After a moose was hit by a car and killed on Southside on Jan. 14, Cheslatta Carrier Nation (CCN) staff went to salvage the meat so that they can give it to community members, something that Chief Corrina Leween says is a common practice.
No one in the vehicle was hurt during the collision.
”I want to put it out there that roadkill can be used for communities. As long as the meat is handled properly, it’s still perfectly edible, and we can feed 30-40 households with one bull moose,” Leween told Lakes District News.
“I’ve talked to the conservation office services about this, and they gave us permission to salvage moose. They often do it in different First Nations communities,” she continued.
Properly handling the meat is a process that involves bleeding out the carcass and hanging it for several days, because when an animal is hit by a car there is usually lots of adrenaline in the blood, which can taint the meat.
“We’ve been trying to abide by the moose hunting moratorium to bring the population back, and this is a good way to provide food for our community while maintaining that stance. The moose are coming back which is a good thing, but people have to realize this and be more careful when driving,” said Leween.
This is the second time in two weeks that a moose was hit in the area.
According to Leween, this speaks to a bigger issue of cars speeding on the Southside. “People need to be aware. People are driving way too fast on the Southside.” Chief Leween asks that people slow down please.
Cheslatta Carrier Nation is wanting to put a moose crossing sign in the spot of the accident encouraging drivers to slow down.
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Eddie Huband
Multimedia Reporter
eddie.huband@ldnews.net
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