Monday, August 28, 2006
It's a situation that police and social workers face on a daily basis. They never know what to expect.
Also consider this: from Sept. 2005 until June 2006, RCMP in Yellowknife seized 23 knives or other bladed weapons and 20 guns during various incidents.
From that point of view, one can see why police and social workers went into Freddy Tinqui's home last Nov. 12 in Behchoko (Rae-Edzo) without warning after they were told that Tinqui had been drinking and that children in the home may have been in jeopardy.
Tinqui's criminal record includes a 2003 conviction of assault causing bodily harm. Part of his sentence for that charge was an order to not consume alcohol.
Still, it was wrong for police to enter a home without warning when the only crime was someone drinking. In the words of Territorial Court judge Bernadette Schmaltz, "There was no urgency or emergency for RCMP to burst into Mr. Tinqui's residence, nor even to simply walk in without being invited."
A confrontation ensued and Tinqui was zapped with a taser multiple times. While Tinqui overreacted, once police determined the children were in no danger, they should have left, as requested by Tinqui.
This is a situation that should have been handled far differently.
Had the police knocked and asked for a quiet word, Tinqui likely wouldn't have spent months behind bars, valuable court time would have been available for other cases and police would not be facing possibility of a lawsuit.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has served notice that the North is high on his government's list of priorities.
While here recently, he promised more troops for the North, more control over resource revenues and threw his unabashed support behind the proposed Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline.
He even promised to deliver the North from under the "paternalistic policies of the past."
Nice sounding stuff, but the proof is in the pudding.
The Prime Minister can pound podiums until the caribou come home, but without more money from Ottawa and control over natural resources, the Territories will remain the grubby little brother of confederation.
Harper promised movement on issues which have been stuck in neutral for years. His true performance shouldn't be measured with the applause he received. It should be tallied on progress.
Pond Inlet waters are free of naval and Coast Guard ships. Soldiers in camouflage uniforms no longer scurry along the roads. Normal traffic has resumed at the airport. Operation Lancaster is over, on the ground at least.
The latest Northern sovereignty mission by the Canadian Armed Forces was on most fronts a success.
The twin objectives of flying the Canadian flag in Arctic waters and testing operational effectiveness were obtained.
Over 1,000 kilometres of coastline were patrolled. Soldiers and Northern Rangers were inserted onto three key observation points at the mouth of the Northwest Passage. Naval, air force, army, Coast Guard personnel and equipment were brought together in a co-ordinated exercise.
As a Canadian Press story pointed out, there is still a problem of getting soldiers off ships onto difficult coastlines. Operation Lancaster exposed that specific weakness and a new goal of fixing the problem should be set for the next operation.
The Canadian Rangers were highly visible in the operation but where do they go from here?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged to build a credible Ranger force. That can't be done with the present model of 20 days training a year and loose standards of eligibility and performance. Being an Inuk doesn't equal a patrol-ready Ranger.
Just as with the regular Armed Forces, some Rangers are more suited to support roles than missions on land or sea. Increased pay will attract serious recruits.
To date, the Canadian Armed Forces gets top marks for having groomed the Ranger force now in place in the North.
The willingness to adapt military culture to Inuit culture has created considerable good will in the general population. Historically, explorers who ignored Inuit knowledge died with teacups in frozen fingers while those travelling with Inuit lived to map the Arctic.
But it's going to take more headquarter resources to train Ranger personnel for staff positions. Military rules that move people from posting to posting may have to be suspended when considering an effective Ranger force.
As for the proposed deepwater port, Iqaluit is the logical choice. Operation Lancaster brought in 500 people. Aside from Iqaluit's military length runway, only the capital can handle large numbers of people in any comfort for extended periods. Smaller communities will be used for staging operations, much as Pond Inlet was in Operation Lancaster.
Whatever the choice, the decision on the deepwater port must be made quickly. The Prime Minister's keen commitment to Canadian sovereignty should not be undermined by political dithering.
Pick a location and build it.
Editorial Comment
There can be no denying that the Kivalliq felt the impact this past year when the local CBC broadcast disappeared from the airwaves when the public broadcaster locked out its employees.
However, just when things were at their bleakest, it was time to drop the puck for the NHL's first regular season after it, too, closed-up shop for a year over labour strife.
It was, no doubt, the first time in the station's history that its regular radio listeners viewed Don Cherry as a white knight riding in to save the day.
You see, as eager as the network was to show its employees who was boss, it wasn't about to throw away some $30 million a year it receives in advertising revenue from its Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.
It was time to kiss and make up and all was well in the world of Canadian public broadcasting once again.
It's ironic, then, that the same program which helped calm the waters a year ago will probably be responsible for the loss of hundreds of CBC jobs just two short years from now.
And we all know satellite stations that provide regional news - like we have in the Kivalliq - will be the first to go.
The CBC has been broadcasting Hockey Night in Canada for more than half a century, but its current deal with the NHL is set to expire at the end of the 2007-08 season.
And there's a nasty storm cloud of competition brewing on the horizon.
The hot topic of the week within the business industry is that Bell Globemedia is prepared to offer the NHL $140 million per year over 10 years for the broadcast rights, more than twice what the CBC and the NHL agreed to in the current deal.
Make no mistake; there is no loyalty in this world anymore when that kind of money is thrown around.
