find it on this page. At present, there are no collars on caribou in the Beverly herd. Elders in northern Saskatchewan have said that they are opposed to satellite collaring. There have been some collars on caribou in the Qamanirjuaq herd since 1993. We receive maps that are yearly summaries of the locations of the collared caribou from Arviat biologist Mitch Campbell, and post them to our web site at www.arctic- caribou.com/satellite.html If you have any other questions, please let us know.
Oct. 7, 2004
Q. I am a conservation student currently working with the Western Canada Service Center of Parks Canada. I am currently conserving a caribou parka that was bought in the Rankin Inlet in 1976, and am trying to identify the method that was used to prepare the skin/fur. I am interested in the tanning methods that were traditionally used by the Caribou Inuit of that area. The parka is thought to be a man's, as it has no tail on the front or back, and i'm sure its the outside layer because the fur is on the outside. There is no decoration or beading on the parka, just a skin fringe around the bottom.
If you could offer me any information on the manufacturing or treatment process used for fur parkas it would be greatly appreciated. My understanding is that the regular tanning methods cannot be employed when the fur is left on, but I don't know what kind of treatment would be used to make the skin more pliable and impermeable to the elements. Even a link to a website or book that may be useful would be help.
Hope to hear from you soon,
K.O.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
A. Do you know Professor Jill Oakes of the Department of Environment and Geography with the University of Manitoba? She has written extensively about Inuit clothing and is very familiar with the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut (in which Rankin Inlet is located). According to the U. of Manitoba web site, Professor Oakes's contact info is: E-mail: jill_oakes@umanitoba.ca Phone: (204) 474-7352.
Sept. 27, 2004
Q. I am interested in seeing caribou for photographic and nature reasons (NO hunting!!!). When and where can they be seen? What time of year is best?
J.A.
Highland Park, Illinois
A. The time of year to view caribou depends on whether you want to view them on their summer range or on their winter range. If in summer, then they'll be north of the treeline in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. If in fall/winter, they'll be in their winter range in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Sila Lodge on Wager Bay, not far from Baker Lake, Nunavut, specializes in viewing wildlife and is open from early July to late August, for example. Phone: (204) 949-2050 or e-mail info@frontiersnorth.com Great Canadian Ecoventures (www.thelon.com) runs photography trips into the Thelon Game Sanctuary, a beautiful wilderness area that straddles the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
For more information, you should contact the tourism authorities for the territories and provinces where our two herds range:
Nunavut (www.nunavuttourism.com)
Northwest Territories (www.explorenwt.com)
Saskatchewan (www.sasktourism.com)
Manitoba (www.travelmanitoba.com)
Taiwanese aboriginal student seeks caribou knowledge
Sept. 22, 2004
Q. hi, i am a aboriginal student (Baiwan tribe) from Taiwan. right now i am writting about "how do aboriginal ecological wisdom affect on biodiversity?" Would you mind to give me some traditional methods on managing Caribou? Masalu (=thank you)
C.I.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
A. The main management principle of aboriginal hunters has always been to hunt only what they need, and not to waste anything. Several books could give you more information about traditional hunting methods of aboriginal people in northern Canada. You may be able to track down these books through a public library in Halifax.
People and Caribou in the Northwest Territories, Ed Hall, Editor
Department of Renewable Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories
Yellowknife NWT
Copyright 1989
ISBN # 0-7708-7181-X
Inuit: Glimpses of an Arctic Past, David Morrison and Georges-Hebert Germain
Hull, Quebec
Copyright 1995
ISBN # 0-660-14038-1
The following web sites will also provide you with more information about the traditional knowledge of aboriginal people in northern Canada.
Lessons from the Land
Interviewing Inuit Elders
Sept. 15, 2004
Q. A few years ago, I took a class in moose hair/caribou hair tufting. Do you know where I might be able to buy some caribou hair for tufting? The cost???I would appreciate an e-mail from you to let me know if you have any of this information.Thanks.
E.B.
Edmonton, Alberta
A. No, we don't have information about moose hair/caribou hair tufting, but you may wish to contact Aurora College in the Northwest Territories to see if they offer courses dedicated to this craft. The Great Northern Arts Festival has a database of artists. The NWT Arts Council and Dene Cultural Institute are other sources you could investigate for more on moose hair/caribou hair tufting.
July 23, 2004
Q. I have a question about the way the board is run.Does the board rely on related institutions to support its objective (for example, is there a scientific advisory panel, or a dispute resolution body or any other type of support organization?
M.W.
K.L.
Vancouver, British Columbia
A. The BQCMB doesn't rely on any support organizations in arriving at decisions. However, Board members occasionally form smaller specialized committees that make recommendations to the Board, such as the Technical Committee, which is comprised largely of scientists who make recommendations on herd management strategies.The BQCMB also occasionally contracts out for technical matters, surveys, evaluations, group facilatations, and so on.
