Colville Tribes Holding Wolf Hunts On Their Reservation…

Washington Lookout Pack Yearling Wolf 2008 (WDFW)

The Colvillle Tribes,  in eastern Washington, are holding a wolf hunt on their 1.4 million acre reservation, which is larger than Glacier National Park in Montana.  There are at least 2 wolf packs  living on the reservation, maybe three.  Many wildlife advocates were shocked by this turn of events.  The Colville tribe’s actions run contrary to Native Americans in the Great Lakes, specifically the Ojibwe, who are struggling to save their wolf brothers.

“The wolf, Ma’iingan, is considered sacred by the Ojibwe and figures highly in their creation stories. Tribal member Essie Leoso noted that according to tradition, Ma’iingan walked with first man.

“Killing a wolf is like killing a brother,” she said.”….Indian Country, Today Media dot com

I understand the Colville Tribe land is sovereign and they have the right to manage their affairs as they see fit but it’s very difficult to understand why the  tribes would hunt wolves  when so few wolves exist in Washington state in the first place and are still protected under state law in Eastern Washington.  It’s especially disturbing coming on the heals of the slaughter of the Wedge Pack, which is still fresh in every one’s minds. I hope the tribe re-thinks this decision. Wolves are a vital part of the ecosystem, they keep ungulate herds healthy and strong.

Scientists are sounding the alarm over the loss of our top predators:

“Just as the world’s lions, tigers, and bears are disappearing worldwide, a scientific consensus is emerging that they are critical to ecosystem function, exerting control over smaller predators, prey, and the plant world. 

Using such terms as “deep anxiety” and “grave concern” to signal their alarm, the authors contend that the loss of large animals, and apex predators in particular, constitutes humanity’s “most pervasive influence” on the environment. It amounts, they argue, to a “global decapitation” of the systems that support life on Earth.”…Environment 360, The Crucial  Role of  Predators

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Colville Tribe opens wolf hunting season on reservation

Posted by Rich

Dec. 4, 2012 5:54 p.m.

Click HERE to read

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Wisconsin Tribes Struggle to Save Their Brothers the Wolves From Sanctioned Hunt

MARY ANNETTE PEMBER

August 14, 2012

Click HERE to read

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Wolf Hunting Not Allowed on Three Minnesota Reservations

October 29, 2012

The three reservations are depicted in Zone A on the map in the MnDNR Wolf Regulations. Tribal officials advise that going on Indian lands to take game, including wolves, is a federal crime under Title 18 of the United States Code and that they would seek the prosecution of violators.

The Tribal Councils say that hunting wolves for sport is inconsistent with a tradition of subsistence hunting and that for some members, hunting wolves presented conflicts with cultural practices.

Click HERE to read more:

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Ojibwe bands ban wolf hunting – but only on Indian-controlled lands

by Dan Kraker, Minnesota Public Radio

October 31, 2012

Click HERE to read

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Minnesota Ignores Indians, Allows Wolf Hunting

ICTMN STAFF

July 05, 2012

Click HERE to read

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Environment 360

The Crucial Role of Predators:A New Perspective on Ecology

15 SEP 2011: ANALYSIS

Scientists have recently begun to understand the vital role played by top predators in ecosystems and the profound impacts that occur when those predators are wiped out. Now, researchers are citing new evidence that shows the importance of lions, wolves, sharks, and other creatures at the top of the food chain.

Click HERE to read

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Photo: Courtesy ODFW

Posed in: Washington Wolves

Tags; Colville Tribe, Eastern Washington state. 1.4 million acre reservation,  few wolf packs in Washington state,  Wedge Pack killed for agribusiness,  wolves need to recover, importance of trophic cascades, apex predators,  LookOut pack poached by White family, Washington wolves have  setbacks, no good reason to hunt wolves