Monday, January 03, 2005
We are over 42,000 strong. We live in 1.3 million square kilometres of land rich with raw resources, clean air, rivers and lakes, where herds of caribou, muskox and buffalo roam free. No tsunamis, no volcanoes, only mild earthquakes to stimulate coffee shop conversation.
With these blessings in mind, we Northerners must get busy in 2005. We must build on the wealth and potential we have. We must leave behind equal opportunity for our children.
How we deal with the Mackenzie Valley pipeline will probably be the single greatest factor influencing the next 50 years.
The conflict between the federal government and the Dehcho First Nation cannot be left in the hands of bureaucrats. Any further delay and the much larger Alaskan pipeline could well bury the immediate need for a Mackenzie Valley route.
No $7 billion dollars flowing into the Canadian economy. No 13,000 workers heading North. No way to get discovered and undiscovered Northern gas and oil reserves to southern markets.
Will that be the end of the wealth? No. The oil and gas potential in the Delta and Valley is not going to go away, nor will North America's energy needs diminish.
We have diamonds and gold and, if Premier Joe Handley is correct, considerable potential as producers of hydroelectricity.
Employment figures show more than half the population is working. Lots of the new jobs are in the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines, which pay very well. More mines are in the development stage.
But with all that wealth, in smaller communities there are still people living in overcrowded houses. Soup kitchens in the larger communities struggle to meet the demand.
Ten years ago, the territorial government could only dream of full employment and the economic bounty now captivating the cabinet's attention. Meanwhile, communities are $186 million and hundreds of houses short of what they need to provide proper services and shelter for their people.
Yellowknife, where the policy makers live, is becoming a magnet for government dollars. In smaller communities, schools crumble while poorly-paid under-trained social workers struggle to cope with too many clients and too few resources.
In 2005, economic growth will surely continue, as will the temptation to grab the cash and ignore the social needs of the population.
Making sure this doesn't happen should be on the agenda of ordinary Northerners. If it isn't, why should the government and cabinet make it a priority?
Now that the new Joamie school in Iqaluit is about ready to open, it is hard to believe there was nothing but twisted metal and ash in that spot after the K-Grade 5 school burned to the ground on a quiet summer morning in July, 2003.
An electrical fire beneath the school triggered the blaze that overwhelmed the Iqaluit fire department. By early afternoon the crew even ran out of water.
There is no denying the volunteer firefighters in Nunavut are heroes. But the entire fire department and everyone who cares about it learned valuable lessons at Joamie. There was no question after the school was lost that firefighting needed improving.
None of those firefighters will ever forget those lessons.
Then there are the children and staff of Joamie who were left without a school. They learned quickly about sharing. They had to share school space in other schools around town. That couldn't have been easy for anyone but you didn't hear much complaining and whining.
Instead of dwelling on the fact they were now forced to learn in cramped quarters while their new school was being built, Joamie students occupied their extra time with fundraising activities, raising money for causes they believed in.
When the students heard about the villages Illanda and Devaruppala in India that didn't have clean drinking water, they raised $1,300.
They had more gusto behind their fundraising than ever, their teacher Lesley Serkoak said, because they understood about loss and the suffering of others.
With schools ready to open again after the holidays, it is likely the students at Joamie will be thinking about ways to help the devastated countries in Asia, where the death toll following a horrifying tsunami has risen well past 100,000, and is still rising.
If school children in Nunavut do make efforts to help the tsunami-torn region, let's hope businesses, the Government of Nunavut and the federal government will be willing to match those efforts.
Devastation and loss can lead people to take graceful and powerful strides in their personal development.
The students at Joamie showed us that. Let's hope they continue that tradition when they move into their new school in February.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Yes, valued readers, it's that time of year again.
It's time for our annual Kivalliq Christmas gift list, as we send a little holiday cheer to Nunavut's top personalities.
And what better place to start than the top?
To Premier Paul Okalik, we send one official placement card for the next national gathering of premiers.
The card allows Mr. Okalik one seat of his choice - hopefully in the front row.
To House Speaker Jubie Nutarak, we send a complete set of Employment Insurance claim forms and a Lone Ranger mask.
Based on the track record of former House Speakers, he will eventually need one or the other.
To Arviat MLA David Alagalak, we send one coupon good for a hotline to be installed in the government office of Darren Flynn, just in case Alagalak needs some advice on an exotic vacation destination.
To CG&S assistant deputy minister Shawn Maley, who has an office across the hall from Flynn, we send a building blueprint for him to hang facing Flynn's office.
The map reads: You are there. I'm here, in the much larger office!
Bluesman
To Iqaluit Central MLA Hunter Tootoo, we send a state-of-the-art karaoke machine so he may continue to sing the blues for many years to come.
To Baker Lake MLA and Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, David Simailak, we send an instructional video cassette that explains the link between Web sites and tourist attraction.
To Health Minister Levinia Brown, we send a cassette of the things she listed as top priorities for Rankin Inlet during her time as the hamlet's deputy mayor - just to refresh her memory!
To Quttiktuq MLA Levi Barnabas, we send a deluxe edition of the Monopoly board game.
