A 2002 Statistics Canada profile indicates that in 1999 more than 300,000 Canadians, mostly women, were victims of domestic violence.

RCMP in Nunavut communities such as Cambridge Bay and Taloyoak rate family violence as one of the most prevalent social problems. They also say incidents of spousal abuse are on the rise.

There's an obvious need to assist abuse victims.

Women and children need avenues of escape and transitional support to leave abusive environments.

Some communities in the North have limited supports for people in need, through crisis centres and family violence co-ordinators.

Crisis centres provide a safe environment for abuse victims. They are places where people can make decisions without fear.

But, because the Nunavut government has doesn't fully support these centres, this important support could be pulled out from under Northern communities.

Cambridge Bay Mayor Keith Peterson fears the crisis centre in his community is in danger of closing.

It's not because the hamlet doesn't need it, or even that they can't find people to staff it. It's because the Nunavut government will only pay $86,000 of the $146,000 it costs to keep it running this year.

Already $64,000 in the hole, the centre expects to fall another $60,000 into the red this year.

Although the government is paying more this year than it did last year, Peterson says it's still not enough.

To meet the need, the shelter needs to be open 24 hours each day. Domestic violence doesn't happen between 9 and 5. The more than 100 people who used the converted three-bedroom house during a 10-month period last year know that.

Hamlets, who have no tax power to generate revenue, should not be shouldered with the responsibility of combatting social issues like family violence.

Family violence must be addressed in a co-ordinated manner. Programs need to be fully funded.

It's time for the Nunavut government to show it supports families in the territory and begin paying the true cost of running these shelters.

When government gets involved in business, it's usually a disaster. Good intentions aside, governments are good at two things: building bureaucracy and playing politics.

Fort Resolution learned that the hard way. It saw the sawmill that had provided 40 jobs and income since 1975 fall to pieces after the NWT Development Corporation got involved.

This is the same Dev. Corp. that two years ago was unable to define what a job was and last year spent $1.13 million to subsidize 39 jobs.

And when Great Slave Forest Products was shut down in 1999, the finger was pointed at bad management, political interference and bad equipment.

The development corp. sold the mill for $300,000, but spent $325,000 last year to clean up the site.

It's a sad tale, but not one that should deter Fort Resolution community leaders from getting back in the lumber business.

Deninu K'ue First Nation Chief Robert Sayine, Tu Nedhe MLA Steve Nitah and others look at the trees that surround Fort Resolution and dream about a new sawmill, jobs and wealth.

In 2000-2001, just 2,714 cubic metres of timber were cut down from an authorized harvest of 70,875 cubic metres.

That leaves plenty of trees for enterprising people to make a go. Government, however, must keep out.

Fort Resolution can reach out to other timber companies, form joint ventures or hire someone who knows the industry to develop a realistic business plan.

That plan could include more than just sawing rough lumber. There's money to be made and even more jobs possible in value-added wood products.

Community leaders need only look to the successful First Nation businesses now at work in the diamond mines to see how joint ventures and proper planning pay off in jobs.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

Department of Education staff couldn't have been paying much attention to media complaints concerning a number of Nunavut's ministers during the past few years.

With some, such as Health Minister Ed Picco, a journalist has to look out the window from time to time to ensure the Canadian flag still flies atop the closest government building.

Trying to get Picco or anyone from his department to return a phone call takes about the same amount of time as building a regional health centre in Rankin Inlet.

To be fair to Picco and his staff, when you look at their track record during the past few years, you can't blame them for suffering from an acute case of media paranoia.

And, while it's become painfully obvious Picco and company could stand to take a refresher course in the areas of financial and time management, far be it from us to hint the minister's trips to Ottawa are a waste of time.

In fact, Picco has recently learned how effective an anti-smoking campaign can be in the running of his department.

The campaign is aimed at encouraging current smokers to butt out, and to create a level of heightened awareness to dissuade youth from taking up the habit.

Of course, those are just added bonuses. The real benefit is to keep people's attention on the anti-smoking campaign and away from the numerous shortcomings of the department.

But, we digress.

Many Education workers claimed to be shocked and surprised when they received an inter-departmental memo this past week (marked high priority no less) from Assistant Deputy Minister Naullaq Arnaquq.

The memo informed staff members that new Education Minister Manitok Thompson wants to deal with the press on all issues.

Staff members should inform any journalist requesting an interview that they have to talk directly with the minister.

They should also expect to furnish the minister with all paperwork and information pertaining to an issue so she can be properly prepared when addressing it.

