Chief accuses N.W.T. officials of forging his signature
Ed Sangris says ENR used last year's signature on controversial caribou hunting tags
Yellowknives Dene Chief Ed Sangris says officials with N.W.T.'s Department of Environment and Natural Resources forged his signature on hunting tags handed out this year.
In past years, the Yellowknives Dene agreed to a species recovery plan for the Bathurst caribou with the territorial government. This year, an agreement could not be reached.
But Sangris, chief of Dettah, says ENR went ahead and handed out caribou tags with his signature from last year.
He says this year's tags have caused plenty of confusion and fines for members of the Yellowknives Dene who say they thought having a treaty card allowed them to hunt.
"Now they're seizing caribou, seizing the members guns," he said. "I don't think ENR without our permission had the right to give out the harvest tags for this coming winter."
RCMP Sgt. Barry Ledoux says Sangris came to the Yellowknife detachment to lay a formal complaint.
"We're in the early investigation stages to determine what — if any offences — happened," he said.
ENR refused comment because the matter is under investigation.