JUNE 5, 1901

DENE MICHAEL SIKYEA BORN—DEFENDANT IN THE “MILLION DOLLAR DUCK” TRIAL

Michael (also Michel) grew up in Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories (NWT) living traditionally: trapping, hunting, and fishing near Yellowknife, NWT. From 1963-95, he and his wife lived in Ndilǫ, NWT, where Sikyea served as a councilor and council advisor. A signatory on Treaty 11, he was well-aware of Indigenous treaty rights. In 1962, Sikyea shot a mallard duck out of season in violation of the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Sikyea’s defense was that it was a Dene treaty right to hunt anywhere, anytime. The Justice of the Peace fined him $1. Sikyea won an appeal at the Territorial Court of the NWT, but that decision was overturned by the NWT Court of Appeal and by the Supreme Court. Despite the outcome, the case brought attention to Indigenous treaty rights eventually recognized in the Constitution Act of 1982. The duck, long-since stuffed, became known as the “million-dollar duck” for while Sikyea paid $1, the government paid over $1 million in court costs. Sikyea died in Yellowknife on December 21, 2002.

Sources:

“Regina v. Sikyea,” Northwest Territories Timeline.  Retrieved 10/26/2023, Northwest Territories Timeline (archive.ph)

Wikipedia

Photo: John Brighenti, 12/6/2020. Permissive Use.