I think it's visceral because we as hunters and trappers are so passionate. Very much like Saskatchewan farmers who are passionate about their land, we are passionate about our culture, so we can be your greatest friends, and if you attack us, we can be your greatest enemy. We'd prefer to be your friend. Our capacity to love is greater than to fight. We want to do good.
For some years in the 1980s and 1990s I felt we were under attack a lot more than we are today and little things were big things because we were sensitive about them. It defines who we are. It's who our families are. It's what we do. Whether we're aboriginal or non-aboriginal, it defines our lives, so when you do something that seems to be small to some, you're hitting us in the heart. You're going to get a visceral reaction from us and maybe sometimes an overreaction.
I think we're in a better place now. I don't feel that anymore. Maybe 15 years ago, I was nervous to tell people at a dinner party I was a hunter and trapper. I don't feel that today. People are lining up at my door to get meat now. It's different. I don't know why it's different. I don't know what's changing. I just love it. It's un-Canadian not to respect cultures. We respect each other. We respect our personal choices. That's the other thing. I think when you start trying to take away someone's choice to live their lifestyle, you're going to get an aggressive reaction from them because it's un-Canadian. We don't like that.