When territorial legislators considered allowing same-sex couples to adopt children, some of the debate was full of hate and intolerance.

Same-sex adoptions have since become law, and now Yellowknife has taken another step to welcoming homosexuals into mainstream society.

The city's United Church has adopted the national church's policy of allowing same-sex unions to receive the blessing of the church.

United Church leaders have opened their arms to gays and lesbians, setting an example we should all copy.

It's a lesson of acceptance and understanding, one that some MLAs should take to heart.

Some artists are content to pursue their craft alone, their inner demons or demanding muse needing only the satisfaction of creativity.

Not so musicians. Theirs is an aural art, a collection of sounds that must connect with an audience to be considered complete.

Musicians understand this. On some level so do we of the audience.

A song without someone to hear it seems incomplete, not quite music, not truly art.

Lately in Yellowknife, the artist/audience connection has been severed. Night spots prefer the economy of spinning a few compact disks.

Patrons may prefer the comforting, familiar beat of top 40 pop.

Musicians, however, are willing to do whatever it takes to complete this symbiotic relationship.

They've had to create their own opportunities to play.

They gather in kitchens and living rooms -- like-minded folk pulling guitars, fiddles and other instruments out of the closet to share the joy of creativity.

On Sunday, Yellowknife's musical community takes a bigger step out of the closet as two dozen acts take the stage at Sam's Monkey Tree Pub.

For five hours, they'll play for themselves and whoever will listen to raise money for a fledgling music association.

Along with the money, they'll open the audience's ears to the variety and quality of musicianship this city has to offer.

Perhaps word will get out to pub managers and owners that some of those players are good, really good.

They just need somewhere to play.

And for those who need more time in the garage to work out their riffs and raps, the knowledge that their efforts could lead to a local stage may be all the encouragement that's needed.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

I have to admit feeling a little queasy when Hockey Nunavut president Tom Thompson asked me if I'd be interested in going to Iqaluit this weekend to take some of the strain off of the local refs.

This weekend, of course, being the broadcast of Hockey Day in Canada, originating from Iqaluit.

As such, the Iqaluit refs are going to put in a hard day's work officiating the exhibition games planned for this Saturday.

To be perfectly honest, I don't give a hoot about all the limelight that will be flooding the Iqaluit arena Saturday.

That being said, I am among the millions of hockey fans who hold Don Cherry and Ron MacLean in high esteem.

I would have liked the opportunity to meet the two and perhaps had the chance to talk a little "shop."

Regular viewers of Hockey Night in Canada and its famous intermission feature, Coach's Corner, realize MacLean is an accomplished referee in his own right.

Alas, by the time I was asked, I had already committed to officiating this weekend right here in Rankin for the Avataq Cup.

And although on some level I know I will regret missing the opportunity to meet Grapes and MacLean, I also know how much I will enjoy this weekend's action at home.

For all the glitz and glamour this Saturday in Iqaluit will hold, when it comes to the hockey, the games being played there are exactly as they're billed -- exhibition.

The real hockey action will take place right here in Rankin during one of the most highly skilled and hotly contested tournaments our region has to offer.

I am hoping some worthwhile topics will be discussed in Iqaluit and it doesn't turn out to be a day of illusion as to the state of hockey in Nunavut and how far it has to go.

My faithful VCR will record those conversations for me to view at my leisure after the Avataq Cup.

And who's to say I won't get another opportunity somewhere down the line to grab a few pearls of wisdom from the dynamic duo?

Yes, I will enjoy my weekend at the Avataq Cup.

After playing the game for 33 years, officiating is now what I do.

If I ever do get the chance to tell Grapes why I had to pass on an opportunity to meet him, I'd like to think he'd understand.

To me, Cherry's a guy who always puts the game first.

No knock on Iqaluit, but, given the chance, I'd also suggest to Mr. Cherry that if he ever wants a taste of true Nunavut hockey, he should drop by Rankin some day for the Avataq Cup or Whale Cove for the Johnny Kook Memorial.

This visit he'll spend some time in Nunavut's den. Hopefully next time he'll drop by the Kivalliq to find out what the heat's like in the kitchen.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

Hi again Delta folks. I'm back from an almost-too-long holiday down south and it feels good to be back.

I toured much of Western Canada and spent a couple weeks on the beach in Mexico with my fishing buddy and legal advisor, Carlos Roja.

Touching down here in time for the Northern Games was a great welcome back, with the spirit and sport almost as rich as Nellie's char chowder.

While I did enjoy the time with friends and family down south it always feels good to fly back north.

Thanks to Tara for holding down the fort and taking the heat from the dog debate.

This job is never easy and being new makes it that much tougher. I've travelled to most of the NWT communities and lived in the territory almost seven years now and I still feel pretty new.

In the rough

The recent staking rush that hit the NWT and Nunavut with diamond exploration should bring a lot of new money into the territories and even into the Delta.

Along with Leon La Prairie slugging away up at Darnley Bay, we now have Randy Turner and his crew coming north of 68 to search for the sparkle.

A real Delta Diamond boom may be years away, but it is comforting that the economy is getting diversified.

Liberal let-down

The recent snub of the North by Jean Chretien on medical benefits (News/North Feb. 10) is much more of the same from the little Liberal who brought us the White Paper and gun registration.

The legacy of neglect Chretien leaves on the North will dovetail well with what the Liberal Party has done for the health care of aboriginal people across the country.

Non-insured health benefits are shrinking while health costs are soaring -- a good indication that the feds are getting ready for aboriginal self-government.

Rather than pay the true cost of health care to aboriginals, the Liberals have been shrinking payments to medical and dental coverage nation wide to people on and off reserves.

When aboriginals finally do get to exercise their inherent right to govern, the feds will transfer the payments they've determined, instead of what the real costs of health care are.

Neither the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapirit Kanatami or the Metis National Council were asked for their input on the First Ministers conference on health care.

Last year's speech from the throne, studded with promises and hope for the North and aboriginal people was cast off by NWT Premier Stephen Kakfwi as "just so much talk," and it looks now that he was right.

So file your Red Book along with your White Paper, Jean, and get on to writing your memoirs. This country needs a leader that cares about all her people, including her original people.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

The grand chief has a grand idea.

Rather than continuing to fight the federal government for a few extra peanuts, Michael Nadli is proposing that the Deh Cho take the plunge into business.

Over the past year or two, the Deh Cho First Nations' negotiating team has been trying to pry the lid wide open on resource royalties. Yet the government has stood firm. Ottawa's argument has been that even though the percentage of royalties offered to the Deh Cho is rather paltry, it's also unprecedented. No other claimant group has ever received a share of royalties prior to signing a final agreement. So the government line is essentially, "Be happy you're getting that much."

Rather than persist, which could derail negotiations, Nadli is recommending that the Deh Cho form its own company. That way the region can benefit substantially from development opportunities. This Deh Cho company would work with an established industry partner, which would provide expertise and resources.

It will take an enormous amount of work and cooperation among the 10 Deh Cho communities to make such a company take shape, but it could pay off in a big way. Each community has a choice of proceeding with its own development projects or working as a cohesive unit at a regional level, which gives the Deh Cho more leverage and bargaining power with industry.

That aside, what's puzzling is Nadli's contention that industry isn't waiting to barrel though the door.

Really?

Hasn't the grand chief been listening to his fellow leaders at the assembly table over the past few years? Some of them have repeatedly mentioned the pressure they face from uninvited business officials who covet their land. The chiefs have mentioned all sorts of propositions floated before them.

Nadli's argument that industry isn't currently willing to invest due to political uncertainty in the region holds true only to a certain extent. Some companies have come and gone due to the political climate. However, the situation is analogous to a homeowner with a guard dog out front stating that the a salesman doesn't want to come to his door. Sure that salesman wants to make a buck, but you'll have to call off the dog before he comes knocking. In this case, the salesman has obviously been slipping around to the back door and making his sales pitch to the chiefs.

Regardless, as it has been stated in the past, it wouldn't take many industrial projects to maximize employment and utilize all the equipment and resources in this region. A Mackenzie River bridge or a Mackenzie Valley pipeline, two projects with much promise, will easily absorb everything the Deh Cho has to throw at it.

In the letter to the editor "Yellowknifers' honesty restores reader's faith" (Yellowknifer, Feb. 12) from Brian Cole, "Cory (from Air Tindi)" should have been included. We apologize for any confusion the error may have caused. later on. Sage said she was not taken home by anyone after the incident. She was not in court last week.