In late 2023, caribou people from the Kivalliq region of Nunavut and northern Manitoba travelled to Rankin Inlet, NU and Thompson, MB to talk about the importance of caribou for their cultural and spiritual identities. These Inuit and Dene people spoke passionately about the need to ensure future generations can continue to have a lifestyle that includes caribou. This video shares some of their words.

The Draft Nunavut Land Use Plan (NLUP), when completed, will be the largest land use plan in the world. In late 2022, the BQCMB travelled to Rankin Inlet, NU and Thompson, MB to participate in the final hearings for the NLUP. We were struck by the passionate arguments of hearing participants ranging from individuals, community representatives, and other organizations – all emphasizing the need for full protection of caribou and key caribou habitat in the plan. We created a video summarizing some of these presentations, which will serve two purposes: form part of the BQCMB’s submission to the final DNLUP, and help educate the public about the need for the plan to ensure development does not have a higher value than caribou in the plan.

The BQCMB was created in 1982 to manage the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq barren-ground caribou herds. The past 40 years have been built upon a shared goal of conserving these herds for the benefit of Indigenous communities across the range. But with both herds in decline, the work of the BQCMB is needed more than ever.

The Arctic Conservation Series is published in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund.

Article written by – Monte Hummel, President Emeritus WWF-Canada, and Earl Evans, Chair of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board – published in Northern Public Affairs – July, 2017.

From February 23 to 25, 2010 the BQCMB hosted a Caribou Workshop in Saskatoon, SK . The Workshop was held to find ways to help the ailing Beverly caribou herd to rebuild, and to try to stop the Qamanirjuaq population from going through a major decline as well. More than 75 elders, hunters and others from Saskatchewan, NWT, Manitoba, Nunavut, Alberta, Yukon, British Columbia and Ontario came to the Caribou Workshop because of their concern for caribou. They wanted to help make sure that the herds are strong and healthy in the future. They took the first step toward achieving that by sharing their valuable knowledge about caribou during this workshop.

Below are three documents outlining the events and recommendations of that Workshop:

In September 2004, the BQCMB released a position paper titled “Protecting Calving Grounds, Post-Calving Areas and Other Important Habitats for Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou” that makes five key recommendations to governments and relevant planning and regulatory agencies.

Among these recommendations is long-term legislated protection for the herds’ traditional calving grounds and post-calving areas that prohibits activities causing serious or irreversible negative effects to caribou or their habitat.

The complete Position Paper (2004) is available in English only:

In 2005 Plain Language Summaries of the original Position Paper were created; available in English, Inuktitut and Dene:

The BQCMB’s position on protecting barren-­ground caribou calving grounds and post-­calving areas.

The 20th Anniversary Report covering information from 1982 – 2002.

Report: Prepared by InterGroup Consultants, Winnipeg. May 2008/ revised in 2013.

Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (1999)

Technical Report 1 [1994]

Management Report 1 [1994]