Last week, News/North reported the territorial government is continuing clawbacks on impact benefit agreement (IBA) payments, in spite of promises to fix the problem.
The benefit agreements are between private industry operating on traditional Dene land and aboriginal governments that decide how to use the money received.
This Christmas, the Deninu Ku'e First Nation in Fort Resolution gave 700 band members $300 each out of payments from a benefit agreement with BHP, owner of the Ekati Diamond Mine.
Band members on social assistance from the territorial government had their monthly cheques reduced by $300 as a result.
In October 2002, answering criticism from North Slave MLA Leon Lafferty, then-Minister Jake Ootes said there was a "fairly good" chance the government would stop the practice. Ootes then defended the clawbacks, saying the government couldn't really determine if the IBA payments were actually compensation for the use of Dene land because the deals were not made public.
Six months later in January 2003, Ootes said the situation hadn't changed and the policy was under review. A year later in January 2004, Minister Charles Dent is saying no changes are going to happen quickly. Maybe in the fall.
This kind of bureaucratic stonewalling and double speak was common in the days of the federal Indian agent early in the previous century. Government representatives would come into the country, set up relationships with local people, make promises based on the situation and common sense, then leave.
The new Indian agent, with no knowledge of previous circumstance and relationships, would declare he had no knowledge of any promises or prior commitments which meant they didn't exist.
The territorial government well knows the IBAs are compensation for Dene land lost. Even more damning, the territorial government is benefitting directly from income tax, payroll tax, numerous other fees and payments from the resource companies using these lands.
These clawbacks are an insult to the Dene on social assistance. The relationship of trust Premier Handley is attempting to build with Dene leaders is seriously undermined.
It's one thing when people outside of the North misunderstand treaty issues, but First Nations people should be able to expect better from their own government.
In the south, elections are about making noise, proclaiming lofty promises and candidates plastering their faces on every street corner.
Not so in Nunavut.
We go to the polls Feb. 16, but you'd never know it by the lack of election signs and hype by candidates. Sure there's a press conference here and there, and some people are probably going door to door, but no one gets too worked up about outdoing each other.
That's especially true in many of the small communities where there is virtually no outward sign there is an election going on.
As frustrating as this pre-election deadness has been for people who care about politics, who like the fuss and furor, Nunavummiut in general are just fine with the way the election is shaping up.
This is a Nunavut election, being run in a Nunavut way -- a way we are all going to have to get used to, like the cold, cold weather.
This is not a made-for-TV election. In order to understand the Nunavut election, we are going to have to do some work. We are going to have to live here for a while and know the communities and the candidates.
In towns where you count the residents by the dozens, not hundreds, you likely know who's running. You're likely an uncle, a cousin, a brother or a parent to them.
If you aren't related, you probably know them or know their reputation.
For them, putting up signs and splashing their faces all over the place is just not the Inuit way, and it never will be.
It's not that they don't know how to play the game. Remember, Inuit won a historic land claim only after political wrangling of a fine, fine degree.
They negotiated the biggest land claim in Canadian history, gaining control of one-fifth of Canada's land mass.
It is something no other indigenous group on the planet has ever managed to do.
Think of the bloodshed in Israel on a daily, hourly basis, then think of Nunavut.
In a world of extraordinary things, Nunavut itself is truly extraordinary, studied around the world as an example of what can be achieved with patience, repetition, and a solid plan.
At this time, remember the image of the Inuk hunter crouched down by the shoreline to blend into the landscape like a big rock -- waiting, waiting, waiting for just the right moment to leap up, run, and harpoon the big, ferocious walrus before he waddles back into the waves.
Maybe the Nunavut election is off to a quiet start. But that does not mean it will be an uneventful, boring election.
If you want to find out what the candidates are all about, give them a call. They'll gladly come by for a cup of tea and some talk.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
With the Nunavut territorial election less than three weeks away and a federal election looming in the not-so-distant future, things are becoming quite interesting as Nunavut's top politicians jockey for position -- both publicly and behind the scenes.
Now that Arviat's Kevin O'Brien has announced his intention to seek re-election, he's attempting to pull off a first.
Should O'Brien, indeed, be re-elected, he would become the first Kivalliq politician to be elected to three-straight terms in a riding.
Many were wondering if O'Brien was going to go for the three-peat in Arviat as 2003 drew to a close, and he still had not announced his intentions.
When he did finally announce he was seeking re-election, O'Brien tossed out a number of tried-and-true lines as the reasons behind the length of time it took him to reach his final decision.
The Arviat MLA and house speaker had to weigh the pros and cons of his years in public office, the long hours and countless kilometres of travel, and the inner desire necessary to commit to another four years should he be re-elected.
It's a nice bill of sale, but we here at Kivalliq News aren't buying.
Ear to the ground
We hear from the capital rumour mill that O'Brien was waiting to get a handle on the future plans of Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell before announcing his own intentions.
