©NRCan

Two Innu Nations in northern Quebec say they’re not satisfied with how the provincial government is handling protections for Woodland Caribou herds. Both Essipit and Mashteuiatsh Nations say they’re pushing for a legal resolution. “Quebec right now is not doing much and it doesn’t look good in the near future,” said Michael Ross, director of development and territory for Essipit First Nation. Ross said his community submitted new documents to the court on May 1 to request for a mediator to hold Quebec accountable and come to a resolution. Both parties have yet to come to a mutual agreement on how to protect the caribou. Ross said the woodland caribou population has been declining in Quebec since the late 1990s. …The Woodland Caribou, also known as the boreal caribou, has been listed as endangered in Canada since 2003, according to the federal government and has fewer than “34,000 individuals.”