It may be a little late for spring cleaning, but that shouldn't stop residents of Colville Lake from replacing things that aren't working, namely their chief and band council.

And you don't have to wait for the Federal Court to decide when or if another election should be held.

Elders decided during an August 2000 assembly that Deh Cho First Nations Grand Chief Michael Nadli should remain chief. No courts, no election, no ballot boxes.

The OK from elders was enough, which is the way self-government should operate.

The in-fighting between the parties in Colville Lake began almost a year ago when Chief Dora Duncan ended Richard Kochon's 16-year reign as chief in an election. Since the Aug. 8, 2001, election, accusations have flown pitting Duncan and daughter Jennifer, a member of the band council, against the other members.

The confusion continued earlier this month when News/North asked Dora Duncan if she was living in the Colville Lake. She refused to answer.

At this point the community knows it has to help themselves because everyone else has washed their hands of this messy situation.

Such silence is surprising considering both sides were more than willing to air grievances publicly and repeatedly -- through the media-- for several months. Whatever the reasons, the situation is clearly out of control.

The community needs to hold another election and the anniversary date of the last vote seems an appropriate time. But the next Colville Lake isn't scheduled for more than a year -- in August 2003 -- after council completes its current two-year term.

But holding another election won't be easy.

Intimidation will play a big part in the voting process.

A small community becomes a lion's den when residents are forced to pick between one family or another.

This is no longer about community politics -- it's families fighting.

People in the community are probably afraid to speak out because their choice for chief may lead to rejection from friends and even family members.

But it's time to vote again. You owe it to yourself and your neighbours to have a chief who can lead the community in the right direction.

At a meeting held earlier this month, young students around Iqaluit expressed a feeling of fear that penetrates their schools.

These students came together to form a group against violence among youth, hoping it might help things change for them.

Other options, for kids who are bullied, seem limited.

The group discussed these options. They said they couldn't tell on bullies because that just made it worse. The next time they get beat up, it would be even more severe.

They said when a bully gets suspended, they are basically getting a vacation.

They said people rarely step in to stop a fight.

They said they can't call the police because they are afraid of what the bully would do if he or she found out.

These kids said they are embarrassed if they have to tell a teacher. They are ashamed and so they keep it to themselves.

This group will give these students, and the many others who experience violence in one way or another, a voice. It will allow them to talk about it and that's a step in the right direction.

But this is not only their responsibility.

The teachers at Inuksuk high school need to be more aware of the violence taking place in their hallways. They are supervising the students and should provide a safe place for them to be studying. Teaching students about violent behaviour and anger needs to be done at a younger age.

The police need to be patrolling the hallways of the schools. They need to be speaking to all students about the consequences of such behaviour.

They need to help students who are bullied feel safe.

And parents need to educate their children on how to manage their anger. They need to provide good examples to their children. A child can learn from a parent's behaviour, whether or not it is a good.

The bully also needs some help. Where is the anger coming from?

The teenagers who are forming the anti-violence group should be commended for their bravery.

They are admitting that they are victims and they will now play a big part in changing that.

But there's no need for them to do it alone.

Bullying cannot be ignored by authorities, whether it be a teacher, a principal or a police officer.

Perhaps, these authorities could lend a hand to these teenagers and offer their help.

No one person can stop bullying nor can one institution. Schools can apply stricter rules, but what happens when school ends for the day?

This group, started by a teenager for teenagers, is inviting everyone to work together so that no one is afraid to get on the bus at the end of the day.

It has always been tough to live in remote communities. Technology has helped bridge that gap and reduce the isolation, but keeping up with technology can be a very expensive proposition in some of these locations.

Until recently, getting a high-speed Internet connection was cost-prohibitive to most people, but a Yellowknife company is now offering that service for a fraction of the hundreds, even thousands, of dollars it formerly cost.

That's great for some people, who can now afford to pay $140 a month for a high-speed Internet connection, but what about everyone else?

This would be a good time for the federal government's Community Access Program to step in and help make sure everyone has reasonable access to a service that is quickly becoming as important as the telephone.

Editorial Comment
Nathan VanderKlippe
Kivalliq News

Rage, grief, despair and horrible, throat-constricting sadness are necessary successors to life unnaturally ended. These are the most human of responses to tragedy, the sorrowed cries of hearts rent apart. And the deaths in the Avataq, awful and unexpected, were tragedy writ large.

But for those who grieve, somehow sorrow slowly begins to erode into sad acceptance. And when it does, a nagging desire begins to burn: can this death mean something? Can some sweetness be salvaged from the pervading bitterness of life passing?

The question cannot be answered easily, and the response cannot begin to measure any of death's offspring as compensation for it.

Yet the question persists. Can the deaths of four men in the waters of Hudson Bay somehow spur the living into greater action?

Soon after the Avataq sank, governments and departments across the country shifted gears on safety. Transport Canada hired more staff and moved its northern office to Winnipeg. The federal and territorial governments co-ordinated efforts to produce more marine safety publications in Inuktitut. Efforts are now being made to present more weather information in Inuktitut.

All of these are important and necessary steps. But they are not enough. Transport Canada still only comes to Nunavut when called on.

This sort of policy would seem silly in other areas. Who would place much faith in a health inspector who scrutinized restaurant kitchens only when requested?

