Sorry; Nottingham -- thank you very much -- ruled by Prince John. This was a time when you could not hunt without then the consent of the Prince, or face penalties or even jail. This is what our aboriginal chiefs and our aboriginal people face with this temporary ban on hunting the Bathurst herd in the protected zone.
It occurred to me, Mr. Speaker, that what we are talking about is penalizing and even jailing our aboriginal people for doing what they have always done: hunt for food, subsistence living, a way of life; in short, the single biggest definition of aboriginal culture. Regretfully, this controversy has taken away from the focus on the conservation of this herd. However, I support our chiefs in all our regions, that treaty rights have been subjugated, taken away; a dangerous precedent, even if it is temporary.
Mr. Speaker, almost all legal challenges of treaty and harvesting rights have always been upheld. We do not have to go down this costly road. In fact, I think the better challenge is for our Minister of ENR to find an immediate solution to salvage for aboriginal people and communities a subsistence quota for this year. I do not support the lifting of the ban, but I support recognizing traditional harvesting rights. Like Mr. Bromley, I urge our Minister and our government to meet with affected First Nations and find a mutually agreed system wherein the needs of conservation and harvesting rights can be addressed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.