Charges dating back to 2013 against 12 Innu for caribou hunting have been stayed.

The Innu Nation says the unexpected development brings to an end the 10-year-long legal battle for their right to ancestral hunting.

In 2013, the province charged the Innu hunters with hunting and possession of caribou. Most of the charges were thrown out in 2017, however a few remained until March 6 when the decision to stay the charges was handed down.

The Innu Nation says the court case, had it continued, could have established a constitutional precedent that would enshrine caribou hunting rights once and for all.

However, the Indigenous group says the battle does not stop here, as they are questioning what will happen with hunters charged in 2021 and 2022 who are still facing those charges.