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Mike Kalnay, NWT area commissioner for Scouts Canada, said illegal settlers are becoming a problem in the Ingraham Trail area, where he's seen the number of buildings go to 10 or 20 from one or two about 10 years ago.

We've heard eyewitness accounts of dozens of shacks, huts and small buildings that have been constructed on Crown land that has not been made available for leases in areas around Yellowknife and beyond.

It's a growing problem with no easy solution. Some might call it out of control already.

The Scouts Canada situation is just a microcosm of the greater issue. An aboriginal person put up a building on the organization's leased property last year after getting permission from the Yellowknives Dene. The squatter's cabin recently burned down in a fire and the Scouts are unsure whether he will rebuild.

The response from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada's regional manager of land administration, Karen Polakoff, didn't offer official intervention. Instead, the Scouts were told to either give the cabin owner rights to the land and allow the cabin owner to apply for a lease, or take legal action in civil court.

Permission to put up a structure by the Yellowknives Dene does not apply because they do not have "any authority legislatively or otherwise to authorize any activity on federal public land," Polakoff said.

That essentially leaves Scouts Canada on its own to solve the problem - either with meaningful discussion, costly court action if another building is erected, or by doing nothing. The person who had put up the building is likely hoping nothing will happen, which seems to be the case for the owners of dozens of other structures that have been put up in the bush over the last few years.

At least the Government of the Northwest Territories is trying to curb the incidence of squatters through the trespass enforcement strategy by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Following a 2006 survey which found more than 60 illegal cabins, a crackdown in 2008 resulted in some people leaving voluntarily, said Bev Chamberlain, former director of lands administration.

"We think we are doing all we can at this point, given our resources," she said.

That is the crux of the problem. Many of the areas where squatters have put up structures are very remote, only accessible by air or a long hike from shore during the summer, or by snowmobile in the winter. Just the logistics of examining a structure, determining it is unauthorized and posting a notice to remove the building is challenging. There is a 30-day period from the notice of trespass and another 30 days from a notice to vacate. If the final notice is ignored, the matter goes to court, where it can be tied up for months.

The logistics and the history are making the situation unmanageable. Some cabin owners realize that, because it is difficult to kick them out, the authorities just end up granting them a lease. As a result, squatters are seen as people who have no respect for the law while they play out their options.

Meanwhile, legitimate leaseholders are feeling frustrated after observing that squatters have it easy. Leaseholders make a significant investment, must pay taxes, must obey environmental regulations for waste disposal and must make their lease payments. Squatters make a small investment, don't pay taxes, thumb their noses at environmental regulations and don't have to pay a penny to any level of government.

Until there is a change in responsibility for the lands in question - either through devolution or establishment of aboriginal self-government so that First Nations can manage the land and collect lease payments - it is up to the existing regulatory authorities to take meaningful steps to address the issue.

Cracking down on squatters and forcing them off the property they illegally inhabit is the only option to prevent the practice from becoming even more widespread.

It's time a strongly-worded message be sent to those who feel immune from the long arm of the law and methods must be developed to have them removed forthwith.

For one brief moment earlier this month, most of the hockey talk around the Kivalliq was on the game itself and what may come to pass, thanks to Rankin Inlet's Jordin Tootoo signing with the Red Wings.

Lost in the excitement of Tootoo signing with Detroit was the brain-numbing chatter on the insane amount of money being thrown at hockey players these days.

The biggest free-agent bucks this year were thrown at New Jersey forward Zach Parise and Nashville Predators defenceman Ryan Suter by the Minnesota Wild.

The two received 13-year, $98-million contracts to take their considerable hockey skills to the North Star State or, if you prefer, the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

And considerable skills are, indeed, what both possess. But $98 million worth?

While both are star players in the NHL, neither are of the superstar level one would historically equate top dollars to.

And, even then, $98 million, really?

The problem with the amount of money being thrown around by NHL owners - who continually figure out ways to circumvent the very rules they staged a lockout over to get in place - is that it can actually ruin the game for you if you dwell on it too much.

That's especially true when it comes to players who have no-trade or no-movement clauses in their contracts.

