Mapping winter food security for the Klinse-Za caribou herd ...

• Main Author: Richter, Carmen Jessie
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2024
• Subjects: British Columbia; Canada; Moberly; First Nations
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0440980; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0440980

In Canada, many wildlife species are in decline, and some of these species, like caribou, are central to the food sovereignty and cultural practices of many Indigenous communities. Alongside actions by the federal and provincial governments, First Nations in northeastern British Columbia are leading recovery efforts for the Klinse-Za caribou herd. Providing natural forage during recovery actions is important for caribou during maternal pens, supplemental feeding, and habitat protection. Since 2013, the Saulteau First Nations and the West Moberly First Nations have captured 12-22 pregnant caribou and held them in a pen for several months per year. The pen prevents predation on mothers and young. At the same time the Nations provide caribou with high quality food resources that include a mixture of commercial pellets and Cladonia lichens (C. rangiferina, C. abbuscula, C. stellaris, C. stygia, C. uncilalis) collected by the Nations. Community members are recruited to pick lichen, which is then dried, stored, ...