Monday, September 11, 2006
Ernie Lennie believes it was used at the recent Tlicho assembly to exclude and discriminate against him.
Originally from the Sahtu, Lennie has lived in Behchoko (Rae-Edzo) for three years. His partner is a Tlicho citizen. Yet when Lennie wanted to address the annual assembly in Wekweeti Aug. 4, he was told no.
According to Grand Chief George Mackenzie, executive officer John B. Zoe and others, only Tlicho citizens are allowed to address the assembly. The only exceptions are invited guests, like MP Dennis Bevington.
The reason, said Mackenzie, is that "non-Tlicho shouldn't dictate to us what we should do."
Fair enough. First Nations have been dictated to by the federal government for far too long.
It's only through land claims and self-government agreements that they have regained authority over their lives.
But there's a big difference between being open to opinion from people who have a legitimate interest in Tlicho affairs and bowing to dictates from afar. Lennie, indeed any individual who lives in Tlicho communities but is not a citizen, has no power to dictate to anyone.
He only has the ability to speak, to pass along his viewpoint and help Tlicho citizens understand how their decisions can affect the minority.
After years of being under Ottawa's thumb, you'd expect a First Nation to bend over backwards to protect minority rights and ensure that everyone is treated fairly.
This can be done by providing non-citizen residents an opportunity to speak during a portion of the assembly, so their concerns can be heard and taken into account.
By closing the door, Tlicho First Nations opened itself to a potential challenge before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, something Lennie said he plans to do.
We hope he does, because it will take the issue to a forum where the legitimacy of the Tlicho decision can be aired in a fair, open manner.
It could establish rules and protections for non-citizens of First Nations lands that would have far-reaching implications for other First Nations governments in the Northwest Territories and throughout Canada.
Hurry up and wait. That's consistently the fate of prospective Northern mines striving to overcome the regulatory system.
Just last week, Cumberland Resources' Meadowbank gold mine received a conditional stamp of approval from the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB). It only took two years.
Prior to that, the federal departments of Fisheries and Oceans and Indian Affairs and Northern Development had fumbled with Cumberland Resources' paperwork, resulting in initial delays.
All the while, Inuit, territorial and municipal political leaders have been decrying the hold up. They insisted that the project meets environmental standards. They were also concerned about the possible loss of substantial benefits the project stands to bring to Nunavut.
Cumberland Resources, which has negotiated an Inuit Impact and Benefits Agreement, estimates the mine will create 350 jobs during two years of construction. That number is expected to increase further when the approximate 2.9 million ounces of gold are excavated. Baker Lake, located 70 kilometres south of the mine site, will have a crack at scores of high-paying mining positions.
That would mean a lot in a community where the nearly 60 per cent of residents are out of work.
Cumberland is not yet in a position to start extracting gold from Meadowbank. The federal minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development still has to sign off on the project. Even after that, a water licence and a few other permits must be obtained.
Environmental regulations have been tightened federally over the years. What's needed is regular inspection and enforcement, as is ongoing regard for Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or Inuit traditional knowledge.
Nunavut is often heralded as the next Mecca of Canadian mining. Granted, the territory only has one other project in production so far -- Tahera's Jericho mine started producing diamonds in January.
Another, the Doris North gold mine 75 kilometres northeast of Umingmaktuuq, received NIRB approval just six months ago.
Regardless, Nunavut's fledgling regulatory system must be streamlined and become more efficient. That's one of many lessons that should have been learned from the experiences of the Northwest Territories, where mining has an illustrious and, at times, lamentable history. Southern regulatory boards are, for the most part, much more efficient at responding to applications.
We must fine tune the variables that are under our control. What is beyond our command is the cyclical nature of commodity prices. Gold, riding high over the past 18 months, is subject to wild fluctuations.
The red tape needs to be reduced, but hold on Nunavut, it's going to be a heck of a ride.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
With the start of a new hockey season only a month away, Kivalliq residents can prepare themselves to see a different brand of hockey being played at their arenas this year.
Hockey Canada passed a motion at its recent annual general meeting to adopt a stricter rules enforcement policy this year.
That means hockey at all levels across Canada (excluding outlaw leagues not under the Hockey Canada umbrella) will be officiated the same way - with tougher enforcement on hooking, holding and other restraining fouls that have slowed the game during the past decade.
The change is not being embraced with open arms in all quarters.
However, stricter enforcement will prove itself to be better for the game in the long run.
Those who watched the NHL this past year saw the changes the new enforcement standard brings to the game.
But the standards were not just adopted by the NHL.
The American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League all played under the new standard this past season.
The Western Hockey League will be the last of the three major junior ‘A' leagues to adopt the raised standard of enforcement this year.
The changes are aimed at opening up the game, increasing its speed and allowing skilled players to dominate the action.
The idea is to eliminate the clutch-and-grab tactics of the past which allowed less-talented teams to slow the play and negate the skill and speed of their rivals.
The changes are not geared towards taking the physical aspects out of the game, as some fans fear.
Yes, just like you saw in the NHL last year, there will be an increase in penalties until the players adapt to the new standards.
And that's where the key to this new direction rests - in the hands of the players and the coaches.
