Wednesday, January 19, 2005
When someone died, the whole community went into mourning and relatives did everything they could to return home and pay final respects.
These long-standing traditions clash with demands of work at the North's diamond mines and other workplaces.
The Dene Nation says too many First Nations workers have been forced to give up their jobs in order to participate in the spring hunt or attend a family member's funeral.
With money from the Union of Northern Workers and Public Service Alliance of Canada, the Dene Nation is studying mines' hiring practises and sensitivity toward aboriginal culture.
It's a wise step, long overdue, because it will help answer many questions that continue to fester: like ever-present complaints mining companies aren't meeting hiring quotas.
How many reasonably qualified aboriginal people who want to work at a mine have been refused employment? What is the number of aboriginal people hired who quit because the mining life was not for them?
Whether or not a study will find answers to sticky cultural conflicts is more difficult to say.
These mines are 365-day-a-year operations. That's not going to change. It must also be noted this kind of work doesn't suit everyone, aboriginal or non-aboriginal.
If the hunt is important, can a Dene worker take vacation to cover the time away on the land or take leave without pay? What about paying another community member to harvest an extra caribou or two to help feed their family?
Many mine workers rotate through two-week shifts in the mine and at home, a situation that should help workers take part in a hunt.
Can mines give employees extra time off when a family member dies, just to recognize the time it takes to travel from the remote mine site to their home community? If the result is a more stable Northern employee, why not?
More than likely, when it comes down to cultural issues, it will be up to each individual to decide if the spring hunt is more important than a regular paycheque. Companies, too, will have to decide how strong, stable and progressive they want their workforce to be.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
While all Nunavummiut should take great pride in their willingness to share with those in need, the Kivalliq region was a model of compassion and community spirit this past holiday season.
Holiday food banks and Christmas hamper drives were the norm across the region, from Repulse Bay to Arviat and every point in-between.
The word community means much more than a group of houses, stores and office buildings standing together in one area on the land.
The true definition of a community includes pride, spirit, security, tolerance, understanding, generosity, compassion, co-operation and caring.
And the good folks of the Kivalliq region showed this past month that all seven of the region's hamlets are communities in the truest sense of the word.
Yes, we have our share of differences from time to time, but, when the chips are down, the vast majority of us who call the Kivalliq home never fail to answer the bell when our neighbours are in need of a little help along the way.
People from all walks of life open their hearts and give what they can in the Kivalliq, and they do it without a moment's hesitation.
It is heartwarming to see the results of such generosity.
To hear of an RCMP officer being met with tears of joy as he or she drops off a food hamper to a large family during the holiday season, or to see the glowing faces of children as they unwrap Christmas presents they otherwise may not have received, leaves a lasting impression on one's heart and mind.
Global community
The spirit of compassion that so marks the people of the Kivalliq is not confined to within the region's borders.
In this modern age, the world truly is becoming a global community and, thanks to the wonders of technology, we know of our neighbours' struggles almost as soon as they happen.
When the tsunami disaster struck in Asia this past month, the people of our region responded quickly to the heart-wrenching images flashing across our TV sets.
Donation jars were quickly placed, and filled, in high-traffic areas in every community.
Benefit concerts were organized, baked goodies were sold, and Kivallimmiut opened their hearts and wallets to hundreds of thousands of people a half a world away.
The generosity of our region is not confined to disaster, or special occasions once or twice a year.
We are almost always among the most charitable people of our nation, despite lacking the personal wealth many in the south enjoy.
And although Kivallimmiut give without asking for recognition, they are to be commended for their understanding of what it means to be a true community - in every sense of the word!:
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
Sir Alexander Mackenzie school (SAMS) students and staff should be commended for raising nearly $3,000 for victims of the tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia and parts of Africa over the holidays.
Seeing so many young people give up their allowances and empty their piggy banks to donate to the cause gives pessimists a glimmer of hope. There is still good in this world that seems more chaotic with each passing day.
However, the fear many relief agencies share is that the overwhelming influx of tsunami donations could hurt future fundraising efforts as people decline to donate to other causes because they "already gave to the tsunami victims."