The answer is clear, and Transport Canada needs to make random inspections part of its mandate in inspecting marine vessels in the Nunavut.

Yet reliance on government can only extend so far. The eye of the state is blinkered by distance and cost.

In matters of safety, personal responsibility can never be overlooked. The Avataq drew attention to marine safety in the Kivalliq, but dedication to safety of all sorts is crucial in a region where the natural elements are unpredictable and deadly. That means responsibility for safety lies directly on the shoulders of individuals, not simply the government.

Changes in policies, emergency measures and inspections can never begin to make a death worthwhile. But perhaps they can give those deaths some meaning. And perhaps, in the cruel sort of ways, they can give to the dead some purpose fulfilled in their dying.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

I had a great time getting to know some of the artists who gathered here for the Great Northern Arts Festival and it was well-organized but I felt the entertainment arts were not well-represented.

There are a handful of local musicians who represented the town well with sitting in, but the evenings were sorely lacking in things to do for the visitors.

I really have to hand it to the tolerant Inuvik audience who politely sat through Tom Jackson's performance, applauding and even laughing at the painful prop gags he started his show with.

Myself and a colleague from the National Post were not quite so tolerant and made a hasty exit after I snapped a few photos.

There needs to be a separate focus on evening entertainment for the festival that should include a variety of musical and performing arts of the same calibre found in the gallery.

No peace in the valley

Monday's public meeting over the proposed elders housing at Happy Valley Campground certainly had council rethinking the site selection of this sixplex.

This issue grabbed my attention when I first came to town and I knew it was going to be a contentious issue. That's why I made sure to be at the meeting with cabinet ministers Jim Antoine, Roger Allen and town council on April 8 at 10:30 a.m.

I was there on time and so were a few business people, but the mayor and the ministers were long gone. Apparently, the meeting was pushed forward, but no one thought to notify the press or the public. It stank of a backroom deal to me at the time and it still stinks today. Said and done, the construction and servicing of this building will cost about $2 million in tax dollars and another $2 million more to replace the campground. Add on the $800,000 that RWED spent on developing the campground and you get a cost to the people of nearly $5 million to house six people. This public meeting should have been held. With the elected officials there to answer why it makes sense that six people will get publicly funded houses at the sake of losing a public resource forever.

Granted, this campground doesn't make a lot of money, in fact none of RWED's campgrounds are intended to. They are operated to break even and to encourage travellers to bring their dollars into our businesses. Tourism is not a big part of the economy, but it won't get any bigger either if we tear down rather than build up.

Some business people here are taking a lot of heat because they are taking a stand on this issue. There is talk of greed and disrespect and that has no place in this argument.

Respect begets respect and people should have a right to stand up to defend their businesses and their children's futures without being insulted. Julie Morrison spoke of traditional decision-making and how decisions should be based on the outcome seven generations in the future.

Anyone saying 'no' to this project is not saying 'no' to the elders, they are saying 'yes' for the next seven generations.

There are six elders who would like to spend their golden years on the same piece of land they tramped out of the Delta mud to call home 40 years ago. That's a very nice sentiment, but what will that piece of land mean to the next seven generations of elders?

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

By this weekend, they'll be off ... planes carrying athletes heading for the North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg.

Twenty-five teams are scheduled to participate in the event -- more than 6,000 athletes and close to 1,200 coaches. Participants will not only come from most Canadian provinces and three territories, but also from several American states including Florida, New Mexico and New York.

For those of us who have gone on such road trips, think back to how exciting they were. There may be a little apprehension thrown into the mix, but most of the athletes will be readily immersed in their surroundings and actively engaged in socializing.

Competitively, the North is at a disadvantage. This is nothing unusual. With a small pool of athletes spread out over such vast tracts of land, there's little or no opportunity for the teams to practice together.

There are those who believe the territorial government should make funding available to ensure NWT teams can workout as a collective prior to the games. The GNWT has coughed up $270,000 this year to help cover expenses for the close to 200 NWT participants in the games. If team fundraising doesn't generate enough to allow for full practices before the games, then that's the way it goes.

The NWT has acquitted itself well in many national sporting events over the years. The right attitude heading into the North American Indigenous Games is that of midget girls soccer coach Val Gendron -- demand 100 per cent effort and "whatever happens, happens."

There are valuable cultural and social aspects to these games, which occur every four years. If the NWT's athletes bring home medals, it is really just a bonus.

Blacktop headaches

Fort Liard is getting it's main street chipsealed. That's great news for residents who are tired of bouncing around in their vehicles, particularly after a solid rain creates potholes and pitted roads.

The down side to chipseal, and more recently to pavement, as Fort Simpson has found out, is that some drivers have a penchant for squealing their tires at late hours. There are those who, although few in number, insist on waking up the neighbourhood with their irresponsible antics.

The advent of chipseal may also been seen by some motorists as a green light for drag races, putting the pedal to the metal.

Fortunately, as the blacktop is being laid a new protective services officer will be on duty in Fort Liard. It is a position that hadn't been filled over the past year. So if any leadfooted driver decides to make a nuisance of himself, the protective services officer can deal with him. If the leadfoot reaches the point of reckless driving, there are RCMP members who can lay charges as well.

For everyone else, enjoy the smooth ride.