This, as informed readers know, is Thompson's way of running a tight ship.

We're left to wonder how much time Education workers will spend during the next eight months preparing paperwork and briefings for the minister instead of the job they're being paid to do?

Quite a bit, according to a few management types within Community Government and Transportation.

But, we won't complain too loudly -- at least Thompson will occasionally answer the phone!

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

The signing of the self-government agreement in principle should serve as a splash of cold water in the face to many who have sat idly by while this new government is formed without their participation.

The self-government that unfolds here is going to be different than anything tried before and, to me at least, it is an exciting time to be alive here.

You sure wouldn't know it by attending the meetings though. Other than the ones paid to be there, the community meetings on self government go largely unattended.

This is a time aboriginal people have worked and waited for now for centuries but no one seems too excited about seeing it through.

Like Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault said, it's not a very sexy subject, and I suppose since people have been dealing with it so long here, that it really seems to be more of the same.

Soup and bannock are offered to bring people in and now raffles seem to be the trend. It worries me that people need to be bribed to take part in their birthright.

Politics is not an exciting subject for most, and for many years, it wasn't to me either, but being in the middle of it all the time for work has really demonstrated how important it is for people to take part in the process.

The self-government team has set up field workers in every Beaufort Delta community and implementation plans are beginning.

The workers will be looking for public input on how the constitution should be drawn up and the need that input from the people who live there.

These are exciting times, whether you think so or not, and standing idly by while a government is formed around you is not in the best interest of you or the generations who will follow.

Signs of spring

It's been a busy couple weeks here with the agreement in principal signing, the intergovernmental forum and the three spring carnivals, but people are certainly enjoying the return of warmth here.

The sunshine seemed to give us all the energy we needed to get though it though and judging from the wide smiles I saw in Aklavik, spring has definitely sprung.

The carnivals give people a chance to catch up with friends and relatives throughout the Delta and get in that small town family fix before the ice roads become rivers again.

We seem to relish the season much more here than they do in the South and spring is really not a date on a calendar here, it's more of a state of mind.

Spring in the North is a celebration, while in the South it's just the turning of a page. If I needed a further reminder that spring was here, on my way back from Aklavik, I saw an eagle swoop down to pick a varmint off the ice road.

Enjoy the season, folks, and maybe we'll see you in McPherson this weekend.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

It may sound odd that Deh Cho schools, such as Echo Dene school, have adopted a policy of rewarding good behaviour.

Of course it's a positive step, but one might expect that students' commendable actions were always met with accolades from teachers.

For most educators, that was likely true. However, these behaviour support initiatives serve as a helpful reminder to teachers. The students reap not only the praise, they get a chance at a prize. It's a real incentive.

Who doesn't enjoy a pat on the back for doing something nice? Better yet, what youth wouldn't want to win a new skateboard or even a simple snack for being helpful?

Some may argue that "bribing" students with prizes isn't beneficial. Remember, there's no guarantee of a prize, only compliments from school staff are assured.

Others might insist that such programs don't have applications in adult life. Well, they do. Take driving for example. If you drive too fast you may get a ticket. If you get too many tickets you lose your driver's licence. That's negative reinforcement.

On the other hand, if you follow the rules of the road, including the speed limit, you not only reduce the chance of having an accident, you avoid the traffic tickets. By avoiding traffic tickets, your vehicle insurance should decrease. (Okay, okay, it's true, vehicle insurance almost always increases, but not necessarily because of reckless driving. Then there's the vehicle depreciation factor...)

Nevertheless, if your insurance rates ever decline, that would be an example of positive reinforcement. When it comes to schooling, good students are usually rewarded with good grades.

Effective behaviour support programs go the extra mile. Students who try hard academically but don't always get an A or a B can still be acknowledged for being kind, courteous and thoughtful.

It truly is a win-win situation.

Getting the land in order

With the stroke of their pens, Grand Chief Michael Nadli and Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Robert Nault endorsed another two key interim land-management agreements in Fort Providence last week.

Of course there was a lot of work behind the scenes to reach the accords. In the case of the interim land withdrawals, Herb Norwegian and Petr Cizek made numerous visits to Deh Cho communities over the past seven years beginning with traditional land-use mapping.

Maps play an important role in Deh Cho Process self-government negotiations. The interim agreements signed last week are also maps, sort of like road maps to an agreement in principle.

Although it's true that you can't please everyone, the equal measure of protecting some land while earmarking other areas for development should appease the majority.