Cease and Desist letter demands cancelation of Ontario’s non-native moose and deer hunt

A letter has been sent by the “14922000 CANADA ASSOCIATION” demanding that the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry “cease and desist” from issuing any “hunting tags or licences for deer or moose in Ontario due to the consequences of climate change in this region at this time.” The letter cites the needs for Indigenous people to rely on moose and deer for food subsistence or sustenance at a moment when wildfires caused by climate change have caused unprecedented damage to wildlife habitat.

The letter is reproduced below.

14922000 CANADA ASSOCIATION

ADVOCATING FOR INDIGENOUS RIGHTS

September 15, 2023

Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Union Station
65 Front Street West
Toronto, ON M5J1E6

Dear Sirs:

RE: Cease and desist the issuance of hunting licences and tags for moose and deer

14922000 Canada Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting indigenous rights and interests in Canada. We hereby notify you that you are to cease and desist the issuance of any hunting tags or licences for deer or moose in Ontario due to the consequences of climate change in this region at this time. Indigenous peoples in the north of Ontario rely on this game to survive the winters and will be unable to feed themselves should the Ministry issue tags at this time. Moose hold a sacred place in our culture as do deer. As an animal, moose are, for indigenous people, a symbol of abundance manifested through years of patience and careful deliberation. Moose is a game species that, for our people, also represents subsistence and harmony within local ecosystems. Those ecosystems have been thrown into turmoil by global warming which has caused significant forest fires throughout Canada and in particular in Northern Ontario where our people rely on moose meat to survive the winter. Deer populations have also been affected by the fires. Deer hold a similarly sacred position in indigenous society. Deer is a powerful animal that represents sustenance, sensitivity, intuition, and fertility. Our people in the north rely on deer for subsistence during the winter months and it is our concern that should the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry continue to allow for the issuance and use of deer tags and moose tags, it will cause chaos and starvation for indigenous people in Northern Ontario and beyond. As a consequence of this situation, we are hereby issuing a cease and desist to you, the Ministry made responsible for these sacred animals by your King Charles and His Governor General. You must cease and desist the issuance of tags for moose and deer in Ontario. Further, you must take all reasonable steps to prohibit the harvesting of deer and moose by non-indigenous sport hunters in the Province of Ontario. These hunters do not rely on moose or deer for subsistence or sustenance. Our people do rely on these animals, and we are fearful that your tag system will destabilize populations of these animals and, as a consequence, will destabilize the population of our people.

Sincerely,

14922000 Canada Association