The deluxe version comes complete with an extra large Second Chance card. We hope he uses it well.
Official status
To Education Minister Ed Picco, we send a framed certificate granting him official "Townie" status.
We also send Mr. Picco a copy of How to Make Friends and Influence People, signed by the book's former owner, Baker Lake Coun. Glenn McLean.
And, finally, to McLean, we send a framed 16 x 20 colour photo of the Rankin Inlet Petroleum Products Division building.
The photo is personally autographed by Rankin Mayor Lorne Kusugak and bears the inscription: The premier giveth, and the premier taketh away.
May these gifts be received in the spirit for which they were intended.
Merry Christmas to everyone and our hopes for peace in the new year.
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
It was a week of feasts, Christmas concerts and old time dances as the holiday spirit hit Inuvik and the surrounding region.
Parents and family members filled Sir Alexander Mackenzie school's (SAMS) gymnasium for the students' annual concert. The great performances brought back memories from my own school days, as I am sure it did for many in the audience.
SAMS music teacher Aengus Finnan did a marvellous job and much credit must be given to him and other school staff and volunteers who helped make the event a success.
And another big shout out has to go out to the Delta Good Time Band, whose music kept the toes tappin' in the Delta, first at Inuvik's Christmas feast and the following evening at Kitty Hall in Tuktoyaktuk.
As the Tuk drum dancers opted to spend the weekend in Inuvik after performing at our feast and dance, hats off to James Rogers, Aengus Alunik and Charlie Kasook for making the trip down the ice road to play in Tuk. Had they not, Kitty Hall's community feast and dance would have been lacking that vital musical component.
And the people in Tuk showed their appreciation by dancing well into the evening.
For all of you kids out there who think that what you learn in school today will never be of any use in the future, take note.
I used to wonder when square dancing would ever come in handy and so never paid much attention to those Phys. Ed. classes, spinning partners around, do-se-do-ing and the like.
Well, that attitude came back to haunt me this weekend as I had to sit on the sidelines of two old time dances, wishing I hadn't dismissed those dancing lessons back in high school.
That said, the energy created by the dancers and musicians at Inuvik's recreation hall and Tuk's Kitty Hall was satisfying in itself. When the room gets spinning with bodies moving to the sound of old time fiddling, the infectious pulse is hard to ignore.
It was wonderful to see the community spirit here and in Tuktoyaktuk. There's nothing like great food and dancing to lift the spirits, and to see so many elders out taking part says something about the restorative power of music.
So, as we reflect on the past year - with its good and bad - this is the time to focus on the positive.
There is a lot happening in the region and things are only going to get busier as we head into 2005. As the Christmas season tends to make us think about what really matters in life, hopefully we can take some of that holiday cheer into the coming year.
Whatever your plans are for this Christmas, the Inuvik Drum wishes you and yours a safe and happy holidays.
So keep your eyes on the mistletoe and please don't drink and drive, as we want to see all of you safe and sound in 2005.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh cho Drum
For the fortunate among us, the Christmas holidays are a time to feel every bit as blessed as we do at Thanksgiving.
Here in the Deh Cho, we have much for which we can give thanks. Of course there are the presents under the tree, but that's just a start.
Teachers and students rehearsed for weeks to perform cheerful Christmas concerts that put smiles on many a face. Way to go.
In Jean Marie River, relatives attending the school concert received a personalized DVD containing photos of the special student in their lives. The children spent hours arranging the elements of the DVDs and Brian Jaffray, of the Dehcho Divisional Board of Education, was up 'til the wee hours of the morning putting the finishing touches on the disks. There were some parents who were really touched by the gift.
A tip of the cap as well to the Friendship Centres in Fort Simpson and Fort Providence. They are bastions of support for many people throughout the year, offering various programming and a drop-in centre for youth. At Christmas, their hamper and food bank programs can make a huge difference in the lives of many.
The same can be said of churches. They quietly help others year round.
No food bank or Christmas hamper program would be successful without donations from individuals. There are numerous generous people in the Deh Cho communities. Frank Letcher, who is featured in this week's Coffee Break would certainly qualify. Can you imagine spending 300-400 hours on a project that you're going to give away? Sure he's retired, but that's still a remarkable gesture.
There are countless other folks who, without fanfare, make the holiday season brighter. Thanks to you all. Even the federal government must have felt the giving spirit by choosing not to sever negotiations with Dehcho First Nations. Instead, Andy Scott, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, reportedly reaffirmed Ottawa's commitment to work through existing differences with the Deh Cho (even if he did push First Nations' leaders to suspend their lawsuit). Perhaps Santa will find a gift in his bag for the minister.
Hands-on learning
The Chariot of Champions contest at Thomas Simpson school was a reminder that trades programs possess great value. Vocations such as carpentry, plumbing, welding, mechanics and others are generally not high profile in the Deh Cho because there's little in the way of designated training facilities in communities.
While it's not practical to suggest that each school should have an industrial arts program, students somehow need to be encouraged to consider trades as career options.
The enthusiasm that the adolescents showed in designing and constructing their cardboard sleds for last week's competition spoke volumes.