Dene are Caribou:
Caribou are Dene
“Caribou are considered the lifeblood of the north, and intrinsically linked to the health, subsistence, and culture of the Denesųłiné. We are known as the Caribou people."
Etthén, or Barren ground, caribou are the cultural keystone species of the Denesųłiné people.
Caribou harvesting is embedded within the Denesųłiné culture.
As described below, it is Denesųłiné protocol to utilize the entire animal when hunting. Fresh caribou meat is full of nutrients that other imported foods often don’t have. The hide of the animal is used for clothing and bedding; the bones and antlers are used for crafts.
Caribou not only help provide nutrition to our people: they also ensure our cultural and spiritual health are maintained.
As caribou are central to most aspects of the Denesųłiné culture, Elders play a crucial role in teaching the young people about hunting caribou.
One example of this teaching in practice is in Black Lake. At Father Porte Memorial School, there is an annual hunting trip where Elders teach children the ins and outs of caribou hunting. As the young people learn about responsible caribou hunting, they observe traditions that have existed for millennia.
Gentle creatures with maternal nature
Unlike other species in the deer family, most male and female caribou grow antlers annually through a process called antlerogenesis. Males use their antlers for fighting during mating season (the rut); Males lose their antlers after mating and females lose theirs in spring after calving.
In general, caribou have a diet of lichens, willow, birch, sedges, and grasses.
Caribou are well adapted to survival in the north. Their hooves are hard and large to help them navigate the snow and the inner pads grow hair to protect them from the cold.
Barren ground Caribou Herds
Caribou herds that migrate into Nuhenéné include the Beverly, Qamanirjuaq, Ahiak and Bathurst herds. Herds are determined by their fidelity to specific calving grounds.
The Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Barren ground caribou herds live in northern Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The herds get their names from the calving grounds, which are in Nunavut.
The Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board lists the Beverly Caribou herd as high vulnerability. The Beverly herd’s spring migration corridor is nearest to the northern Saskatchewan communities and the fall migration corridor is further north.
The Qamanirjuaq herd is listed as medium-high vulnerability. Their fall migration corridor is nearest to the northern Saskatchewan communities and their spring migration corridor is further northeast.
Dene are Caribou: Caribou are Dene. The Denesųłiné travel with the herds.
Herd Movement
Caribou have a unique annual migratory pattern. They migrate largely due to snow and the need for food. Though it is dependent on weather, food, and predators, their migratory patterns are relatively the same every year.
The female caribou (cows) and calves from the previous year (yearlings) travel north to the approximate calving grounds in the spring. Later, non-pregnant cows and young males (bulls) move north, followed by the adult bulls. Pregnant cows gather together and have their young simultaneously within a few weeks of each other. The calving time and location is coordinated with the “green-up” when tundra flora becomes available.
Large herds of caribou gather in mid-June, after calving is over, to help protect each other. By moving into large compact herds, caribou can get some relief from the intense harassment by insects in the summer months. In late July, the herds begin to migrate back south.
Sometime between October and December, the herds move south to the forest. At the end of October, breeding (the rut) happens.
Barren ground caribou are under threat.
Our human activities largely impact caribou, their migration patterns, and their habitats. Individually, climate change, habitat loss, disease, and predation are bad enough. When in combination with one another, they compound to a very large impact on the species.
Barren ground caribou populations have been decreasing and the Bathurst herd in particular, has reached critically low numbers. The Bathurst caribou have traditionally migrated into Saskatchewan, however, due to their low numbers, their range has contracted significantly and now mostly remains north of Great Slave Lake. Harvesting restrictions are in place for this herd.
Currently, the Barren ground caribou are listed as “threatened” under the Northwest Territories Species at Risk Act. Federally, the Barren ground caribou are being proposed as “threatened” under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. After several years of consultation with Indigenous communities and the general public, the Minister has yet to make a decision. Listing would increase protection for the caribou, particularly around critical habitat.
Climate Change.
Climate change drives many of the other threats and impacts on caribou.
The change in precipitation and temperature patterns impacts the caribou and their food sources. For example, increasing wet snow and/or freezing rain, drought, and freeze-thaw cycles all affect the caribou.
Because of climate change, the caribou are travelling further away.
An Alberta study suggests that the Qamanirjuaq Barren ground caribou herd has been adapting to the warming temperatures caused by climate change. The warming temperatures have caused new life to grow earlier in springtime. To deal with this, the caribou have been leaving their winter territory, reaching their spring destination, and starting calving earlier. At the same time, the herd has taken longer to migrate likely due to changing snow conditions.
“Caribou go far away, and I wish they are respected so they will come back. All animals and birds should be respected. We need them to sustain us, then we will live happily. All the things, like water should be respected. Without water, we cannot live.”
Harvesting.
Harvesting caribou is undeniably and intrinsically crucial to the Denesųłiné and our culture. The Denesųłiné have harvested caribou since time immemorial and have been stewards of the land and the caribou. As populations decline, so do the impacts of harvesting. Communities have been concerned with the recent number of hunters harvesting caribou within their traditional territory that come from other jurisdictions. They see that traditional protocols are not being followed, and caribou has been disrespected. The Athabasca Denesųłiné are currently developing an Athabasca Denesųłiné Barren ground Caribou Management Plan to continue to foster understanding and sound management decisions for the protection of the caribou for future generations.
See the 10 traditional protocols for harvesting caribou at the top of this page.
Contaminants.
There are concerns about various contaminants affecting the caribou populations, specifically around cadmium, mercury, pesticides, and herbicides.
Contaminants originating at mining sites are of great concern, especially from tailings ponds, hazardous wastes, and airborne pollution.
Monitoring has determined that their is low risk of contamination from eating caribou meat. It remains a healthy, nutritious source of protein and fat for many.
Disturbance & Habitat Loss.
Calving and post-calving grounds are essential for Barren ground survival and population recovery. Certain water crossings and land bridges are also crucial parts of their migration routes.
Habitat loss is catalyzed by mining exploration and developments throughout the region. Mining exploration and development are the largest industrial activity in the Beverly, Qamanirjuaq, Ahiak and Bathurst caribou herds’ regions. Activities that disrupt the caribou’s habitat and rhythms include low-flying airplanes, constructing roads and air strips, power lines, increased traffic on roads, actual mine construction and operation, plus pollution from all of these activities.
Disturbance also occurs due to oil and gas and hydro projects.
Increased roadways and corridors are concerning because they allow industry, hunters and predators easier access to the caribou herds.
Disease.
Some of the more common parasites that can infect caribou include: warbles, nasal bots, besnoitia, lungworms, tapeworms, brucellosis.
Warble flies impact the wellbeing of a caribou by affecting their behaviour, physical condition, and pregnancy rates.
Bot flies are found in the caribou quite often, but seem to not have too big of an impact.
Mosquitoes can really burden caribou by stressing them out, which then impacts their overall wellbeing and functioning.
Chronic Wasting Disease can also impact caribou. It is transferred between species and affects the nervous system to the point of death. As other species move into barren-ground territory, the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease increases.
Predation.
A few of the caribou’s major predators include wolves, grizzly bears, golden eagles, wolverines, and lynx. These species rely on caribou as a source of food, demonstrating the key role that caribou play in the ecosystem. Predation plays a large role in caribou population because adult and calf survival rates are affected.
To protect themselves and their herds from predators, scents release from the glands on their back legs when they rise after perceiving danger.
As forest fires increase in the caribou’s winter range (the boreal forest), deer and moose move into the area to feed on the new growth vegetation. As deer and moose move in, so do the wolves.