112 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



which they are stationed, except on special detail work. On the other 

 hand, there is a mining population of fully 10,000 people and, with a 

 population of this size and nature, with the irregularity of employment 

 and the labour troubles that have marked this industry, it is to be 

 expected that there will be little regard for the game laws 

 where such settlements exist. As a consequence, most of the min- 

 ing settlements are now surrounded by a wide belt of country in 

 which all forms of big game have become extinct. Fortunately, thfere 

 is little tendency to range more than about 25 miles from the camps, 

 so that the total damage is, as yet, not very considerable. 



Finally, and most important of all, we have the Stoney 



Stoney Indians. This is a hunting tribe of mountain Indians 



Indians . ^ . , ^ , .„ j. 



who have a reservation in the foothills west oi 



Calgary, but range the Rockies from the Crowsnest pass to the 

 Brazeau river. This tribe numbers between 400 and 600 individuals. 

 Their reservation contains no land of much agricultural value, but is 

 a very good stock range. It is by no means utilized to capacity, for 

 a large part of the tribe is constantly scattered throughout the moun- 

 tains on hunting expeditions, and at least one-seventh reside continu- 

 ously off the reservation, mostly on the Kootenay plains along the 

 North Saskatchewan river, some 150 miles by trail from their agency. 



Until 1st June, 1914, there were no real restrictions whatever upon 

 the killing of big game by these Indians throughout the year and, as 

 yet, the legal restrictions that were then imposed have had no actual 

 application. The Stoneys are not amenable to the Alberta game laws 

 unless made so by specific proclamation of the Federal Department 

 of Indian Affairs. On assuming the administration of the Rocky 

 Mountains Forest reserve, the Forestry Branch found that the only 

 game laws that applied to the Stoneys permitted the killing of all the 

 game required for food throughout the year and six head of any big 

 game in addition. Immediate representations were made, which 

 resulted in the proclamation of 1st June, 1914, by which the Stoneys 

 were made amenable to the present Alberta Game Act. 



The real situation is that we have here a tribe of from 400 to 600 

 individuals living practically in an aboriginal state. Game has always 

 been their main source of food supply, and they are particularly 

 skillful in securing it. No restrictions have ever been placed upon them 

 in the matter of hunting at will, but they are shrewd enough to know 

 that any flaunting of their continual inroads upon the game would 

 result in serious objections from the local white population. As a con- 

 sequence, while continuing to kill without restraint, they endeavour 