If you've signed on the dotted line for whatever amount (you put your number here: $10 million? $40 million? $98 million? $104 million?), at least have the inner-fortitude to play for whatever team wants your services bad enough to dole out that kind of cash.

In fact, with rumours swirling around another work stoppage during the current negotiations between the NHL and the NHLPA, it's hard to fathom just what else the players may feel they deserve.

A small city perhaps? Their own planet?

But, to cut the NHL players some slack, it's all a matter of perspective.

If you have an annual salary of about $90,000, you probably feel pretty good about the amount of bacon you earn.

That is until you realize a number of Canada's top executives bring that home in one single day at work.

Suddenly your bacon tastes a little sour.

Which is why, if you're a hockey fan, you're far better off to focus on how Tootoo now has a legitimate chance to bring Lord Stanley's mug to visit Rankin one day.

Or, how Minnesota's signing of Parise and Suter will affect the balance of power in the Western Conference. In fact, nothing will turn you off the game faster than paying too much attention to a group of billionaire owners arguing over revenues with a group of multi-millionaire players.

Unless it's a story about two European players wanting to win the Stanley Cup so bad, they're willing to pay the price and party until the wee hours of the morning, in the middle of the playoffs, to obtain their goal.

Such a tale of devotion to the sport we Canadians place above all others just warms your heart, doesn't it?

It's not as easy to be a hockey fanatic as it once was, and, if we here in the Kivalliq are to remain the hotbed of hockey lovers in Nunavut, the challenge is to keep our eyes on the pucks, not the bucks.

Let's go Red Wings!

The Dehcho First Nations' quest for a land claims agreement has been a long-running exercise in frustration.

In that vein, although it's understandable that some groups might feel it's time to approach the negotiations in a new way, setting out on their own is not the way to do it.

Pehdzeh Ki First Nation in Wrigley is not putting itself on stronger ground by breaking away from the Dehcho Process and attempting to negotiate its own land claim, a decision its chief announced at the Dehcho Annual Assembly in June. In fact, not only has it weakened its own position, it has also weakened the position of the Dehcho First Nations (DFN) as a whole.

Dehcho leaders have often accused the federal government of divide-and-conquer tactics, and by allowing Ottawa to drive a wedge between DFN communities, it will only benefit Canada's negotiators.

By Chief Tim Lennie's own admission, Pehdzeh Ki First Nation has not had the resources in the past to effectively participate in Dehcho negotiations, which has caused some confusion and added to frustrations.

It's hard to believe that by flying solo, Lennie thinks he will improve either financial or human resources, especially considering the federal government has been consistently chipping away at the negotiating budget over the years - now at $700,000 from $2.5 million.

It's good that the Pehdzeh Ki chief took the issue to his constituents and we recognize his move represents the wishes of the majority. However, the majority has voted to become a minority, just as Fort Liard has done by leaving the regional group to go it alone.

The fractured nature of the region won't speed things up. More negotiations will only take more time, cost more money and result in more frustration.

DFN must focus on the goal of achieving self-determination for its people and to that end, the region would be best served by standing united.

The Gwich'in Tribal Council (GTC) made moves to improve its election turnout this year by opening polls in Edmonton, Whitehorse and Yellowknife. The move came from a recommendation adopted following the 2008 election when hundreds of votes were mailed in after the deadline and could not be counted, said Barb Crawford, GTC returning officer.

This year, 205 votes were collected by the new polls. However, there were nearly 500 votes that were received late from various communities and could not be counted. Had those votes been on time, the voter turnout would have surged to 70 per cent from the record 50 per cent reported this year.

Considering new president Robert Alexie Jr. received 697 votes - 338 more than his closest challenger - those votes had the potential to change the outcome of the election.

Crawford said changes for the next election, such as additional polls in Edmonton, are being considered.

It's unrealistic to expect polls in small communities where only a few voters might live, but measures must be taken to ensure ballots are not being sent in for naught, especially when they account for such a large number of votes.

At just 13 years old, Nunavut, like most teens, just can't wait to be seen as an adult and treated as such by its peers.

