Article Raise Serious Questions Regarding Comments by RCMP on Neultin Lake Story

Wasted Caribou

May 20, 2025 (Winnipeg): The MWF calls on the RCMP and CBC to print a retraction of the claim that only 9 caribou were involved in the trespassing and illegal caribou harvest incident that occurred at Nueltin Lake.

In a piece published by CBC reporter Ozten Shebahkeget on May 13, 2025 on the CBC’s online platform (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/caribou-killed-nueltin-lodge-1.7534371)

Manitoba RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre was quoted as saying, “when our officers went and spoke with the group up there, I think by what they were told, the count was nine,” he went on to say in the article, “you can kind of see how rumours can spread fast.”

And with that comment, the RCMP essentially called into question what we had seen with our own eyes, and what we photographed on April 18. We have a deep respect for the work of the RCMP and can only hope that there was a miscommunication between spokesperson Manaigre and the RCMP field officers that attended the lodge site on April 18 as investigators.

On April 18, after the RCMP evicted the individuals from the main lodge site, the trespassers snowmobiled directly past the lodge owner and MWF staff, dragging 9 fully intact, unprocessed caribou. However, there were dozens of other piles of fully or partially processed caribou in and around the main lodge site, as well as near the landing strip where our group were waiting to be able to proceed to the main lodge after the site was secured by the RCMP. We are guessing that this is where the misunderstanding occurred, and we are calling on the RCMP to clarify their position on the matter.

In the front part of the CBC article, their journalist writes “RCMP are investigating the property damage at the lodge while conservation officers look into potentially wasted meat.” So why didn’t Ozten Shebahkeget interview the attending Conservation Officer (CO) regarding the number of caribou left at the lodge sites? And if the journalist did and they withheld comment, report that in the article. With all due respect, the RCMP are NOT wildlife experts, COs are, and if the CO was investigating the caribou piece of the incident, why not call on them for comment? This raises serious questions for us about the reporting by the CBC.

RCMP spokesperson Manaigre goes on with his speculation regarding the caribou harvest, “if they’re hunting as they normally hunt, to me, I don’t see it. But if it was just a slaughter of animals for no reason, then I could maybe see that,” he said. “But from what it sounds like, based on the descriptions on scene, the animals were cut up and meant for consumption.”

From “what it sounds like”? From whom?

Were “meant for consumption”? What does that mean? Is this from the investigating CO? We thought the RCMP were urging people to hold judgement, but that doesn’t apply to the RCMP as well?

The CBC also reported in the May 13 article that, “Manaigre said it’s believed the parts left behind at the lodge were mainly the shoulder portions of the caribou.”

This seems to downplay the wastage issue by saying it was only mainly the shoulders. To be clear, not using shoulder meat is legally considered wastage. Again, why isn’t the Conservation Officer Service speaking on the meat usage side of this issue?

RCMP spokesperson Manaigre cautions anyone who see images of the caribou at the lodge site to hold their judgment until the police investigation is completed, “people are going to see short snippets, or photos, that may not tell the whole story,” he said, continuing, “I’d like to err on the side of caution and think that a lot of the people doing the hunting have the expertise, and know what part of the animal’s needed [versus] what’s not.” Again, he doesn’t sound like he is withholding judgement until the Conservation Officer completed their assessment. Mr. Manaigre was not at the site and apparently, did not receive clear reporting from his field officers or the Conservation Officer Service on the matter.

Then in a follow-up piece on May 16 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/caribou-fetuses-lodge-nueltin-1.7535435), the CBC interviews the previous owner, Garry Gurke, and prints his claim that Mr. Scigliano and the MWF circulated images of caribou fetuses with the “intent to make First Nation hunters look bad”, going on to say, “there’s so much prejudice against the First Nation people.”

How can anybody claim to know another’s person’s or organization’s intent? Especially since neither the lodge owner nor the MWF has had any contact with Mr. Gurke, ever. Furthermore, to suggest that the efforts of the MWF to communicate what they saw at the site was somehow motivated by prejudice towards indigenous people is reprehensible and destructive.

Shame on the CBC for publishing Gurke’s opinion as news. Shame on the RCMP for telling everyone to hold their opinions, only to go to outrageously speculate about the caribou harvest, when that portion of the investigation is not their main responsibility or expertise.

We have always had a good and fair relationship with the CBC and a deep respect for the RCMP and the difficult job they do every day. Our trust in both institutions has been rattled by the handling of this sensitive story and incident.

Again, we know what we saw, and we published only a sample of our pictures that depicted the wastage we found as well as the unborn calves. The investigation by the attending CO will become public eventually. And more evidence will come out in the coming weeks. We urge all involved to resist the urge to deny or deflect what happened at Nueltin Lake. All interests involved in the conservation of the caribou need to take the Premier’s appropriate tone to heart, where he called for a stop to the practices, we witnessed firsthand. It’ll soon be time to focus on moving forward with the critical and difficult conversations about sustainable caribou harvesting practices. The only way for things to get better is to accept what’s happened and move ahead without prejudice, against anyone. Nobody knows yet who was responsible, and we all know there are good and bad apples in every community, north or south, indigenous or non-indigenous. We are proud to have the courage to describe what we saw and speak for the caribou who can’t speak for themselves. We hope for change and for better outcomes for all involved, and especially, for the caribou.

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