There are many journalists who sneer at those who work for the CBC because the network is funded by the federal government.
However, as a number of journalists have pointed out during the past week -- including noted sports columnist Adam Proteau - there is a need for a national network in Canada that is free to operate away from the pressures often exerted by advertisers.
And, call it a hunch, but we're pretty sure the privatization of this CBC program would not bode well for Northern listeners, who rate slightly below exotic pet owners in the world of target audiences.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out during the next two years, but it's unlikely the feds will match the $1.4 billion Globemedia is reportedly dangling in front of the NHL.
It's almost unfathomable to think of the impact the loss of one program could have across the land, yet such is the power of hockey in the land of the crazy Canucks.
We here in the North will have to wait to see how quickly the fallout hits us should the Globemedia deal go through, but we bet the hamlet of Rankin Inlet will be operating the most powerful radio transmitter in the Kivalliq before the ink is dry on the paper.
If Globemedia's money talks, regional public radio in the North will walk.
Editorial Comment
There is something to be said for leaving your mark on the community. Some people choose to be leaders, improve our lives and impact our youth in positive ways.
Others choose a lower road and insist on getting our attention with senseless vandalism. Breaking windows, spray painting words and destroying property are all incidents we have seen recently.
I have been to many of the locations around town with plywood covering holes where glass once was. I have talked to disgruntled store owners and upset residents about the recent spate of damage.
It would seem that most of the blame is being directed once again toward our future, our youth - the young generation raised on video games and music television.
Maybe youngsters have too much time on their hands and feel that ruining other people's property or defacing public property is the best way to grab the attention of adults in town.
If town workers and shopkeepers are busy repairing windows and fixing other damage, they can't improve the town. They become too busy slapping kids on the wrists.
I can't prove it's kids who broke those windows, or it was kids who broke into those places and stole those things. What I can say, is that it looks bad on everyone.
Parents feel the burn of their peers and get blamed for being neglectful, which can lead to, God forbid, a cycle of verbal and physical abuse.
Teachers and other adults in the community may feel the effects of youth violence even more so than the parents.
I have a message to spread amongst the groups of youth who roam the streets at obscene hours of the day: if you feel the need to do something, feel free to hang out at the playgrounds. Try some new tricks out at the skate park or just walk around all night.
But please stop touching things that aren't yours, breaking things for no reason or leaving your mark in spray paint wherever you travel.
Just because your little gang thinks it's cool to write "west-side" on a building does not mean you have to do it. If you really wanted to prove your independence in the community, go get a job. Help some elders with their yard work, or just play nicely.
The costs of replacing windows can be expensive and wastes time. I hope the people who find joy in damaging other people's property get a wake up call of some sorts.
Editorial Comment
After two years on the job, Chief Eric Betsaka is finishing his term in Nahanni Butte and planning to take a well deserved vacation.
Two years may not seem like a long time to hold down a position, but when that position is as a chief it can be long enough.
It's surely not an easy job and in the smaller communities in the Deh Cho it might be even harder.
In those communities everyone knows where you live and what your telephone number is.
There is never a moment when you aren't on the job.
Phone calls and unannounced visits can happen at any time of the day or night as people seek help and advice on a variety of wide-ranging topics from personal disputes to philosophical arguments.
It's no wonder that Betsaka said he feels a bit worn out. It also takes a special kind of person to be a successful chief.
A chief must have the ability to be both understanding and easy going while knowing when to draw a line.
They have to be able to listen to the opinions and concerns of their band members and find the path that will best fit for all.
They also have to deal with the hard reality that some people can be pleased some of the time, but all the people cannot be pleased all of the time.
It's often the displeased people who have the loudest voices. Chiefs also have to be multi-talented. Skills in accounting are a plus as there is seldom enough money for everything that is needed.
They also need to be able to run a meeting.
And to top it off, chiefs must be skilled at conflict resolution.
In a small community, chiefs also need to be willing to roll up their sleeves.
With fewer people to do the necessary work, heavier burdens often fall on those in charge. (As well as those around them - so surrounding yourself with good people is always a good move.)
Being a chief also involves a lot of homework.
They have to keep on top of developing regional and national issues that could affect their First Nation.
Situations are always changing and they need to have the most up to date information.
With so much to balance and so much at stake those who successfully take on the role of chief - or president in the case of Metis organizations - deserve a tip of the hat.
It's that time of year again when the streets are emptied of children during the morning and afternoons as they are herded back into school.
It's also the time of year that brings new teachers and principals to Deh Cho communities.
Coming into a new community is always a daunting prospect no matter where you are and the North is no exception.
Teachers may know how to teach, but they can also be taught by parents and students. There is much community members can show teachers to help them understand the differences of life in the North.
Every community has its own quirks and pace of life and community members can help new teachers understand what they may be so they adapt more easily to their new homes and jobs.
In any community it's the people who make visitors and newcomers feel welcome and ultimately help determine if they will stay for just as long as is required or become yet another person who came for a contract job and never left.
In the Aug.21 issue of Nunavut News/North, Pond Inlet senior administrator Malachi Arreak was misidentified in a story headlined Operation Lancaster launched. We apologise for any confusion. If you spot an error in Nunavut News/North, call (867) 979-5990 and ask to speak to an editor, or e-mail editorial@nnsl.com. We'll get a correction or clarification in as soon as we can.
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum