The best way to describe Treaty 8? It's a piece of bad legal work. Not everything was spelled out clearly. One party to the deal didn't have a lawyer.

In 1899, treaty commissioners under Ottawa's orders made sweeping promises to aboriginal people in Northern Alberta to get them to sign deals that gave away their lands to the Crown.

Aboriginal people in the NWT signed the same treaty in 1900 in Fort Resolution.

Recently, Federal Court of Canada Judge Douglas Campbell called the promises a misunderstanding. The court also left no doubt the aboriginal people had good reason to believe the promises were equal to treaty rights.

Of course the promises, which were documented, and the signed treaty agreements were completely different. In fact, the treaty clauses were obscenely one-sided in favour of the federal government.

While total control of aboriginal land passed to the federal government, only some of the government promises have been kept.

Pledges that health, including dental, and educational needs of the aboriginal people would be taken care of at no charge have been and are largely being met. We use the word largely because sometimes bureaucracy applies its own interpretations to save money.

But promises the treaty would not affect hunting rights, would not restrict access to traditional lands and would not open the door to taxation have not been kept.

Wildlife regulations and gun laws do affect hunting rights. People can't hunt on the streets of Fort Smith, Hay River or Yellowknife, all of which are on traditional lands. Most Treaty 8 members pay federal and territorial tax.

The outcome of the government's appeal will further clarify what both sides were thinking at the time of treaty signing which is quite different than the letter of the treaties.

The land negotiations that have been going on for more than two decades are what should have taken place 100 years ago. Nation to nation. Deals that benefit both.

Except for heavily fished lakes and streams around Yellowknife, our sports fishery is healthy.

People reel in lunkers throughout the Northwest Territories. Southern tourists who hook trophy-sized trout, pike or walleye take home more than just memories; they spread word of fishing success in the North.

Others hear those tales and come North looking for the same excitement. It's good for our tourism economy, but as Southern sports fisheries fail, pressure on ours will only increase.

That's why warnings from Southern biologists about habitats in the South are so important.

They are sounding the alarm early enough for managers of NWT fisheries to take steps to protect and preserve our lakes and streams before they are fished out.

We can learn from the British Columbia coast, where disappearing salmon stocks hurt not only commercial and aboriginal harvesters, but sports fishing guides as well.

Measuring the health of the stocks is critical now, not when they start to fail.

The federal government has to recognize past disasters on both coasts and the looming crisis throughout the south.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the GNWT's Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development ministry must have the resources to protect, preserve and enhance commercial and sports fisheries around the territory.

More than a year ago, police said they would not pursue Shoatee Joannie's killer until they make an arrest. But in the last several weeks, two women from Cape Dorset told News/North they have information about the 1999 unsolved murder, information that the RCMP may be ignoring.

One woman said she saw two men beating Joannie with a crowbar. She said one of these men showed up at her home recently. Terrified, she managed to slip out of the house and seek help.

Sobbing on the phone, she told us she is tired of fearing for her life, that police don't believe her and won't help her.

The other woman said she heard one of these same men refer to beating someone so badly he had to throw away his blood-covered shoes.

The police won't give us any information about why they are ignoring these women. Cpl. Andy White said police have followed up on all tips, are still investigating the crime but can't reveal details.

Maybe police have reason to discredit them. Maybe not. We don't know because they won't tell us. But if what these women say is true, Joannie's killers should be behind bars by now.

We understand the need not to offer too many details about an ongoing investigation. But the RCMP need to reassure the public that they are doing their best to solve the crime. At the very least, they should explain clearly to the victim's family why they aren't taking these women seriously. The family deserves to know.

And if anything happens to the two women who came forward, police will have to explain why they failed to protect them.

Police are now asking the public to come forward with information about the night Joannie died. But who would come forward, knowing police may not protect or believe them?

Peter Taptuna's frustration with yet another delay in the construction of a new port for his home town is understandable. Kugluktuk's deputy mayor says his community needs a new breakwater and dock, and the thought of waiting up to two more years is not what anyone wants to hear.

Calling the need for a fish habitat study a betrayal of common sense, however, is going too far.

When dealing with unknown environmental risks, caution and patience are always sensible. They also happen to be the law.

The federal Fisheries Act and the Oceans Act both recognize conservation as top priorities, and for good reason. We can't just pay lip service to what have become guiding principles of environmental management and planning.

Taptuna's argument that the current port is already harming fish habitat doesn't hold water either.

The status quo may not be acceptable, with waters and wildlife already under siege from current port comings and goings, but that's no justification for spending $1.2 million without careful planning.

Too often, history has shown that we only discover the error of our ways after it's too late to do anything about it. The number of species at risk of extinction in Canada -- more than 320 at last count, many of them in the North -- is proof that we need to move slowly when it comes to altering wildlife habitat.

That being said, it probably shouldn't take two years to conduct the necessary scientific and traditional knowledge research.

Kugkluktuk residents deserve faster action. We urge the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to find the money and personnel to conduct the research as soon as possible.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

Listening to Alex McClelland talk about being HIV positive (please see story page 11), there were a number of emotions tugging at my heart as he spoke.

Surprisingly to me, as the articulate young man spoke candidly about his situation, pity was not among them.

In fact, the further along the interview went, the stronger the feeling of hope built up inside of me.

McClelland has the ability to get his message across to a large number of young people.

With that message comes understanding. And, with that understanding comes the hope the vast majority of our youth won't find themselves in his situation.

Hopefully, his point of not all people infected with HIV are gay men, drug users and prostitutes was well taken by local youth.