Premier Eva Aariak is pushing hard for devolution, and when control of the territory's resources is realized it will bring new sources of money, a new level of independence and new responsibilities.

There's still some self-discovery and introspection the territory must experience as it grows.

In the Nunavut Day special report tucked into last week's Nunavut News/North, the territory's leaders, past and present, as well as the residents we profiled, offered slightly differing views on Nunavut's progress to date and its challenges still unconquered.

English is still largely the language of business, as former MP and MLA Jack Anawak pointed out. Though Inuit languages are not on the verge of dying, they're not as ingrained in the system as, say, French is in Quebec. Language is the vehicle of culture, and without it playing a larger role in the territory's governance, the influence of Inuit culture in the GN will remain secondary.

Former Iqaluit mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik pointed out the growing need for buildings and a port in a capital city that underestimated how much it would grow.

Aariak made reference to the housing crisis, a problem at the root of larger social issues, such as education. As the premier points out, it's hard to study for school in a one-family home occupied by three or hour families. These are problems that can by solved by the almighty dollar, but with the federal government as its main benefactor, it's hard for our sparsely-populated territory to get everything it needs, especially when we need so much.

Access to food has been pushed to the forefront of discussion among Nunavummiut, spurred by protests and social media fervor - it's an issue that's tied in with nutrition and obesity problems in the North. Junk food remains, in many cases, cheaper than nutritious food - why not boost the prices of chips, pop and candy to offset the costs of unprocessed meats, vegetables and fruit?

The big, often-related issues of addictions, mental health and violence may take generations to overcome, but an increase in economic activity and more money being brought into the territory will help alleviate this.

The territory must foster the aspirations of Nunavummiut. To that end, helping them achieve success in whatever field they pursue. Be it arts or engineering, mining or fishing, politics or plumbing, the opportunities must be here, not elsewhere.

Nunavut has a long journey ahead of it, and there are still hurdles to clear. While we steel ourselves for the continued expedition, we must also take stock of how far we've come, not forgetting that some of our accomplishments once looked like insurmountable obstacles.

What does it say about city hall communications if arguably the leading contender for the mayor's seat announces the start of his campaign on Twitter but the city's own social media tools have long since shrivelled and died?

City councillor Mark Heyck is savvy enough to know that a broad brush is better than a pointy pen when trying to get the message out. That's surely why, when the city learned a few weeks back of fraudulent text messages going out to residents seeking payment for unpaid traffic tickets, Heyck took to Twitter to warn people about the scam.

His rival on city council for the mayor's job, Paul Falvo, appears ready to make the city's limited communications a campaign issue. He asked administration last week why its Twitter and Facebook accounts appear to be dead. There are tabs for these services on the upper right-hand corner of the city's website but they don't take viewers anywhere.

Senior administrative officer Bob Long said the city has determined that communicating through social media is not in the city's best interest, suggesting it's not "effective communications."

Other levels of government also remain cautious about Facebook and Twitter, but as Falvo points out, social media isn't the only means of communication from the city that has atrophied.

Some readers may have noticed that Mayor Gord Van Tighem is quoted in practically every story Yellowknifer writes that relates to city services. If a Volkswagen Beetle catches on fire, it's not the fire chief we speak to, it's the mayor. Ditto, when it comes to the dangers of cornering a beaver at Niven Lake.

The lack of other voices from the city, particularly from department managers with technical expertise, make the city appear "tight-lipped" and "defensive," Falvo argued.

Van Tighem replied that it has been a long-standing policy for the mayor to be the primary spokesperson for the city, and that he gets back to media requests within 20 to 30 minutes.

Yellowknifer can fully attest that the mayor has been very accommodating of our reporters over the 12 years he has been in office, but we will also point out that our access to other officials at city hall has dwindled to next to nothing in recent years. Besides, the mayor may not always be the most appropriate person to speak to when being asked questions beyond his expertise, like those relating to the fire department's response to a house fire.

A couple weeks ago a reporter trying to compile a list of weekend activities for TGIF on Yellowknifer's front page was told by an employee at the Yellowknife Public Library that he would have to contact the mayor if he wanted any information on a book sale taking place there. We imagine the mayor has more important matters to tend to than telling us what time the book sale begins.

