Ronald J. Morosko sits with his attorney Heather Little after a jury convicted Morosko of criminally negligent homicide and hunting in a careless manner. (Jim Mimiaga/The Journal)
A Cortez jury found muzzleloader hunter Ronald J. Morosko guilty Wednesday on charges of criminal negligent homicide and hunting in a careless manner in the death of bowhunter Gregory Gabrisch.
The jury of two men and 10 women reported it had reached a unanimous verdict at 3:40 p.m. after beginning deliberations at the end of the day Tuesday. The four-day trial began Thursday.
“We should understand that the threat of a new and another offensive will remain until we defeat Russia,” Yuriy Sak, a senior defense ministry official, told NBC News in an interview Thursday.
A spring offensive has long been predicted by Western officials and analysts, with the Kremlin eager to seize the initiative after a grinding winter that was preceded…
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday it’s prepared to counter U.S. military moves with the “most overwhelming nuclear force” as it warned that the expansion of the United States’ military exercises with rival South Korea is pushing tensions to an “extreme red line.”
In this photo provided by South Korean Defense Ministry, U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, center, F-22 fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-35 fighter jets, bottom, fly over South Korea Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2023. North Korea on Thursday threatened the “toughest reaction” to the United States’ expanding joint military exercises with South Korea to counter the North’s growing nuclear weapons ambitions, claiming that the allies were pushing tensions to an “extreme red line.” (South…
Laura Beaulne-Stuebing · CBC Radio · Posted: Jan 28, 2023 1:00 AM PST | Last Updated: January 28
Fashion designer Taalrumiq uses TikTok to share her Inuvialuit culture and educate others about the beauty and utility of fur. (Isabelle King)
Unreserved48:15How Indigenous people are strengthening fur traditions in an anti-fur world
Inuvialuit fashion designer Taalrumiq says she knows first-hand how using real animal fur can foster harsh criticism and anger in people who are against the fur industry.
Taalrumiq, whose English name is Christina Gruben King, creates couture pieces and fine art using the materials and designs of her ancestors. She travels from her home in northern British Columbia to sell these pieces and often has to explain to non-Indigenous people — whose responses she say can range from discomfort, to disgust, to anger — the uses, beauty and cultural importance of fur.
It doesn’t always go as expected.
“I had a booth at Indigenous fashion arts in Toronto, so we had quite a variety of customers coming through,” Taalrumiq told Unreserved host Rosanna Deerchild. “And there’s one man who came to my booth about five different times throughout the day. First few times he was arguing with me about fur and [saying], ‘It’s disgusting,’ and ‘How could you?'”
Taalrumiq remained calm and tried to explain the beauty and utility of the products she was selling.
“He kept coming back to look and then started to touch them,” she continued. “And then actually came back the next day and … he bought some earrings for his partner.”
Taalrumiq’s hand-made earrings on display. (Submitted by Taalrumiq)
Anti-fur sentiment has made it harder for the people who hunt and trap animals, as well as artists like Taalrumiq who use these harvested materials, to make a living from selling their wares. Animal rights activists have long called the fur industry inhumane and unnecessary.
But despite the negativity toward using and selling fur, Indigenous people say fur can be a sustainable, respectful and even luxurious material for clothing, accessories and art. They believe it’s important to preserve fur’s place in Indigenous cultures and traditional economies.
Economic opportunities in the North
In Johanna Tiemessen’s role with the Northwest Territories government, she helps small communities turn their lifestyles on the land — through activities like hunting, trapping and fishing — into economic opportunities. She also helps artists using these materials bring their work to market.
The N.W.T.’s department of finance notes that while trapping doesn’t make up a huge part of the territory’s total economy, it’s a sector that is important to many residents — especially those in smaller communities — for food, clothing and income.
Conversations like the one Taalrumiq had with the man in Toronto are a way for artists to spread information about fur and help the industry survive, said Tiemessen.
“But they’re not thinking about the damage that they’re doing to … small Indigenous communities where economic development opportunities are scarce.”
Johanna Tiemessen is the manager of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment in the Northwest Territories. (Johanna Tiemessen)
The N.W.T. government offers several programs to support these traditional practices, including a Hide and Fur program, which helps artisans access affordable materials; a Seal Certification program that gives Indigenous harvesters an exemption to the European Union’s seal ban; and the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur program, which gives N.W.T. trappers access to the international fur auction market.
She says in her eyes, all of this work isn’t just about changing anti-fur sentiment or getting consumers to purchase fur; it’s about something bigger.
“It’s part of our country’s move towards reconciliation of supporting Indigenous communities to have [economic] opportunities,” she said.
Knowledge passed down through generations
No fur from the territory is farmed, Tiemessen said. Fur farms breed and raise animals for their fur, and are considered cruel to animals that would otherwise be living in the wild. According to Humane Society International, fur farms have been banned in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Austria and the Netherlands.
Instead of being farmed, N.W.T. fur is harvested sustainably by people like Nathan Kogiak.
