It's encouraging that the government is asking questions about the Diavik diamond project located 100 kilometres south of the Nunavut/NWT border.
Diamonds are sure to play a very large role in Nunavut's future.
There have already been significant diamond finds within our borders, such as Lytton Mineral's Jericho site near Contwoyto, which is scheduled to begin production in 2001. Kimberlite pipes are being tested on Victoria Island.
By being closely involved in the Diavik experience, the government will not only determine the environmental dangers, but the as economic opportunities as well.
The point also must be made early on that risks to the Coppermine watershed must be accompanied by a share in the profits for the people of Nunavut.
Judge Douglas Campbell of the Federal Court of Canada has put both DIAND and the mining industry on notice.
The judge recently overturned federal approval of a mine in Alberta, remarking that neither the cumulative effects of the mine on the environment nor alternative mining methods were adequately considered.
In making his decision, Campbell let DIAND know that nothing less than a complete examination of the comprehensive review process is acceptable.
The judge has stepped in to do DIAND's job. The department is the agency that is supposed to be scrutinizing the review process to ensure that the concerns of the effected communities are addressed.
DIAND now knows that the people who have to live with a mine in their backyard take these reviews seriously. So should DIAND.
The figures tell the story on how Northerners handle ice conditions.
Since 1996, we have lost five people through the ice. This includes three fatalities in 1996, none in 1997, two in 1998, and none yet in 1999.
Tragic as it is for families losing loved ones, the death rate is low considering how much Northern travel involves going over ice, whether in Nunavut or the NWT.
Experienced hunters have the same message for us all -- be prepared. That means always packing an extra set of clothes, a radio and a heat source in a waterproof bag. It also means taking no chances in unfamiliar areas and as one hunter emphasized: Try not to get your hair wet if you go in.
With the rescue expertise and search technology available today, every moment good planning buys, the greater the likelihood of being around to tell the story.
The closure of the Inuusiqsiurvik Treatment Centre in Apex leaves a widening hole in the social safety net in the Eastern Arctic and postpones our independence.
Sending people west to Hay River for addictions treatment may seem like a quick fix, but in the long term, we hope Ed Picco will see the sense in re-opening the Apex facility.
With the dissolving of health boards, we'll see the Kitikmeot and Keewatin boards splitting the funding pool and, with that split, the purchasing power of the health programs. Without the minister onside to guide the delivery of services, the dependence on services and facilities outside of the new territory will only grow.
Premier Antoine recently ponied up the dough to argue the Friends of Democracy debate.
The government will provide $50,000 in legal costs for each side to argue the case.
The $100,000 will be a small price to pay in the event something is actually accomplished through the appeal that will further the democratic process.
Our fear, however, is that the next round will be a furtherance to lawyers' bank accounts rather than a definition of a new constitution or a step in the evolution of self-government.
Let's hope we can spend this last hundred grand and get out of the courtroom and spend some money on celebrating our diversity of culture rather than arguing over our differences.
The mayor of Fort Smith has voiced his concern over the hiring of part-time teachers at Aurora College.
Mayor Martselos is concerned the contracted instructors cannot purchase homes in the community and the town is losing its sense of community.
The mayor is right to be concerned for his community, but the larger issue here is that the part-time hiring policy will create a gradual, long-term brain drain in the North.
Of course the college has realistic budget short-comings that are being felt throughout schools in the North, but without the promise of full-time work, the college will have a hard time luring the best educators to deliver their programs.
'More with less' has long been the battle cry in southern institutions and the echo is now being heard up here. We need only to look at the mistakes made south to realize that transient pay will lure only transient help and, in the end, it's the students who'll pay the price.
Things are slowly starting to look a little different in Nunavut. Everything is a bit closer to home now and steps are being taken to ensure that the values of organizations are Inuit driven rather than imposed by the west or the south.
Such is the case for the Status of Women Council being developed for the east. Not only will it be more reflective of the population and the language, but advisor Geela Giroux has said that it will incorporate more healing programs for men -- something that women have been requesting for a number of years.
Giroux deserves a big pat on the back for her role in making sure that the new council will be inclusive. It takes a strong woman to do her job and if any one can develop a council that will help to represent women in a territory with just one elected female representative in the Legislature, it's Giroux.