The city ought to remember that when its officials are talking to reporters they are talking to the public. Being "tight-lipped" and "defensive" around reporters, as Falvo puts it, means people of this community, including voters in the October municipal election, are being deprived of information.

The city has long talked about hiring a communications director, much like other government departments do, to deal with the media. There is one listed in the 2012 budget although there is no word yet on when the hiring will take place.

Last year, Van Tighem described city hall as a "big ship headed in a certain direction." Right now, it's a ship drifting farther away from the citizens on the shore.

It's been no great secret that there's been some dissension in the Dehcho First Nations' ranks caused by the Dehcho Process.

In July 2008, Acho Dene Koe First Nation in Fort Liard signed a framework agreement with the federal and territorial governments allowing it to conduct its own land claims and self-government negotiations. Through this move, they left both the Dehcho Process and the Dehcho First Nations (DFN).

Many First Nations and Metis locals that comprise DFN have raised issues with the comprehensive claims policy and the idea of a land quantum. Even though the groups, through an assembly motion, allowed DFN's negotiators to enter into negotiations on a comprehensive claim, the idea of not maintaining all of the land has been distasteful to many.

Added criticism has been directed at the length of time the process is taking, whether or not the federal government is negotiating in good faith, and how the communities can agree to the process when there isn't enough money to regularly consult and update them. With all of these factors combined, it's easy to see why the community of Wrigley made the decision to leave the Dehcho Process and seek its own comprehensive claim.

The fact is, however, the Deh Cho always has been and always will be stronger together. Although it is hard, Deh Cho communities, First Nations and Metis locals owe it to each other to see the Dehcho Process through to at least the conclusion of the agreement-in-principle.

A lot of hard work has been put into the process including years of negotiations and consultations. It would be a pity for all of that to be wasted.

It would also be regrettable if the DFN communities never have the chance to see what the Dehcho Process might give them or what a fully-recognized Deh Cho government would look like. A lot of negotiations still have to take place, but when the agreement-in-principle is finished, communities will have the chance to take a long, hard look at the Dehcho Process and see if they are interested in the future it promises.

That's not to say it will be easy to get to the agreement-in-principle. There are some tough negotiation topics left and not enough money to go around.

Hopefully Wrigley can be brought back into the process and the Deh Cho can remain united for the few more years it will take. The Dehcho Process might not fulfil everyone's dreams but without it, it will be back to square one.

With final preparations underway for the 24th Great Northern Arts Festival, which begins next weekend, many artists are working furiously to complete pieces to display and sell at the event.

For people who make their living with their art in the NWT, it can be difficult to get in contact with potential buyers. The Internet has surely helped over the last several years, but communications technology is not exactly reliable in the North and it can be difficult for sellers and buyers, if they know little about computers and websites, to connect.

When Northern Images closed on Jan. 9, Inuvik artists lost one of the main venues to sell their work – not to mention a gathering place for artists to get information.

The Great Northern Arts Festival gives artists from around the North a much-needed venue in which to gather, share ideas and sell their art. Because it has been around for over two decades, it has well-established relationships with artist, buyers and corporations.

"One thing that people don't realize is that once upon a time it was the only arts festival in the North," said Marnie Hilash, member of the GNAF board of directors, participating artist and former manager of Northern Images.

With the economy lagging in recent years – especially in the Inuvik region – the festival has started to feel the financial pinch, executive director Sasha Webb told Inuvik Drum this week.

"I think the slowdown of the economy has slowed sales in the past several years," she said.

However, it will take more than an economic downturn to stop GNAF, which over the years has become the biggest arts festival in the Arctic. Northern Canada – especially the far North – has become internationally known for the quality and originality of artwork that comes out of the region.

Consumers want what is made here, artists who work here want to make money at their craft, but there seems to remain a wide gap between artist and buyer.

Luckily, that gap will close – at least temporarily – next week as those involved in the often struggling art market take a breather and enjoy the show. It may also be a great opportunity for artists to talk to each other and learn about getting their wares out there on the Internet.

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