Kogiak, who is Inuvialuit and lives in Yellowknife, says he learned the skill of trapping as a young child, from his father.
“He loved being in the bush. He loved being outside,” Kogiak said. “It’s definitely something that he made sure to teach me. How to trap, how to survive out there … what to do in certain situations. It was great knowledge to be handed down.”
Kogiak doesn’t rely solely on trapping for income — he has a full-time job with the N.W.T. government, working on the Hide and Fur program, and traps in the winter — but he has seen the prices of furs fluctuate drastically year to year, making his returns unpredictable.
Nathan Kogiak, who is Inuvialuit and lives in Yellowknife, learned the skill of trapping as a young child from his father. (Nathan Kogiak)
He says he recognizes that the negative views of the fur industry play a role in how economically viable hunting and trapping can be. But this negativity, he suggested, stems from ignorance.
“I don’t want that word [ignorance] to be demeaning in any way,” Kogiak said. “It’s just that people think that I’m trapping all these animals, but it’s really I’m trapping the sick, the injured and the old because those are the animals that are hungry, starving, you know, that can’t hunt on their own.”
Healthy animals don’t go after the frozen bait he leaves in his traps, Kogiak said.
Kogiak says he believes the programs offered by the N.W.T. government are vital to help trappers continue this long-standing practice and keep their traditional fur economy going. And he hopes to pass his trapping knowledge down to his niece, who’s nearly three years old.
“I don’t even know what generation trapper I am. It’s always been in our family,” he said. “It connects me with my culture. It makes me feel good about myself. And it’s just super relaxing, calming and something I foresee myself doing until I’m an elder.”
WATCH | Seal skin and Inuit culture:
Artists featured in Qaumajuq hope to educate Canadians about Inuit culture
2 years ago
Duration6:05The Winnipeg Art Gallery launched a virtual tour of Qaumajuq — a new 40,000 square foot space devoted to Inuit art. Artists Beatrice Deer and Julie Grenier talk about the importance of seal skin in Inuit diet and why sewing is a vital skill in Nunavut.
‘Sense of identity and belonging’
Taalrumiq, whose home community is Tuktoyaktuk, says nothing compares to real fur when you’re out in the frigid N.W.T. temperatures.
“Fake fur falls short. It doesn’t have the same qualities or characteristics. It’s not as fluffy. [It] doesn’t have the guard hairs or the undercoat, like the fluffy, fuzzy undercoat. As soon as it gets wet, it’s matted, and then you’re going to have frozen ice around your face, which is not good,” she said.
“And it’s just not as beautiful and luxurious … not to mention, it doesn’t biodegrade,” she continued. “Real fur is biodegradable. It’s sustainable.”
Taalrumiq collects a lot of materials herself — like fish vertebrae from the beach, which she can turn into earrings — and with the help of friends and family.
Taalrumiq says faux fur doesn’t compare to the real thing when you’re trying to stay warm in the North. (Taalrumiq)
“A lot of times [the materials are] byproducts of subsistence living,” she said. “If someone has gone out hunting, things like the fur, the antlers, even the hooves … we’re not going to necessarily eat those parts, so then I can use them in my art.”
It’s what her ancestors did. And creating clothing and art that resembles the fine skills of her seamstress grandmothers makes her feel at peace, she said.
“There’s something to be said for wearing traditional clothing that just makes you feel proud to be who you are,” Taalrumiq added. “It’s so important [for] not only Inuvialiut, but Indigenous people to remember where we come from. Our connection to nature gives us a sense of identity and belonging.”
Part of her efforts to challenge anti-fur sentiment takes place on TikTok, where she shares funny skits, her art and sewing and aspects of Inuvialuit culture.
She does get push back from people who aren’t comfortable with fur, but overall “the response has been positive,” she noted.
“There’s still a lot of educating to do, but that’s good,” Taalrumiq said. “I’m here for it.”
By Kristi Niemeyer Editor | January 26, 2023 12:00 AM
On Sunday, a buck and doe casually made their way across Highway 93 by the stoplight at First Interstate Bank in Polson as motorists slowed down to let the two jaywalkers pass.
However, their days of strolling city streets, alleys and yards with impunity could be coming to an end. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Wildlife Management Program has recently launched a trapping project – formally called an “urban deer reduction program” – within the Polson city limits.
According to a recent press release from CSKT’s Natural Resources Department, “Conflicts between deer and humans have become a prominent wildlife management concern, especially in urban and suburban areas.” The trapping program aims “to mitigate the impacts of deer conflicts and reduce complaints.”
While hunting is the primary and preferred wildlife management tool for curbing population growth, “there are laws and ordinances that prohibit the discharge of firearms in city limits.”
Polson City Manager Ed Meece says a trap was recently set up on the Polson Golf Course. “It was described to me as ‘a big box with curtains that the deer walks into’,” he said. “I’m surprised a deer would voluntarily enter one of these devices, but they aren’t known for their superior intellect either.”
