A trial begins in Nelson today to determine the hunting rights of Sinixt First Nation members.
The case centres around Sinixt descendant and Washington state resident Rick Desautel.
He went hunting on the Arrow Lakes in 2010 and was charged with two offences under the BC Wildlife Act.
The trial will address whether Sinixt members in the US have constitutionally protected hunting rights in Canada.
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The Sinixt were declared legally extinct in this country in the 1950s.
Despite that some members now live in the Slocan Valley and many others are in Washington state.
The hearing is expected to last four to five weeks.
