The two-day Norman Wells meeting on the extension of the Mackenzie Highway concluded today.

To my surprise, we were informed that the leaders decided on a strictly Sahtu regional leadership meeting, no outsiders. I apologized to my friend Richard Nerysoo, who paid his own way to enlighten us, plus offer some good deals, etc. Darrell Beaulieu, CEO of Deton'Cho Corporation, was allowed in? He gave a presentation, and sitting beside him I felt very awkward, considering the situation.

The leaders all agreed the highway will come and they support it. But, their demands are many in order to support it.

I expected that we would come away from the meeting empty-handed, and we did.

Sahtu leaders can procrastinate all they want, but the big picture staring at the NWT is the Arctic ocean and sovereignty, our protection. The DEW (Distant Early Warning) line system is just a shadow of what it once was. Uncle Sam built it and paid for it, our government allowed it to be dismantled. Why? To create jobs? The army in Yellowknife at a meeting said the Russians are not a threat anymore!? Oh yea! Putin is more dangerous than Stalin.

People read my column on Google, and I get phone calls and information from some Universities. Canadians have finally awoken to the fact that they own this huge rich territory, finally realizing that the NWT is the back door to Canada! They are vulnerable and unprotected. They want to know why we don't even have highways, or the army should be up there, etc.

They are questioning the exercise with soldiers and Rangers in the Arctic? What we need is to move the army base in Yellowknife back to Inuvik, and start recruiting.

The sovereignty of Canada's Arctic ocean is the big question - anything can happen, and we need mobility, infrastructure, and transportation. I'm thinking we will get the road down the Valley sooner than we expect, but they will also need a road through Nunavut!

PM Harper should meet with some Northerners who have worked hard for years, people like the Gwich'in from the Delta who own the Gwich'in Development Corp., and the Dene from Yellowknife who own Denendeh Development Inc.

They have partnered with multi-nationals Talon Energy Services Ltd., Ledcor Industries Inc., Midwest Management, Pentastar Energy Services Ltd. and Peter Kiewit & Sons, ready to tackle any big project that can find the money.

They could have built our Mackenzie Highway years ago, but before they can do that, they need an irrevocable letter from the PM because highways are under the jurisdiction of the Feds.

I keep begging them to arrange a meeting with the prime minister and the minister of transportation. They did meet some bureaucrats, but got the run around.

Forget the bureaucrats, they are all sleep-walking. You must go to the top, especially for something as crucial as the Mackenzie Highway!

I sometimes think the government is playing politics with us, using these procrastinating aboriginal leaders as an excuse for not spending money in the Sahtu region.

In 1960, they brought us a government system to the NWT. We sure learned a lot as nomadic people.

Now after 50 years the majority are illiterate, a lot depend on welfare, and the Sahtu is still isolated. Food mail is used by the rich, because they have credit cards. Natives who need food mail don't have credit cards!

I am seriously going to print some major paper with our story. We need help. If Canada doesn't care about the North, sell the territories - we are sick and tired of being isolated!