Caribou In the Canadian North

Introduction Native peoples of the Canadian north have hunted barren plains caribou since long before the Europeans arrived in North America. Hunters and social groups relied heavily on the caribou for food, clothing and utensils, as well as a source of culture and spiritual beliefs. When caribou populations declined or migrated, indigenous peoples were forced to either move with the herd, or suffer from severe starvation. Today, the fur trade still takes place in the …

…order to preserve their populations. Caribou populations still face the new industrial developments appearing on their ranges, including pipelines, roads, aircraft and mines to name a few, however with the input of various governing agencies, these developments are being limited. The involvement of the native peoples in the last two decades has increased dramatically, and this is an important factor in ensuring that all parties protecting the caribou attain their desired objective for their conservation.