REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION 



Captain Bernard wintered at Kogaryusk river, Coronation gulf, 1916-17, 

 and at Taylor island, 1917-18-19, and at Kogaryusk river again 1919-20. 



The ice in McClintock channel was very rough, moving in the centre until 

 midwinter. Few, if any, caribou cross Queen Maud's sea as the ice is too rough. 

 The greatest migration of caribou in that region is across Dease strait from 

 Kent peninsula to Victoria island, and vice versa. There are caribou on the 

 mainland east of the Kent peninsula all winter. The caribou from that region 

 migrate northeast to King William island and Boothia peninsula. 



There are some caribou all winter on the "Victoria Land peninsula," of 

 southeastern Victoria island. Bernard got caribou all winter on Taylor island, 

 and the mainland (of Victoria island) near there. Bernard says there are no 

 enormous numbers of caribou anywhere he has ever been. The caribou move 

 about in small herds. 



The natives have practically all been armed with rifles within the past four 

 years. Few posts of the Hudson's Bay Company at Bernard harbour, Copper- 

 mine river, Tree river, and Kent peninsula. At the present rate of slaughter 

 Bernard believes that there will be no caribou left within ten years. 



Summer migration, Copper Eslcimo — Coppermine River (note summer vegetation). 



The trader for the Hudson's Bay Company (Pete Norberg) on Kent penin- 

 sula has induced most of the natives to quit seal hunting in winter, and to live 

 on the land and trap foxes in winter. He hires some natives to hunt seals on 

 the ice in the spring, buys the blubber, and supplies Eskimo trappers with 

 blubber in the fall so they can live on the land. 



These natives (around Kent peninsula) now live on caribou meat in the 

 W'inter instead of seal meat. Formerly they lived on the ice from December to 

 May, and killed no caribou at that season. They also are shooting down all the 

 caribou they can in the fall and winter, and only use some of the meat. They 

 kill all the animals they can as the carcasses attract foxes on the land. Two 

 thousand foxes were taken from the Kent peninsula (white or Arctic foxes), 

 1919-20, Norberg got most of them, but Klengenberg and his agents got a few 

 hundred of them. Klengenberg has several boys (half-breeds) big enough to 

 trap, and they are established at sub-stations for trapping and trading. 



There were few" caribou at the Kogaryusk in fall of 1916, but some in 1917. 

 In 1919 about 400 crossed there. Practically no caribou crossed Bernard 

 harbour in fall of 1916. 



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