Sometime in the 1970s, the Americans passed a bit a self-righteous legislation called the Marine Mammals Act. The act forbids the importation into the United States of goods made with products from animals such as seal, polar bear, walrus and whales.
The intent of the law is to protect the animals it names from endangerment or even extinction.
For Northern artisans it means that the biggest market on the continent, the United States, is off limits. The most recent incident involved some hand-made puppets from Pelly Bay confiscated en route to a puppeteer in Rhode Island.
The irony is that had the puppets been shipped from within the United States, say from Alaska to California, there wouldn't have been a problem.
As it stands now, collectors of Northern art or handicrafts have to go through a cumbersome and time-consuming process of obtaining both an export and an import permit to transport items across the border.
The bureaucratic paper chase certainly doesn't promote sales and would discourage all but the most dedicated of collectors.
Perhaps it would be easier to see the American point of view if any of the Northern mammals were endangered, but they are not.
Certainly we can't afford to be offhand about wild animal populations, but careful management is the key, not outright prohibition.
Northern arts and crafts is an important component of the new Northern economy. Arts and crafts is one of the largest employers in the North. It goes hand in hand with tourism.
Given its importance to the North, you might think that Ottawa would be quick to point out to the United States that the spirit of their law is misplaced when it comes to Canadian animals.
The only endangered species affected by the American law is the Northern artisan. It's time the federal government provided some protection of its own.
Organized crime is expected to arrive in the Western Arctic when more diamond mines are up and running.
RCMP have already assigned two officers to head up the special Diamond Unit which they hope to staff with six full-time officers. Unfortunately, the estimated cost of the unit, $700,000 per year, isn't within the RCMP's Northern budget.
The unit's recent submission to Prime Minister Jean Chretien's cabinet for the funding makes sense. Organized crime isn't just a local concern, but a Canadian one that requires national attention.
Prevention is more cost efficient than investigation, conviction and incarceration. We hope cabinet, after taking into account the millions of dollars in royalties going to the people of Canada, will recognize the wisdom of a well staffed unit.
Crippling social ills, political turmoil, busy court rooms, the all too familiar issues clouding the Northern horizon and upon which newspapers report.
But in News/North's sports pages, you'll find the silver lining. A team of 165 athletes, coaches and managers competed in Prince Albert Sask. at the Western Canada Summer Games.
Jonathan Kurszewski's gold medal in the javelin, Peter Houweling's silver and Aziz Ahmed's bronze, both in wrestling, are fine accomplishments but the big winner is the North.
Having so many committed organizers and athletes that can put together such a team is rock hard evidence that good things are happening at the community level, building a solid foundation for youth.
Hurrah for TEAM NWT!
The term 'Lest We Forget' is almost always associated with those who gave their lives in defence of the lives of others and nowhere is this more applicable than in the case of Baker Lake's Hattie Amitnik.
The 64-year-old elder was mauled to death by a young polar bear earlier this month, when she tried to come to the aid of Rankin Inlet's Moses Aliyak, 66, and her 10-year-old grandson, Eddie Amitnak of Baker Lake.
Hattie's act was one of extreme courage and bravery which, ultimately, saw her give her life so those she loved could live.
The people of Kivalliq should long remember Hattie's tremendous act of courage as one of supreme sacrifice and heroism.
It is in the Nunavut government's interest to help the town of Iqaluit help itself cope with the tremendous growth spurt it is experiencing.
The best way the government can do that, as Iqaluit Town Councillor Matthew Spence has suggested, is to enter into a block funding agreement with the town.
By guaranteeing an agreed-upon amount of government funding for construction projects each year for three or five years, the government will supply the town with a critical element of planning -- certainty.
The current project-by-project arrangement was designed for smaller communities where there is relatively little change, not a municipality the size of Iqaluit.
It's time for the government to show a little trust and let the town take control of its future.