PEGUIS FIRST NATION LAUNCHES LEGAL CHALLENGE AGAINST PROVINCIAL NIGHT HUNTING LAWS

PEGUIS FIRST NATION, MB, Feb. 23, 2022 /CNW/ - Peguis First Nation has filed a lawsuit challenging provincial legislation limiting hunting at night in Manitoba.

"Night hunting is part of our identity and Constitutionally protected right," said Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson. "It's how we provide for our families and our Elders. These laws have serious impacts on our culture and our community."

Peguis holds a Treaty right to hunt which is protected under the Canadian Constitution. Members prefer to hunt at night in accordance with longstanding cultural and safety protocols.

In 2020, Manitoba enacted amendments to provincial wildlife laws, which place strict limits on when and how Peguis members can hunt at night.

The amended legislation prohibits hunting at night within 3 km of buildings, farms and roads anywhere in northern Manitoba. Hunters in southern Manitoba are required to apply for a permit and face additional restrictions.

"This isn't about safety," said Chief Hudson. "If the Province was concerned about keeping people safe, they should have talked to us first. We've been hunting safely at night for generations. Instead, Manitoba went ahead and amended the laws without even consulting us."

In the lawsuit, Peguis asks the Court to confirm that the legislation infringes Peguis' Treaty rights, and that Peguis members can continue to hunt at night for food and cultural purposes.

"We're not going to let the Province pass laws that violate our Treaty and erode our rights," said Chief Hudson. "We're going to stand up for our culture and make sure that these rights are still here for our future generations."

SOURCE Peguis First Nation

Contacts: Chief Glenn Hudson, Peguis First Nation, BOX 10, PEGUIS FIRST NATION, MB, R0C 3J0, PHONE: [phone]