In a letter to Supt. Alan Fehr dated Oct. 27, David MacPhee, president of the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation (AWN), expressed his band’s dismay that both the Simpcw First Nation and the Stoney Nation were allowed to hunt in a national park and increase their role in the management of the park.
“AWN calls on Parks Canada to immediately enter negotiations with AWN to restore our access to the Park and to prioritize our involvement in the co-management of Jasper both as the Park’s current neighboring Indigenous peoples and its former inhabitants,” he wrote.
“We also insist that Parks Canada consult with AWN prior to implementation of the Simpcw and Stoney agreements to ensure that Canada understands and can address any potential impacts of those agreements on AWN’s rights and outstanding claim to Park lands.”
The letter elaborated that AWN does not oppose the rights of other Indigenous peoples but rather stipulated that not all First Nations have the same connection to the land contained within Jasper National Park.
MacPhee wrote that both the Simpcw and Stoney now make their homes approximately 400 kilometres away.
“By comparison, the Park was home to the Aseniwuche Winewak for generations and it is the core of traditional lands. AWN’s unresolved loss of lands in the Park is well known to Parks Canada and Canada has yet to address our people’s traumatic removal from the Park. A trauma that continues to impact our Nation.”
There are more than 500 band members of the AWN, most of whom reside in the Grande Cache area, approximately 200 kilometres northwest of the Jasper townsite.
When contacted by the Fitzhugh, AWN President David MacPhee had no further comment.
Supt. Alan Fehr said the AWN is an important partner to Parks Canada.
“We value that relationship,” he said, indicating that their perspective is legitimate and respected.
“They were and have always been involved in discussions about things like harvesting and the gathering.”
He noted that the Simpcw and Stoney initiated discussions about their harvest. Parks Canada’s involvement was to help facilitate their gathering.
“They wanted to work with us. We were happy to work with them and felt honoured to work with them to ensure that everything was conducted safely, and that all the conservation issues were addressed.”
If any other Indigenous partners were interested in approaching Parks Canada to achieve something similar in Jasper National Park, Fehr’s door is open.
“We’re certainly interested in having those bilateral conversations,” he said, noting that Parks Canada meets with the AWN periodically and its representatives come to the Jasper Indigenous Forum regularly as well.
“We would be very pleased to continue to work with them and help advance the mutual goals.”
There are 21 Indigenous partners to Jasper National Park, including the Simpcw First Nation, the Stoney Nation, and the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation.
The Fitzhugh attempted to reach out to the other 18 Indigenous partners. Only one responded to indicate that it had no issue with the Simpcw and Stoney Nations rekindling their agreement and participating in a hunt.
