In the end, the Deh Cho First Nations had to take the federal government's final resource royalty offer.

The interim deal will see the region's 10 communities and 13 organizations split up to $3 million for economic development annually.

That's a pittance considering natural gas pumped out of the Deh Cho region makes up nearly 90 per cent of the NWT's current output.

Is that enough to pay for all that needs to be done in the Deh Cho? No. Unfortunately, given Ottawa's tight-fisted approach to spending money to help develop the North, the DCFN had to get something in the bank. Otherwise, there will be little or no cash to get Deh Cho residents ready for the real rewards that lie ahead.

The challenge will come in talks on a final resource revenue agreement. Deh Cho leaders face some hard bargaining to get their fair share of value of resources pulled from the land.

There's roughly 300 billion cubic metres of natural gas waiting to be found and pumped south. The $24.7 million in current oil and gas royalties is nothing compared to what lies ahead.

And that will only happen through development, something that's closer to reality with the Deh Cho's interim resource deal.

That's good for the entire Northwest Territories.

Of any NWT community, Fort Smith has played the biggest role in the development of the territory.

It's the gateway to Wood Buffalo National Park. It was once the NWT's capital. It was instrumental to the fur trade and a transportation hub going back to days when canoes cruised the waterways.

Tourists need to know all that, and one of the best ways to share those links to the NWT's history is through a museum.

So it's great that Don Jaque and his volunteer committee are doing all they can to re-open Fort Smith's Northern Life Museum. The downstairs gallery has been closed for more than a year and the main galleries have been shut for nearly three years for renovations.

Organizers need another $40,000 to finish their work.

Northern Life gets up to $120,000 annually from the GNWT to run the place. The territorial government should throw in some extra cash this year to get renovations complete and the museum open to the public.

As a world class tourist destination, Fort Smith and the South Slave have been neglected far too long.

According to the Auditor General of Canada, there's $32 million ready for a home in the Government of Nunavut's coffers ... just as soon as they do the paperwork.

That's what chief federal bean counter Sheila Fraser told the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, Feb. 20.

"So it is important for the government to collect all the money owed to it in order to fund as many government activities as possible," she said.

Like health, for example. The Nunavut government made a big deal throughout the early part of February, how $20 million was needed to help prop up health care.

If the GN thinks so highly of $20 million, one wonders at the lack of priority to pull in $32 million.

It's not like they have to go begging for it, as the three territorial premiers had to do to get Prime Minister Jean Chretien to pull out his wallet.

The $32 million is what the federal government owes Nunavut in transfer payments. It's a pile of cash that's been growing at an amazing rate during the past three years because the paperwork hasn't been completed properly.

The GN's financial bureaucrats admit as much, excusing themselves because they haven't enough qualified people to fill out the paperwork the way the federal government likes.

In a way, their adding machine fingers are tied.

They have salary budget lines the government won't let them cross.

That's even though departments go millions over budget without the legislature's approval.

This kind of fiscal mismanagement must not be dismissed as growing pains of a new territory. Elected MLAs are in office to serve the people, to ensure the money government does have is properly spent on programs and services Nunavummiut need.

The GN's inability to manage its books will only hurt when it has to go back to Ottawa for other federal aid.

If more qualified people are needed, it's a hiring decision that needs to come from the legislative assembly.

If that decision costs as much as $1 million to hire an army of Southerners to get the job done, that still leaves $31 million for health care, for education, for who knows how many other projects.

Come on, GN, sharpen those pencils, charge up that calculator.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

An enthusiastic thumbs up to Sport Nunavut for its decision to shop locally for a new director.

While we hear through the grapevine that Frank Tootoo, more or less, fell into Sport Nunavut's lap, we'll still give the organization credit for recognizing a plum and not heading South for yet another lemon.

Tootoo's many years of experience in the North, both as a private enterprise manager and on the sporting front, bodes well for his new position.

The fact the man is a sports fanatic also doesn't hurt.

We're still not clear on the training details of Tootoo's appointment as Sport Nunavut's director.

The original plan was for a local personality to be "mentored" into the position.

Until assistant deputy minister Shawn Maley returns from his travels to tell us otherwise, we'll have to assume the mentoring duties will fall to sports manager Kyle Seeley -- who did an admirable job during his stint as acting director -- and longtime Sport Nunavut personality Marilyn Neily.

The next step for Sport Nunavut is to get its head office in Baker Lake up to full staff.

It's time to take the pressure off of the dedicated individuals who have been performing above and beyond the call of duty for the past year to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

Nunavut's various territorial sporting and minor hockey organizations should be excited about a new director in place who realizes the value in having a solid grassroots development program in place.

Tootoo has already indicated, on the record, he sees increased coaching and officiating clinics as a means of attracting more local volunteers to the sporting scene.

In short, he realizes people need the proper tools to do an effective job, no matter what the undertaking.

However, that being said, it will be interesting to see if Minister Manitok Thompson can find the necessary funding to allow Tootoo to deliver the initiatives he sees as instrumental in developing Nunavut's sporting programs.

