Integrated Resource Management Plan

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division developed this plan and the first of the series was in the last edition of Indian Time prior to the Christmas holidays. The management plan is an excellent way for you to read and understand what is required to manage Akwesasne’s natural resources.

Fish and Wildlife Resources

Issues and Concerns

• there is a concern about the lack of interest in fishing and hunting.

• There is a concern about wildlife disease.

• there is a concern about lack of consumption of fish and wildlife due to the fear of contaminates such as PCB’s.

• People recognize that native species are diminishing.

• Less than 50% of community members consume fish caught by self or others.

• Less than 15% of community members hunt or trap.

• The reservation resources are important to those who use them.

Description of Fish and Wildlife

The occurrence of wildlife is directly related to the terrestrial habitat that exists on the reservation. Most contact with wildlife has been through hunting or unintended human wildlife interaction. A wildlife census has never been done in our community with the exception of turtles, but most remains unsurveyed and there is still a lot to learn about the wildlife populations through either census or modeling.

Some of the most common wildlife known to exist on the reservation include: fisher, beaver, raccoon, porcupine, white-tailed deer, various hare, and several types of frogs, snakes, and turtle, field sparrow, wild turkey, barn swallows, American eel, brown bullhead, common carp, small/largemouth bass, channel catfish and Atlantic salmon. For a complete listing please refer to section 6 of the IRMP.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Our traditional teachings have invested the responsibility in us to ensure the continue existence of all animals. They depend upon us as we are upon them, since the beginning they have provided us with food, clothing, inspiration, and amusement.

In turn, it’s our responsibility to respect their existent by not over harvesting, respecting their reproduction process, and continue to be mindful of how we can provide them with overall protection to ensure they continue their responsibilities in the overall cycle of life.