Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 23/98) - The polar bear licence plate, the name, flower, bird, mineral and tartan -- they're ours.

The flag, coat of arms and mace are out.

Official tree? The GNWT bear logo?

We're not so sure.

This was the verdict the legislature's western MLAs on the Special Committee on Western Identity announced Thursday.

They've been studying which symbols would be most appropriate for the new NWT after division April 1.

In recent months, both nationally and across the North, the issue of which side -- the NWT or Nunavut -- gets to keep the distinctive territorial polar bear licence plate has received a great deal of attention.

MLAs were clear Thursday -- they are staying in the NWT -- even though the east is the home to most of the North's polar bears.

"We need it the most," Sahtu MLA Stephen Kakfwi said. "We have it. We sometimes wear it two vehicles per household."

He and his fellow committee members pointed out Nunavut has few roads, few vehicles in comparison to the west and that a great deal of traffic heads in and out of the NWT through the west.

Committee chair Seamus Henry pointed out Nunavut will probably want to change their plates to put their territorial name on them as they're changing anyway.

Nunavut MLAs said they were not consulted by their soon to be former colleagues on the symbols' issue. The manner the changes were announced appears to have angered the eastern caucus, one MLA said.

"They should have told us about it," Baffin Central MLA Tommy Enuaraq said Friday. "It's quite offensive for me that they did this."

He said the whole symbols issue is far from over.

Western MLAs also said the west's name will remain Northwest Territories until residents vote on a new constitution. The committee has also promised to work closely with the Aboriginal Summit as their work goes on.

The mountain avens will continue as the official flower; gyrfalcon as official bird; the west's mineral will continue as gold and the tartan will also remain the same.

The status of the NWT's official tree, the jack pine and the famous -- and copyrighted -- GNWT polar bear logo, have yet to be decided. The diamond could become the gemstone symbol, MLAs added.

Local artists and all territorial residents will be asked for input as a new flag, coat of arms and mace for the legislative assembly will be required.

Henry and his colleagues said it is time western residents began to get excited about the new west.

"People in the west have a lot to be proud of," he said in a written statement. "It's up to everyone to cultivate a new sense of pride and identity in who we are and what we stand for. The make-up of the new Northwest Territories includes Inuvialuit, Dene, Metis and many different non-aboriginal cultural groups.

"We have a lot of diversity. We have a lot to celebrate."

All the west's communities will be encouraged to organize celebratory projects in the months before division, Henry said.