Tribes, wildlife officials oppose proposed hunting bill for Flathead Indian Reservation
Elk graze in a field near Highway 206 on Tuesday, Nov. 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Tribal advocates argued during a Tuesday evening hearing in Helena that a proposed hunting bill could jeopardize tribal-state relations and result in years of costly litigation.
House Bill 216 would allow residents of Flathead Indian Reservation to hunt deer and elk on their own property, despite tribal rules that prohibit nontribal members from hunting big game. Opponents, including representatives from tribes, wildlife organizations and state agencies, said the bill contradicts long-standing agreements between the state of Montana and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
“We will do our utmost to defend our treaty, our sovereign rights that have been established for tens of thousands of years on our homelands,” said Tom McDonald, vice chair for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
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