As the new director points out, effective budgeting to cover the immense cost of developing and delivering sporting programs in the North in Sport Nunavut's biggest challenge.

The fact of the matter remains, however, without the proper budget to work with, the best of directors can only accomplish so much.

Now that Sport Nunavut has a full time Northern director in place, here's hoping he's not asked to do his job with one hand tied behind his back and the other furtively clutching a rather small change purse.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

There were a lot of tears shed last week at the loss of one of the special people who helped educate this part of the world.

I didn't know Cliff King well, save for a few smiles and handshakes at graduations. I can't help but feel a little cheated by that.

Like several had mentioned at the service, whenever I did meet Cliff, I was struck by that dimpled and devilish grin with those eyes that could see right through your soul.

When I saw that look, I pitied the student who fumbled for excuses about why the homework assignment wasn't done -- you couldn't lie to those eyes.

In this line of work you get into the habit of reading people, and what I read in Cliff was humble, reserved wisdom and a huge sense of humour.

I was moved by the heartfelt stories of this man who was taken too soon, and also by the enormous crowd that came to say goodbye to the friend, the mentor and the educator of hundreds.

He was one of the quiet heroes who make the world a better place without expecting fame or fortune or even a pat on the back.

It's sad to see such a good man go so soon, but it's comforting to know that his inspiration lives on in the many minds he's educated and the many hearts he's touched.

Our thoughts and sincere gratitude go out to Jodie and the boys, who gave up those now precious minutes, hours and days with Cliff, so he could make our world a little brighter and a whole lot smarter.

Fumes and food

I was taken aback Tuesday afternoon when I went out to do this week's Street Beat on the proposed smoking bylaw.

I went to three restaurants at about 3 p.m and five people out of six people were opposed to the new law.

By no means was this a scientific survey, but it did surprise me that people were so opposed to the proposed law. I assumed that even if people were against it, that they'd give me a politically correct answer.

While the Street Beat may not be scientific, it did give me an indication that town hall is going to face some serious opposition to this law.

Minor detail

One of our paper carriers was in the office last week and I noticed he had a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.

I asked him how he gets his smokes and he told me an older friend gets them for him.

It got me thinking about when Hay River was drafting a similar smoking bylaw and one councillor suggested they go further and make it illegal for minors to smoke in public places.

The amendment never made it on the bylaw because some thought it might be a violation of the Human Rights Act under discrimination by age.

I wondered about that at the time and if that's the case, then minors should be allowed to drink as well.

If it's illegal for minors to buy cigarettes, shouldn't it be illegal for them to consume too, just as it is with alcohol?

Perhaps it's something our municipal or territorial government should consider. It's obviously not a priority with the federal government.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

Chief Rita Cli is staring down a challenge to her leadership.

Cli voted in favour of an Interim Resource Development Agreement (IRDA) at the leadership assembly in Wrigley last week. The agreement will provide the Deh Cho with a share -- granted, a very modest share -- of resource royalties from the Mackenzie Valley prior to a final self-government agreement. It's unprecedented and it's as far as the federal government is willing to go at this stage.

The DCFN resolution wasn't passed without several amendments, some of which Cli demanded. The Deh Cho wants control over which parcels of land are selected for exploration. The regional leaders also want a full role in environmental monitoring and a fair share of generated revenues. In addition, they have asked for guarantees that consensus among the full Deh Cho leadership will be required to commence an exploration cycle.

Those are significant conditions, ones that would put the balance of power in the hands of the Deh Cho.

By voting to pass the strongly worded resolution, Cli voted in the best interest of her membership and the region as a whole. It is exactly what the other leaders -- each wanting the best for his or her own respective community -- did at the table on that day. Any community or organization that attempts to stand on its own would only be harming itself and the rest of the region. The federal government has consistently demonstrated that it will not bend to the demands of individual communities. Industry has a reputation -- deserved or not -- of trying to divide and conquer, offering less to smaller entities than what it would be forced to concede to a larger, more powerful body.

Why assume those risks? Rita Cli and her fellow leaders did the right thing.

Quite an achievement

Congratulations to Dene Fur Clouds for its international exposure on runways in Paris last month. The Pret a Porter show is to fashion what the Indy 500 is to auto racing or the Cannes film festival is to movies. It's big.

If managed properly, there appears to be a bright future for the small, grassroots business. At the same time, the parallels with its Fort Simpson cousin, Nats'enelu, are hard to overlook. Nats'enelu was flying high until the departure of manager and chief designer D'Arcy Moses, an integral figure. Dene Fur Clouds needs a contingency plan in case it too loses a key player.

Give us a break

The federal government must get the message on the passport issue. Northerners are being subjected to a completely unreasonable national standard. Passport photos are repeatedly being rejected because of traces of shadow. Stories are emerging from all over the NWT of people who have had to devote extra time and money to have their photos re-done at a distant centre.

There's a theory among media that for every person who speaks out on an issue, there are probably another 10 people who have experienced the same thing. It doesn't always hold true, but this appears to be a case where it could very well apply.

It has to stop.