April 29, 2004
Q. Could you please advise: Is there any caribou farming in Canada where Caribou meat could be purchased? Many thanks,
G.A.
Toronto, Ontario
A. While caribou farming doesn't exist in Canada, you can certainly order caribou meat through several northern meat processing plants. Limited commercial harvests of caribou provide the meat for these plants.Here is the contact info
:Kivalliq Arctic Foods Inc.
P.O. Box 329
Rankin Inlet, NU X0C 0G0
Tel: (867) 645-3137
Fax: (867) 645-3467
Web site: www.ndcorp.nu.ca/meat_fish/kivalliq.htm
Kitikmeot Foods
P.O. Box 2268
Cambridge Bay, NU X0B 0C0
Tel: (867) 983-2881
Fax: (867) 983-2801
E-mail: kitfoods@polarnet.ca
Web site: aulak.polarnet.ca/~kitfoods
Iqaluit Enterprises
Building 158-A
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Tel: (867) 979-4458
Fax: (867) 979-0214
E-mail: jcurrie@nunanet.com
Nunavik Arctic Foods Inc.
Web site: inuit.pail.ca/nunavik-arctic-foods.htm
April 19, 2004
Q. I have a question about the way the board is run.This is an excellent website. Thank you so much for sharing your important project. Do you have a hard copy of this research project or any projects pertaining to TEK and Monitoring Project??
J.H.W.
Attawapiskat, Ontario
A. Thanks for your positive feedback, Jackie! For now, the best information to be found about the BQCMB's Caribou Monitoring Program are the stories that have been carried in Caribou News in Brief since December 2000. You'll find them all here.Copies of audio and video recordings made of interviews with elders in Baker Lake and Arviat will eventually be archived with the BQCMB and the University of Alaska Fairbanks but it's been agreed that the Hunters and Trappers Organizations from Baker Lake and Arviat will need to provide permission to groups or individuals who request to see/hear these interviews.
March 11, 2004
Q. I just read about your Barren-Ground Caribou Schools Program -- produced between 1983 and 1985. Do you still have copies of this program and would I be able to get one?Sincerely,
M.W.
Teacher
Yellowknife
A. Thank you for your interest in our Caribou Schools Program. Unfortunately, we no longer have copies of the program material but in Yellowknife, you will find a copy archived with the Conservation Education Division of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. For more information, contact:
Wildlife and Fisheries
RWED
5th Floor
Scotia Building 600
5102-50th Ave
Yellowknife, NT X1A 3S8
Phone: (867) 920 8064
Fax: (867) 873 0293
Feb. 27, 2004
Q. I am interested in the history of exploration of North West Territories. I have made trips to Anaunethad Lake (base camps) and am planning a trip to Ingalls Lake this summer. Who discovered these lakes and how did they acquire their names. Who actually owns and controls these areas? What wildlife is there? Thank you any information you can furnish.
A.H.
Laurel, Maryland
A. According to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre's Place Names Database, Ingalls Lake was named after F/L B.J. Ingalls, R.C.A.F., J17096, D.F.C., a Canadian casualty of war. Their database doesn't give information about the origins of Anaunethad Lake. However, you could try contacting staff at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre to see if they can answer your question. You'll find their contact information on their web site. As for who owns and controls these areas, check with the Government of the Northwest Territories. The vast majority of land in northern Canada is Crown land in right of the federal government, but I don't know if that's the case for these two lakes. And NWT's tourism marketing agency can tell you more about wildlife in the area.
Feb. 10, 2004
Q. i was wondering if moose are a breed of caribou? could you please tell me a little more about them if they are/ aren't related?thank you. M.S.Burlingame, California
A. Caribou and moose are both members of the deer family. The moose is the largest member of the deer family and, according to the Canadian Wildlife Service, can weigh up to 800 kilograms (almost 1,800 pounds). You can learn more about moose at the web site of the Canadian Wildlife Service's Hinterland Who's Who.
Feb. 6, 2004
Q. I will be hunting in northren Manitba this fall I was trying to look at your maps but they were not opening I was hoping to get some detaileed maps on the migration routes.If you could help me out it would be greatly apperciated. Thank You
D.G.
Cleveland, Wisconnsin
A. I'm not sure why our map wouldn't open for you. It only requires a browser to view, not a separate application. I just tried it now and was able to open it. However, that map is outdated. It's for 2002, and we're still waiting to receive a map showing 2003 locations. You're best to directly contact the Department of Sustainable Development in Nunavut to see if they could send you a copy of the map. Ask for Mitch Campbell or Dan Shewchuk at DSD in Arviat, Nunavut. Phone: (867) 857-2828