Monday, October 30, 2000
While aboriginal negotiators, a former negotiator and the territorial government bicker over who should be at the table, it's the federal government that holds all the cards.
Former territorial negotiator Patrick Scott says the GNWT has unrealistic expectations, aboriginal negotiators say the GNWT doesn't have any real power while NWT Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jim Antoine says the GNWT has to be at the table to ensure the interests of the entire territory are protected.
| Apology
Mary Ellen Thomas is not Nunavut's candidate for the NDP. News/North apologizes for the error and any embarrassment it may have caused.
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Problem is, treaty talks as they are now structured are not balanced -- as a headline in News/North read recently, it's a "three-legged table" hopelessly unbalanced.
It can not be doubted that all three groups involved in talks have a lot at stake. The negotiations are shaping the future of the NWT.
The talks will decide how much land and what resources are controlled by First Nations and what government powers they will have to protect those lands.
It's chipping away at the role of the territorial government, which will have to redefine itself once the agreements are signed.
Problem is, all the power is in the hands of the federal government. They say they are committed to the principle of aboriginal self government, and First Nations are clamouring to make the most of that commitment.
Like the rich man's son, the GNWT is at the table, with no real power, yet still has a tremendous interest in what's being discussed.
Unlike southern Canada, where the so-called tripartite negotiation process is necessary because of the powers, money and land held by the provinces, the NWT really is a creation of the federal government.
For the treaty and self-government process to work in the North, the federal government must either cede the treaty-making powers to the duly-elected government of the NWT -- or tell the GNWT to remove itself from the table.
Perhaps the signs of global warming are most pronounced in the Arctic, where temperatures never drop below -70 C any more, where snowfalls are lighter, ice leaves sooner and comes back later?
How much evidence do scientists need before they will be convinced that global warming is indeed happening?
Maybe the changes can be attributed to a massive climate change that is slowly transforming the world into the tropics, or maybe it's due to the fact that human activity and disregard for the environment is finally catching up with planet Earth?
Whatever the case, Nunavut is lucky to have environmentally-aware students like those in Cape Dorset making attempts to have their finds heard on a global scale.
Government's decision to withhold layoff information from the power corp.'s employees pending the outcome of a reorganization review was another bad decision.
With the loss of nearly half the customers due to the Nunavut split, the managers at NTPC have already identified who will likely lose their jobs.
Now the amount of time employees might have had to plan their affairs has been cut from seven months to three months. This is particularly hard on employees who may have to sell homes and relocate.
Once again, the public and employees are left to speculate and squint through the smokescreen of our "open and transparent government," as to what NTPC may look like a year from now.
The Kitikmeot Employment and Training Partners must be commended on their success.
In relatively little time, the nonprofit organization has almost two dozen heavy equipment operators trained and ready to go. They've also promised to host more courses in the future and have committed themselves to training Nunavummiut to take jobs that are open now or will be created.
That is a good news story.
However, it leaves a question unanswered. Why did Taloyoak resident Charlie Lyall have to develop this organization? According to Lyall, he had to take the bull by the horns because no matter where he looked, he didn't see any other organization preparing residents in his region for the opportunities to come.
Given that the Kitikmeot region is rich in minerals and will eventually be the site of a productive mine, Lyall said he was obligated to begin training workers.
Why didn't the Government of Nunavut feel similarly obligated? It must be noted that the GN did throw money at the second heavy equipment operators course organized by Lyall's group, but until Partners was formed, with the exception of meaningless lip service, the GN was absent from the training sector.
Ditto with Nunavut Tunngavik, the Inuit organization entrusted as guardian of the land claim. While they were indirectly involved in that they preside over the vast network of Inuit organizations in the territory, some of which play a role in Kitikmeot Employment and Training Partners, NTI was equally as remiss in their efforts to train beneficiaries for the workforce.
The Partners looked around, saw a gap and took immediate steps to fill the need. For that, they deserve recognition.
The GN and NTI have stood by the same gaping hole, shovels motionless, waiting for some sign to begin work. They deserve to be scolded.