With McClelland still close to their age, his experiences should have hit close to home in the minds of those who heard him speak.

At the age when hormones and testosterone are running wild within the teenage body, we can only cheer for common sense to prevail over primal urges.

The truth of these modern times, however, is that one solitary lapse in judgement can change a life forever.

As our Kivalliq youth continue to get better informed about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, hopefully that knowledge will lead to the majority of them taking precautions when they decide to enter into a sexual relationship.

Better yet, maybe that knowledge will lead to more of them practising abstinence until they finish their educations, find the right person, and ready themselves to raise a family.

Don't change a thing There were more than a few male hockey players overheard bemoaning the fact females are allowed to play in the annual Arviat Cup hockey tournament earlier this month.

We can only hope the tournament's committee members give this complaint the proper attention it deserves -- in one ear and quickly out the other.

The inclusion of female players gives the Arviat Cup a sense of uniqueness and helps develop women's hockey in the hamlet.

The annual tourney is also something for younger female players to look forward to at a local level, regardless of whether they ever reach the point of playing in the Western Shield or Arctic Winter Games.

Rather than get the gals out of the Arviat tournament, this corner would rather see one or two more communities follow Arviat's lead and set up a co-ed tourney in their own hamlets.

It all helps the game grow and throws down the welcome mat for everyone who loves hockey, no matter the gender.

And that's what the game is all about.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

The taxi bylaw situation has festered for two weeks and now has degenerated to council clamming-up due to a pending legal challenge.

Clearly, the situation will not improve without reasonable discussion from both sides. Lawyers can hammer away at the issue in court, but the fix will only be temporary and the Band Aid solution won't come cheap.

It's a shame to squander good money after bad and someone's going to get stuck with a hefty legal bill when this round of the fight ends.

Historically, the business has proven it couldn't be run without government intervention, but with council and cabbies both dug in behind lawyers, even a court challenge won't settle this debate.

If the town wins, we'll have 20 cabs on the road until somebody freezes in a ditch.

If the drivers win, we'll have cabs fighting over fares again and nothing will be gained.

What's needed here is an open dialogue between the drivers and the town.

The town needs to tear down the Taxi Commission, repeal this bylaw and rework both to reflect the dynamic needs of the public and the industry.

Without expertise, the commission is a paper tiger and the bylaw is so rigid that a broken down car means another unemployed driver.

The cabbies need to do what they should have done long ago -- form an association to lobby as one voice, rather than squabble amongst each other over who gets what fare.

Music in the air

Coun. Clarence Wood suggested the town look into hosting a summer music festival and he's surely to find a lot of support.

Fort Smith and Yellowknife enjoy a huge influx of cash from these annual events and the tourists and townsfolk also get the benefit of some great entertainment.

To lesser degrees, Enterprise and Fort Good Hope also highlight their summers with festivals.

There are rumblings out of Hay River, where some would like to start a festival there too, so perhaps some organization through the NWT Arts Council could arrange something of a tour for bands to start in Smith and wind-up in Inuvik.

With more dates available it might prove more attractive luring big name acts into the north, while giving Northern musicians some exposure and experience along the way.

Going for gold

Good luck to the 35 Beaufort Delta athletes who are on their way to the Arctic Winter Games in Iqaluit and Nuuk.

We're all hoping you'll bring back gold ulus and know you'll do your best to make the folks back home proud.

Good luck and, more importantly, enjoy the experience! It'll be one you'll never forget.

Pick up next week's Drum for coverage from the Games with NNSL's veteran sports guy, Darren "Feel the Burn" Campbell and ace photographer, Robert "The Commander" Dall.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson

Travelling broadens one's horizons, just ask Derek Erasmus and Felix Isiah.

The two Fort Simpson high-school graduates have a whole lot to say about their travels to Sri Lanka and Uruguay, respectively. They are culturally enriched and have a much better sense of world affairs due to their globetrotting.

Although they were on opposite sides of the world, there were some similarities in their situations. It seems that western pop culture has a definite influence in both Sri Lanka and Uruguay. Canadians can hear the familiar melodies of the American Top-40 band Backstreet Boys in the village of Devamulla just as they could in Fort Simpson or Toronto, according to Erasmus.

While that may have been striking, it was no more extraordinary than the crowded streets and packed buses, dirty city air and unforgiving climate. Despite the hardships, they still described a sense of community and a sense of family.

While it is a small world in some respects, there is much to be discovered. Of course, risk is inherent in travel, particularly in countries with unstable governments and crumbling economies. Travel plans must be well laid out to minimize any chance of harm.

Lessons at home

For youth who haven't graduated high school and who aren't yet ready to travel abroad, there are valuable lessons to be learned at home.

Beyond the basic curriculum, workshops and conferences are offered to students on a fairly regular basis. For instance, a regional youth conference was held in Fort Providence last week. Sessions dealt with topics such as drugs and alcohol, career planning, recreation, arts and peer pressure. Also last week, a suicide prevention workshop was held in Fort Simpson. There are important messages being delivered through these forums. Not every student will take heed. Some will learn only by their own mistakes, sometimes costly mistakes. Nevertheless, others may be influenced by what they see and hear, however subtly. These conferences and workshops are a worthy investment and a gamble that will inevitably pay off, at least for some, but that's all one realistically can ask.

Fiddle and bow

In Wrigley, students have been learning the fiddle and made quite an impression with their public performance in Fort Simpson over the weekend. It has brought them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Playing an instrument requires patience and dedication, attributes that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.