Meat harvested from healthy deer carcasses will be donated to the Tribes’ Food Sovereignty Program, Elders Program, Silvia’s Store, Peoples Food Sovereignty Program, and directly to tribal members in need.
“A lot of elderly folks grew up on wild game and still depend on it,” says Stephanie Gillin, information and education program manager for the department.
The Wildlife Management Program is seeking landowners in urban areas surrounding Polson who are willing to allow trapping of deer on their lands. Those who wish to participate in this project as a landowner or tribal members in need of game meat are encouraged to contact Kaylie Durglo at the Tribal Wildlife Management Program at 406-883-2888 ext. 7284 or kaylie.durglo@cskt.org.
On Jan. 18 the Western Environmental Law Center filed alawsuiton behalf of three Montana-based organizations against a smattering of federal land and wildlife management agencies and officials. Their complaint? Euthanizing or relocating problem grizzly bears actively works against species recovery goals under the Endangered Species Act.
Animal activism organization WildEarth Guardians joined with Trap Free Montana and the Western Watersheds Project, an organization that denounces public-land livestock grazing, as plaintiffs in the suit, which was filed in Montana District Court. They mainly challenge activities of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, commonly known as APHIS. The Wildlife Services branch of APHIS offers predator management assistance out of its state offices, largely for livestock producers.
Dalin Tidwell, director of the Montana state office, is among the defendants named in the suit…
A Weirdale-area man has been convicted of seven charges involving illegal trapping in a part of the Fort à la Corne forest that is set aside for use by the James Smith Cree Nation.
Lloyd Slonski could face over $11,000 in fines, along with the forfeiture of his snowmobile and all of his trapping gear if Crown Prosecutor Matthew Miazga is successful in his submission.
Lloyd Slonski has been convicted on seven charges relating to illegal trapping in the Fort à la Corne Forest. (File photo/paNOW)
“Fines in the past have not been sufficient. They’ve been imposed on four occasions in the past,” Miazga said in provincial court Monday afternoon.
He said Slonski’s past convictions showed a disregard for the law. He also submitted that the use of free-hanging neck snares by Slonski is an aggravating…
SMYRNA, Del. – The Delaware Department of Justice’s Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust has indicted 45-year-old former Delaware Correctional Officer and K9 handler Darrel Wiley on three charges, which includes a felony, for trapping a four-year-old K9 unit in his hot car, thus causing its death.
“We find these stories so viscerally disturbing not only because we care for the animals, but because we struggle to understand their abusers’ actions,” said Attorney General Jennings. “For most of us, to be human is to be humane. We all recognize that dogs are completely dependent on us and that owning one is a responsibility — above all else a responsibility to keep it safe. Children understand that fact. The law understands it, too. And figures of authority should understand it better than anyone.”
The division says that Wiley left K9 Lux in an official car for over four hours on a September day with a high over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They say he found Lux dead when he returned to his car. On top of this, the Division says Wiley’s behavior is nothing new, having left Lux in the car several times between June and September 2022, including one event where Lux was left in the car for eight hours.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Associations, a parked car can increase over 40 degrees in just one hour on a day like the one where Lux died.
“Department of Correction K9s are valued members of our correctional family and the circumstances of K9 Lux’s death are deeply disturbing and unacceptable,” said Department of Correction Commissioner Monroe B. Hudson Jr. “The DOC maintains national best practice standards, implemented through excellent training and required certifications, to ensure that our K9s are used appropriately in our correctional facilities and that they receive the protection and care they deserve. In addition to the independent investigation sought by the DOC which resulted in today’s charges our Department has undertaken a comprehensive review of our K9 program to ensure that these teams across our facilities operate to the high standards of safety and security that we demand.”
Immediately after Lux’s death, the division says Wiley was put on administrative leave, started an internal investigation, and contacted Animal Welfare investigators to start their own investigation. They say Wiley is no longer works for the Department of Correction.
They say the grand jury indicted Wiley for one count each of Assault 1st Degree Against a Law Enforcement Animal, a Class D Felony; Cruelty to Animals, a Class A Misdemeanor; and Official Misconduct, a Class A Misdemeanor. According to the division, the indictment was secured by Deputy Attorney General Nicole Mozee of the Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust with support from Investigator Timothy Argoe.
RIVERDALE, Maryland, January 31, 2023 (ENS) –Wild birds and commercially raised chickens alike are dropping dead from bird flu by the millions across the United States. Red-tailed hawks and great horned owls in Wyoming, American and Canadian wild birds along the Atlantic coast and across the Midwest, and 58.2 million birds in commercial and backyard poultry flocks in 47 states have died in the past year, reports the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
That number of 58.2 million birds affected is way over the largest previous bird flu outbreak in the United States in 2015 that affected 50.5 million birds in just 21 states.
Domestic poultry that can be affected include chickens; turkeys; ring-necked pheasants; ducks; geese; common, Japanese…
Exposing the Big Game 