By Frey Blake-Pijogge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews After retiring from his career as a federal conservation officer, Derrick Pottle \u2014 an Inuk Elder from Tikig\u00e2ksuagusik (Rigolet) \u2014 devoted himself to guiding people on the land, carving, hunting, and training bear guards. The seasoned instructor and guide founded BearSafe Planning in 2005, which trains and certifies students to perform the role of guarding for all bear species found in the region \u2014 \u00a0including polar bears, grizzly bears, and black bears. Pottle\u2019s three-day course is advertised as offering \u201csafety, protection, confidence in bear country.\u201d Bear guards work to monitor for bears and prevent encounters with humans out on the land. \u201cThe whole objective of the course,\u201d he told IndigiNews, is firstly \u201cpeople\u2019s safety\u201d around bears. But that aim \u201cis followed very… <\/p>\n
By Frey Blake-Pijogge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews After retiring from his career as a federal conservation officer, Derrick Pottle \u2014 an Inuk Elder from Tikig\u00e2ksuagusik (Rigolet) \u2014 devoted himself to guiding people on the land, carving, hunting, and training bear guards. The seasoned instructor and guide founded BearSafe Planning in 2005, which trains and certifies students to perform the role of guarding for all bear species found in the region \u2014 \u00a0including polar bears, grizzly bears, and black bears. Pottle\u2019s three-day course is advertised as offering \u201csafety, protection, confidence in bear country.\u201d Bear guards work to monitor for bears and prevent encounters with humans out on the land. \u201cThe whole objective of the course,\u201d he told IndigiNews, is firstly \u201cpeople\u2019s safety\u201d around bears. But that aim \u201cis followed very... <\/p>\n