Nunavut Tunngavik cancels hunter support program for 2014

Nunavut Tunngavik will discontinue the harvesters support program for this year.

The program was started in 1993, with an initial fund of $30 million invested in theNunavut Hunters Income Support Trust.

The Inuit organization wants to review how to spend the remaining$13 million, and possibly extend the program to last longer than five more years.

We need to see how the trust deed is awarded and how the program can more provide benefits to the Inuit in Nunavut to obtain country food, saidJames Eetoolook, vice-president of NTI, the organization that manages the Nunavut land claim.

Eetoolook saidNTI hopes to complete its review by October.

The program provides financial assistance to hunters so they can buy equipment, such as boats or snowmobiles.

Hunters who receive the equipment are often selected by lottery or at the recommendation of local hunters and trappers organizations.