Disastrous as the tsunami was, let's not forget that more than a million people in the Sudan are in danger of starving and have been in that situation, to varying degrees, for more than 10 years. So as the entertainment business begins to line up to take part in "tsunami charity concerts," let us go back to 1985's Live Aid concert for the starving masses in Ethiopia. Twenty years later, the people are still in dire need. Not to worry, though, the commemorative DVD is here to carry on this bogus charity exercise. If anything, Live Aid and the recent events in Asia - both world-wide televised events - point to the power of television and how that magic box can distort our view of the world.
Day in and day out since Dec. 26, we have been bombarded with tsunami footage and stories of survival, followed by a bunch of talking heads arguing about whether our government reacted fast enough and with enough, shall we say, charitable gusto. As these messages travel into the living rooms of Canadians, surely people are asking themselves the same questions, either questioning a donation already given or perhaps feeling guilty they have yet to give.
While the collective consciousness of the nation frets over this issue, we cannot become blinded to the here and now. After remarking that the disaster in Southeast Asia was very sad indeed, a friend made the point that sadness was no match for the power of Mother Nature, which cares not for the feelings of those who inhabit her realm. However, the difference between Mother Nature and us sentient beings is that we have the ability, through our own actions, to directly affect the lives of those around us. Unlike the blowing snow that can make everybody miserable, the simple act of holding a door open for an elder or saying hello to a stranger can make the darkest of days a little brighter.
Cliche as it may sound, it's the little acts of kindness that make the world go round. While we can't forget about those less fortunate than ourselves a world away, we should also remember our neighbours only a stone's throw away down the block.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh cho Drum
Those who took a quick peek inside the Fort Simpson recreation centre gymnasium over the weekend saw some teenage players running up and down the court, dribbling and passing a basketball and taking shots.
There was indeed plenty of sporting action, but there was also an abundance of interesting side stories.
For one, the Rae squad had only five players. Except for their coach, their bench was empty. That left no room for injury and surely meant the Rae players were the most fatigued by the time they reached the championship game (that's not an attempt to make an excuse for their loss as the champion Fort Nelson Huskies were talented indeed). When Rae did experience an injury in a round-robin game versus Fort Smith, coach Michael Botermans - a man in his 40s with a full beard - was allowed to make his tournament debut for a few plays.
The good sportsmanship carried over into the championship game. When Rae's Tyron Fish fouled out in the third quarter, Fort Nelson allowed their opponents to keep all five players on the court.
The only stipulation was that all Rae fouls against Fort Nelson would count as shooting fouls. In the fourth quarter, when Rusty Mantla was forced to leave the game with a sore shoulder, the Huskies also pulled a player from the court to make things even. It was a virtuous gesture.
Rae didn't have a monopoly on tournament highlights, mind you. Here are some of the others:
* There was the Huskies' Bryan Camozzi, a four-foot-something dynamo who quickly became a fan favourite for his hustle.
* Jessie Loutit, of Fort Simpson, was the only female player to suit up for the tournament and she held her own against the boys.
* Yellowknife's Emmanuel Ramos was given an award for dedication when he made nary a fuss after having his forehead split open (it's usually not that violent a game, really!).
* The skills competition was a nice touch. The players and the fans were really into it.
* For the love of the game, Fort Simpson and Tulita played their scheduled match-up after the championship showdown. Tulita failed to make it in time for Friday's tilt.
* Fort Nelson's coach publicly credited his Thomas Simpson school counterpart, Jeff Cressmen, for reviving basketball in Fort Simpson.
* Not that it was anything new, but no less worthy of mention, teachers Robert and Teresa Byatt, as well as Freda Blyth and several students, worked in the recreation centre kitchen all weekend to raise money for the school's athletic association.
* Finally, the tournament produced some exulted winners and some disappointed losers as does every competition. Losing is hard to take, but the key is to be graceful and allow it to build character. Getting blown out every game could break a team's spirit, so it's best to strive for attainable goals: score a few more points or prevent a few more baskets, improve a set play or win the battle on the boards more often. Life is chock full of analogous lessons - it's best to grasp them early.