Little Shuswap Indian Band, Neskonlith and Adams Lake have put up a reward of $3,000 for information on the bear paws that were found dumped in Anglemont on the weekend.

Between 80 and 100 bear paws were found on Sunday on a forest road in the community along Shuswap Lake.

Shuswap Nation Tribal Council Chair Chief Wayne Christian says the whole community feels sick over the discovery. “It’s so disturbing that in this situation they were just sort of left and thrown out like that. There has to be somebody that has seen something and so hopefully we put out the reward and somebody will actually come forward and let us know.”

“The bear is a sacred animal to us and we are going to do a ceremony this Friday. It it is sickening and it is hard to comprehend quite honestly, it really is. I’ve got calls from non-first nations people asking how they can help.”

Christian says the best way to help is by providing any information you have to the authorities to find out who did this and why. “This is very unusual and it is such a sort of slap in the face. Like I said, the bear to our people is really quite significant four legged being and I think that we really want to get to the bottom of this. I hope that the public can come out and help because this is so disturbing.”

Christian says the bear is a sacred animal and it will be holding a ceremony on Friday to honour the bears who were so carelessly discarded to ensure they are given the respect they deserve.