I witnessed something truly special in Inuvik last week -- the open house marking the launch of the Aboriginal People's Television Network on Sept. 1.

The atmosphere was upbeat at the Inuvialuit Communications Society headquarters and for good reason. The society will be contributing to the APTN and get the chance to have its programming broadcast across the whole of Canada.

This means great exposure for the Inuvik region on a nationwide scale and the chance to network with a wide variety of both aboriginal and non-aboriginal groups.

The North retains an air of romance and mystery for the majority of Canadians, particularly in the south. But this exoticism is also rooted in simple ignorance of the people of the Arctic and the conditions in which they live. Even the misconceptions about the NWT held in neighbouring provinces like Alberta can sometimes be shocking.

Through nationwide broadcasting, the APTN is providing the North with the chance to change all that -- to enlighten southerners about its people, culture, traditions and concerns.

Especially where land-claims and self-government issues are concerned, the vast majority of Canadians remain uneducated, are often overwhelmed by government bureaucrat-speak and so are turned off from trying to understand what aboriginal groups really want.

By being exposed to a variety of both cultural and current affairs programming, those same Canadians can only learn to appreciate the Northern point of view that much better.

Canadians have already demonstrated their attraction for what is described as more intelligent programming in the form of networks that carry documentaries on life in countries around the world, on politics and on history. Of course, many will continue to opt for more disposable escapist programming, but a growing number will appreciate the chance to get to know the North better before they turn to shows about Africa, Russia or other far-off lands.

The staff at the Inuvialuit Communications Society said that before APTN, even their own people who had moved south were cut off from Northern programming. As well, southern contributors to the society couldn't see the results of their work.

The APTN signals a change to all that and, in the words of Health and Social Services Minister Floyd Roland, represents a connection across the country "from sea to sea to sea."

However long it takes to get there, the Deh Cho First Nations have a clear goal of attaining full jurisdiction over their traditional lands.

At last week's Deh Cho Assembly in Kakisa, delegates decided to pursue the Deh Cho Process according to the 21 common ground principles. But there were a few issues that need some smoothing out first.

Consultation, the DCFN has asserted, is something that has been lacking from DIAND in the past. At the assembly, it became clear that some communities in the Deh Cho feel they are lacking consultation even from within the DCFN. Improving communications was the top priority for numerous delegates.

Unity is also something in question. The Acho Dene Koe had only one delegate at the table, chief Harry Deneron. After he said his piece Wednesday, he departed, not exactly amicably either. There are still many fences to be mended between the Acho Dene and the DCFN. Perhaps of lesser concern but still significant, Chief Peter Marcellais declared that the Nahanni Butte Dene Band will be opening its lands to oil and gas exploration. They could be seen as breaking ranks with the DCFN's land moratorium, but there was no criticism of their decision (although a resolution regarding the matter has yet to be drafted).

The role of the territorial government was questioned a few times, as was the leadership and commitment of Jim Antoine. Antoine, former chief of the Liidli Kue First Nation, came to his own defence Wednesday. He talked about how he and Don Morin had worked to change policy to create greater latitude for aboriginal self-government. There's also a move to have the federal government transfer funds directly to aboriginal self-government in the future rather than turn it over to the territorial government first. As well, Antoine and Bob Overvold have been involved in the intergovernmental process (or "government to government to government" approach).

"When I sit here like this I am a Dene person," Antoine said. "...when you are a leader you've got to look at all the people you represent... I'm still going to try to work for you."

Elder Leo Norwegian was one of several elders to emphasize the importance of consensus.

"We must make sure it is understood that this is land is our land. We must be consulted and we must be united," he said.

Wise words indeed, but it will take some work to put those words into practice.

Promising

It's promising to see the B.C. government is finally sinking some money into Highway 77. In reality, an additional $500,000 is peanuts, but it's a step in the right direction. That road has gained a notorious reputation in the Deh Cho region as so many people travel south via that route. While there have, unfortunately, been some deaths on Highway 77, that's true of practically any highway across Canada. There's no question the road requires a lot of work (it's definitely hard on vehicles), but it's speed and drinking and driving that most often result in the loss of life.

While there may be some who herald last week's announcement from the Nunavut government's central hiring agency concerning job interviews as a bold new initiative, there are more than a few in the education field who are worried about the message it's sending to our youth.

Billed as a newer, kinder and more effective approach to job interviewing, the department of human resources' director of staffing, Tom Thompson, said the "behaviourial event model" draws on experience in real-life situations, rather than knowledge of theory.

Thompson admitted the Nunavut government is desperate for qualified candidates for government jobs being moved into communities through decentralization, saying "Departments are in a mad rush to fill positions."

This "mad rush" is wherein the danger lies. Although probably lined with nothing but good intentions, the policy sends the undeniable message that one doesn't need a formal education to land a good-paying government job and all the security accompanying it.

If more and more youth start seeing their friends and relatives ã who they know never came close to completing their high school education ã landing high paying government jobs, where will be their motivation to complete their formal education?

For the most part, we have no bone of contention with the government's affirmative action program aimed at creating true representative public service, although we do know a few individuals who have lived in Kivalliq for 30 years and, under policy guidelines, still don't qualify as "Northerners."

However, the bar should not be lowered to the point where formal education and accredited training are of little advantage to those qualifying for government positions. First and foremost on the agenda of our fledgling new government should be to ensure the people hired are capable of performing the tasks they're hired for.

If new initiatives like the one announced by Thompson this past week are absolutely necessary to fill existing job vacancies, capital spin doctors should put in some extra time to ensure they're packaged better to include positive references towards the future hiring of those who do complete their secondary education and other accredited courses.

After all, one need not set their educational goals too high to be able to list their accomplishments in alphabetical order.