Local hunters in the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, can now earn $30 for every plucked goose they bring in, as the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation launches a program to buy 200 birds from harvesters. The community corporation will pay harvesters each Friday until the quota is met, putting money into the pockets of local hunters while helping to keep traditional foods on tables.
The program runs during the spring goose hunt, when geese migrate through the Mackenzie Delta in May and June. Harvesters who want to take part can call (867) 977-2390 to arrange a drop-off. That number connects to the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation, which is coordinating the effort from its office on Inuvialuit Lane.
The geese will be processed through a partnership with the Inuvialuit Community Economic Development Organization, known as ICEDO. ICEDO runs a country food processing plant in Inuvik that collects geese, fish, and other traditional foods from harvesters across the region, then distributes them at no cost to Inuvialuit families who might otherwise go without. Since opening in 2021, the plant has delivered more than 60,000 pounds of country food to the six Inuvialuit communities, including Tuktoyaktuk, through twice-yearly food baskets.
ICEDO Director Brian Wade says the model serves two needs at once. “The plant is addressing two issues that we’re having up here. Number one is food insecurity. We’re providing country food to people that may not have the means to go out and get country food. We’re creating an economy and providing a paycheck to harvesters,” Wade said.
Tuktoyaktuk, home to about 965 people on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, is one of the six communities in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region where harvesting geese, caribou, and fish is a way of life. The community corporation is part of the broader Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, which also supports harvesters through programs like the Inuvialuit Harvesters Assistance Program, offering up to $7,500 for major equipment purchases.
By turning local hunting skills into a paid opportunity, the corporation aims to keep country food flowing while recognizing the value of traditional knowledge. Payments on Fridays will continue until 200 geese are collected, and anyone with birds to sell is encouraged to call and arrange a time to drop them off.