It appeared for a while that Lindell may abandon federal politics to return to the territorial wars in her home riding of Arviat.
In fact, while we have no doubt as to Education Minister Manitok Thompson's sincerity in citing more time with her family as the main reason behind her decision not to seek re-election, the same rumour on Lindell's intentions may have played a role in her decision, as well.
It will be interesting to see if either O'Brien or Thompson throw their hats into the political ring when the next round of potential candidates seeking for the federal stage begins in earnest.
Thompson would definitely be an attractive candidate for another party looking to knock the Liberals off in Nunavut.
As for O'Brien, it wasn't all that long ago when he expressed his desire to be the Liberal candidate for Nunavut, but was passed over in favour of Lindell.
For now, O'Brien has his hands full with five challengers for his riding, including former Arviat mayor David Alagalek, who many view as the greatest threat to his chance of re-election.
But, rest assured, there will be more to this story as the rest of the year unfolds.
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
There are some weeks when the news reflects not only what's happening in a particular community, but is representative of the region, and even the territory as a whole. This past seven days was one of those weeks.
As the premier, house speaker, RWED and MACA ministers descended on the Mackenzie Delta to touch base with the region's leadership, a conversation with Premier Joe Handley brought home the enormous amount of work the 15th Legislative Assembly has put on its plate.
Devolution and formula-finance negotiations with Ottawa, as well as hammering out the Beaufort-Delta Self-Government Agreement are all complex endeavours begging the question: will there be any room for dessert?
Community challenges
On the menu for Inuvik are a host of issues that seem as daunting as the task ahead for the GNWT.
This year, the community will have to look long and hard for solutions to the dismal behaviour of some of its youth and the substance-abuse problem that often feeds the former.
While Handley did not make a commitment to provide Inuvik with a much-needed treatment centre, he did offer this challenge: show him that numbers warrant such a facility and put together a solid plan of operation were the community to get one and he would seriously consider the matter. Though short of any guarantee, his offer is better than nothing at all and I am certain there are committed and capable people up to this task.
Being concerned about social ills is the first phase. The next step is to come up with potential solutions. However, the hardest part of all will be taking that leap of faith by putting any remedy to the test.
A special community forum held at Ingamo Hall Tuesday, attended by members of the RCMP, NWT Commissioner Glenna Hansen, IRC Chair Nellie Cournoyea, APG Chair Fred Carmichael and concerned community members from around the region, provided a brainstorming venue to come up with ways in which to deal with the negative impact alcohol abuse is having in the Delta communities.
Also at the meeting was Yellowknife RCMP Superintendent Pat McCloskey, who expressed his and the force's commitment to work with the communities to break this debilitating cycle.
Commissioner Hansen said she was honoured to take part in the forum and expressed her desire to visit the various communities to further the discussion.
Suggestions made at the forum for dealing with the issue ranged from banishment to forced treatment for those whose drinking continually poses a problem in a community. And while there are problems with either solution, whichever combination of approaches are taken, implementation is key because having good intentions just doesn't cut it.
Take responsibility
Take, for example, the presentation made by aboriginal AIDS activist Trevor Stratton at Ingamo Hall Monday.
HIV positive and living with full-blown AIDS, Stratton travels to aboriginal communities around Canada to tell his story with the point being to get youth to take responsibility for their own health and well-being, especially when it comes to practising safe sex.
Stratton's talk was enlightening and in his words, "puts a face on a completely preventable disease."
Unfortunately, only a half-dozen or so people came out to listen to him. This is the kind of thing all secondary school kids should be forced to hear, whether they are interested or not.
And if organizations are going to put in the effort to arrange something this worthwhile again, more attention should be made in the future to ensure that message gets through to those for whom it is intended.
Editorial Comment
Andrew Raven
Deh Cho Drum
With each passing day, the prospect of winter work for the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline gets more and more remote.
Imperial Oil and the rest of the companies involved in the project offered the Liidlii Kue First Nation a total of $12,000 in return for permission to carry out the work, which is essentially soil testing and geological surveys at this point.
Similar offers --which band council member Dennis Nelner described as an "insult"-- were made to other communities along the Mackenzie Valley.
While the $12,000 doesn't amount to much more than pocket change, Imperial Oil did offer 12 of the 14 winter work contracts to communities along the Mackenzie Valley.
Outwardly, it doesn't seem like a horrible offer but the LKFN and the Pipeline Working Group have Imperial Oil firmly strapped over a barrel and are playing hardball, multinational-corporation style.
Most of the surveying and soil testing is easier to do in the winter, so an environmental review could postpone the project until next year, to the ire of Imperial Oil.
For years, companies and governments have appropriated resources from traditional aboriginal lands, successfully out manoeuvring the local authorities.
Now the situation is reversed and the LKFN is deftly using bureaucracy to get the best deal possible for its people.
It's a tactic any major corporation would be proud of.