Officials across the country are not being asked to impose the new standards, they're being told.
In fact, at higher levels of hockey, officials noted as not enforcing the new standards by roving Hockey Canada supervisors will not be assigned to games at high provincial or national levels.
For better or worse, this is the direction that has been chosen for our game.
If all works according to plan, hockey will become the spectacle it was in the days before the neutral-zone trap and weak offensive teams using illegal tactics to slow the flow of the game.
Having seen the writing on the wall before the 2005-06 season, officials in Rankin Inlet began imposing the new standards - to a bit of a lesser extent - this past year.
The results were, for the most part, positive, with only a handful of players in the adult recreation league refusing to adapt to the new standards.
Certain aspects of the game will have to be relearned by coaches and players alike, but the end result should prove itself to be worth the effort.
Let's be honest here. If you're a hockey fan and you have the choice between Detroit vs Colorado or New Jersey vs Minnesota, which channel would you watch?
Editorial Comment
Philippe Morin
Inuvik Drum
It's hard to discuss Inuvik's recent crime spree without seeming to exaggerate.
In the last two months, RCMP say there have been 35 break-ins and even more acts of vandalism.
That's an average of nearly one break-in every two days since July 1.
What's more, the damage caused by thieves and vandals is extremely serious.
Since July 1, people have smashed a library window, stolen thousands of dollars from Rapid Travel, poured bleach over school carpets, ransacked the community greenhouse and nearly set fire to downtown buildings.
In one case, they stole a laptop computer and smashed it against a tree.
It's also believed they've thrown bicycles in the river and stolen alcohol from the Legion.
Incredibly, the list goes on.
But now, as RCMP prepare to lay charges against some very young people - not as young as nine or 10 as reported by the CBC, but definitely under 18 - some people are starting to justify these crimes.
I am hearing talk about "boredom" being responsible, or disenfranchised youth having "nothing else to do."
This is outrageous!
While it's true the accused might have been be young and bored, people are too quick to forgive. These are not dalliances, like writing a name in wet cement.
They are acts of selfishness, committed by people who take pleasure in others' suffering. The number of crimes involved - if they were indeed committed by a "core group" of youth, as the RCMP claim - makes the situation especially contemptible.
In blaming "boredom" for crimes like these, people are wrong on two counts.
Firstly, they are blaming the community - the real victims here - for creating the vandals. This says the perpetrators aren't really responsible, since anyone might have done the same.
Not true. Most people have morals, which would prevent them from breaking someone else's windows or stealing.
Secondly, blaming the crimes on "boredom" excuses them as joyful sprees.
Tell that to volunteers at the community greenhouse, who've seen their careful work smashed for no reason.
As business leaders and volunteers are still cleaning up messes left by vandals, it is wrong to blame the community for creating vandal youth.
Though the destruction might have been spurred from boredom, it was the product of mean, callous and overwhelmingly selfish people, who are responsible for their own actions.
Some might feel sympathy for the vandals. I certainly don't.
- Philippe Morin is filling in while regular Drum editor Dez Loreen is on vacation.
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Sitting in constituency meetings held by MLAs or MPs is always an enlightening experience.
People sit in chairs, sometimes clustered around tables, and often drink coffee and snack on items like doughnuts, cheese, salami and crackers while airing their opinions and asking questions. The meetings provide a good sense of the concerns of the community, or at least the concerns of the people who attend.
What is often striking about these meetings is that the same topics or concerns are raised over and over even during different parts of the year.
The state of roads is almost a guaranteed topic that will occupy a fair amount of time. Residents talk about the different areas on the roads that are currently riddled by the most potholes. They also ask when more money will be put into road infrastructure.
At the recent constituency meeting held in Fort Simpson with Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington and Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche, residents also questioned when Highway 1 will be extended north beyond Wrigley.
Concerns about roads are almost as much of a given as death and taxes. Not surprisingly, taxes were also an issue brought up during the meeting.
Residents had questions and concerns about both the Northern Living Deduction, GST and excise taxes.
Although many of the same concerns are heard at consecutive meetings there is some cause for optimism.
Many of the issues are slightly different each time they are raised, suggesting that some aspects of the problems have been fixed.
In the case of GST, now that the rate of taxation has been dropped a percentage point different concerns about taxes such as the increase of the excise tax are being discussed.
As for roads, the areas that people state need repairs are generally changing. Raising issues in a public forum must have some effect because changes often follow shortly afterwards.
While some problems never seem to go away or change at all they might just be the ones that will take longer to fix. But if people keep diligently airing the issues at least they will be hard to ignore.
It's encouraging to see youth taking advantage of opportunities to broaden their horizons.
In Fort Providence Rachel Constant and AJ Nadli have recently returned from six weeks in Botswana, Africa with the Northern Youth Abroad program.
Both youth agree that the experience changed the way they look at their lives and their plans for the future.
Northern youth have a lot to share with other cultures and people around the world, but also a lot to learn from them.
They should be encouraged to apply for every opportunity and program that presents itself. Someone will be chosen for these adventures and the chances of being that person improve dramatically if you just take the time to apply.