Mi'kmaq communities in Cape Breton are upset after hunters shot a rare albino moose last week.
The white moose was killed near Belle Cote, N.S.
"This is what we call a spirit animal,” said Clifford Paul, moose management co-ordinator for the Unamaki Institute of Natural Resources.
Mi'kmaq hunter Danny Paul said aboriginal communities have known about the moose for years, but refrained from killing it because white animals are considered sacred.
"We know the significance and we've been teaching that to the non-native population for almost 500 years — about the importance that this and other white animals played in our lives," he said. "We are not to harm them in any way, shape, or form because they could be one of our ancestors coming to remind us of something significant that's going to happen within our communities."
"It was so disrespectful having seen it put on the social media, and it's been an outcry and our people are outraged."
The Department of Natural Resources said white moose are rare but there are no laws against killing them.
Peter MacDonald, a biologist with the department, said that judging by the photos the dead moose appears to be a partial albino.
The hunters who shot the moose said they didn’t know about the animal’s significance.
They have agreed to hand over the hide for a traditional Mi’kmaq ceremony.
Source
The white moose was killed near Belle Cote, N.S.
"This is what we call a spirit animal,” said Clifford Paul, moose management co-ordinator for the Unamaki Institute of Natural Resources.
Mi'kmaq hunter Danny Paul said aboriginal communities have known about the moose for years, but refrained from killing it because white animals are considered sacred.
"We know the significance and we've been teaching that to the non-native population for almost 500 years — about the importance that this and other white animals played in our lives," he said. "We are not to harm them in any way, shape, or form because they could be one of our ancestors coming to remind us of something significant that's going to happen within our communities."
"It was so disrespectful having seen it put on the social media, and it's been an outcry and our people are outraged."
The Department of Natural Resources said white moose are rare but there are no laws against killing them.
Peter MacDonald, a biologist with the department, said that judging by the photos the dead moose appears to be a partial albino.
The hunters who shot the moose said they didn’t know about the animal’s significance.
They have agreed to hand over the hide for a traditional Mi’kmaq ceremony.
Source
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This is so sad. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
:.(
You would have to live in a bubble not to know that a white moose is special. My guess is they knew in their hearts that it was rare and thought they could make some money off it. And no I am not aboriginal. Just someone who is angry when someone else uses ignorance as an excuse.
Couldn't the hunters leave it simply for its beauty...if its unique, beautiful or awesome in anyway they kill it. Montana issued 600 hunting permits for 200 wolves this year......
I think that the moose being shot IS telling us that something significant IS happening within our communities.
So sad to have lost the moose :'(
Of course there are no laws against killing a white animal. THOSE laws are not written by First Nations Peoples.
bet it was a white man that did this............parasites of the planet!!
Its the end of the world somebody shot a white moose with a permit atleast it was in season.But being able to hunt moose all year round for cash n food with no permit is wrong .It was probably the only moose in the area cause the bush was raped before the season even opened ...
Goddam hunters! Selfish and greedy.
Partial albino? what kind of biologist is he-obviously not one who knows genetics. Sorry people can't leave a special animal-have seen photos of a pair of them on line before-maybe this one?
They did the same thing to the white buffalo. Actually it is a law against killing them: It's illegal to violate/damage/defile sacred or religious symbols. They could easily use that to punish the. They just don't want to. Like someone else said, everybody knows a white moose is rare, no excuse.
Hunters..... all the same, all over the world!! You are always killing animals. Just STOP once and for all!