After more than a century of colonial rule, the Tlicho people are again in control of their destiny.

The agreement to be signed today in Rae gives them a constitution and a government directly accountable to the people for its powers to tax, make laws and manage resources.

While it sets them apart, the agreement signed by Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Grand Chief Joe Rabesca and Premier Stephen Kakfwi also affirms that the Tlicho people are Canadian, fully entitled to all the benefits of citizenship and protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The agreement places the Tlicho among the wealthiest of Canada's First Nations. Their lands east of the Mackenzie River embrace the untapped riches of the Great Slave geologic province and include both of the North's producing diamond mines.

Much of the agreement is devoted to the practical issues of governance, but it reaches farther and deeper, enshrining the traditional relationship between the people and their land and ensuring as much as it can the survival of Tlicho language and culture.

The Tlicho people have the right to fish and hunt in any season, the right to trade in game, control over their land water and resources as well as a say in the future development of the Northwest Territories.

The federal and territorial governments will continue to provide social programs and the justice system. Tlicho companies will continue to enjoy preferential contract and procurement arrangements with the senior governments.

The Tlicho government will be financed through a share of income tax, and royalties from resources on its land and the territories. Ottawa will provide $5 million to train the new Tlicho public service and $1 million a year towards administration costs.

It took 12 years of negotiations to get to the signing ceremony. The journey was expensive: $27 million which will be subtracted from the $152 million Ottawa will pay to the Tlicho government over the next 15 years. The remaining money will go into a Heritage Fund.

The Tlicho people clearly believe the time and money were worth it. Earlier this year, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of the agreement. For their courage and perseverance, they deserve the congratulations and best wishes of Canadians everywhere.

Two Inuit women from Nunavut were recently honoured nationally.

They were both interviewed at different times for separate articles in News/North.

In many ways, these two women couldn't be more different.

One is an elder. The other is barely into her teens.

Their hometowns of Cambridge Bay and Sanikiluaq are about as far apart as you can get in Nunavut and still remain in Nunavut.

But Helen Mamayaok Maksagak, and Sarah Kudluarok, 15, have much in common.

First of all, they are active and involved in their communities, always striving to make life better for others.

They inspire those around them.

They are fiercely proud of their Inuit heritage.

In pictures, they both have warm, inviting smiles.

And when interviewed, they both talked of feeling "small" in the face of recognition and attention.

"I was the youngest one there," said Kudluarok who returned from Korea a couple of weeks ago where she represented Nunavut and Canada during Armistice celebrations. "And I was the smallest," she added.

Maksagak who received the Order of Canada and was interviewed about the honour months ago, said, "I was the only Inuk there," adding she was pretty sure was the smallest person there, too.

"I just felt so small," she said.

The similarity between how these two women saw themselves is striking.

These women, like many of their Inuit ancestors, may be diminutive in size. But their achievements are anything but.

Now that the birth and development of Nunavut is casting people's eyes more and more to the North, and more opportunities for Inuit will be opening up, it is time for Inuit to start standing tall, and feeling larger than life.

It is time for Nunavummuit to start personifying the land itself, all 1.994 million square kilometres of it -- expansive, powerful, and full of potential.

The same-sex marriage issue in Canada has been one of heated debate and controversy.

It has been weighed down with hatred, intolerance and misinformation.

Surprisingly, the hatred and intolerance may be the two factors most easily understood.

Ignorance is something the world can't seem to purge.

But misinformation is inexcusable, especially from people in places of authority.

Honestly, if you don't know what you are talking about then don't say anything at all.

Last week Rankin council did something unique.

They became one of the first Northern, and perhaps Canadian municipalities, to get involved in the same-sex marriage issue.

Coun. Justin Merritt brought the issue to the table.

Perhaps the municipal government level is not the place for such discussions, but providing input from the most basic of grassroots political organizations is important.

What is even more important is basing decisions on fact and not fantasy.

Unfortunately, fear mongering, which spread at the beginning of the same-sex debate, seems to still have its hold in Rankin.

Merritt stated that he respected the rights of gay and lesbian couples.

He said what they did in the privacy of their homes and bedrooms was their business.

He quickly followed that up by saying he had a problem with churches being forced to marry same-sex couples against their beliefs.

If that is the basis for Merritt's argument against same-sex marriage, he should have looked more closely at the information before spreading all too common incorrect facts.

Fredericton Liberal MP Andy Scott, chair of the federal justice committee on same-sex marriages, has clearly stated that freedom of religion statutes in the Charter would protect religious denominations from marrying same-sex couples against their beliefs.

Additionally, John Fisher, director of Egale, a national gay and lesbian group, said that the gay and lesbian community is not looking for religious marriage rights, only civil rights.

It's important to respect and value the right to equality everyone in our society has.

I agree that a person's rights should not infringe on the rights of another person or another group.

For example we should not have the right to drink and drive or spread messages of hate, which obviously put other people at risk.

But, clearly, allowing same-sex couples the right to civil union is not infringing on anyone's rights.

If you don't agree with it, too bad. I am sure people don't agree with some of the things you do on a regular basis.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

What a difference a coat of paint makes, or in our case, a coat of black top.

The downtown core looks so much better after that new paving job and it's already inspired some business owners to spruce up their own properties.

Some shops and building owners are paying the extra to get their lots paved, while the crew is in town and I notice some real pride being taken in other areas.

There's a shiny new front on the drug store building and a much-needed new coat of paint was applied to the Boreal Books building.

These things on their own are not huge accomplishments, but when viewed in the big picture, it exhibits much more.

When people live in a nice looking place, they tend to have more respect for it and in turn more pride in their own actions. Be it in terms of painting their house, mowing their lawn or even just in terms of dropping litter in the street.

If people feel like they live in a dump, they'll treat it like one. If they see their neighbours cleaning up and renovating, they'll be more inclined to do so as well; if not out of pride, out of guilt.

So kudos to the town for paving and the crew who're doing a great job, and to all the businesses who are doing their part to make this a nicer place to live.

Wild in the streets

I was out on the rove in the Rav Monday night, hunting for a candidate for this week's Sports Card and drove over to my usual hunting grounds at the rec centre and ball field.

The ball field was vacant and the rec centre locked up tight, but I heard a great commotion to the north of the building and went to check it out.

I saw about 20 kids aged from about five years to 13, who had scaled the barbed wire fence into the construction compound of the new family centre.

The scene was surreal; children ripping open bales of styrofoam insulation, breaking the sheets up and throwing them in the air, at each other and around the lot.

I quickly changed lenses and ran towards the wilding bunch, clicking photos as I advanced.

As soon as they saw me, they turned tail and ran, that is, the ones big enough to scale the fence.

I confronted the group of little criminals and asked why they couldn't play in the playground, but got no response.

"These guys are trying to build you kids a pool and all you're doing is slowing them down," I scolded.

It brought to mind the actions of another brainless bunch who had ripped the flowers from the planters at the Semmler Building last summer.

A friend of mine had suggested then that Inuvik needs a curfew and as opposed to a police state as I am, I really have to agree.

Certainly their parents can't or won't discipline them, so I suppose it's up to the bylaw and RCMP.

Outside of a curfew and taxing our already over-taxed law enforcement, I'd propose a citizens on patrol program, where people could take a walk around town to keep these little reprobates in line -- or at least take pictures of them.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

There's been ample international media coverage of the California governor recall election and the celebrity candidates in line to try to take incumbent Gray Davis's place.

We live in a cult of celebrity. It shouldn't come as any surprise that California, the land of Hollywood, attracts so many actors to politics. In addition to Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigning for the governor's seat, Gary Coleman (Arnold from Different Strokes) is also on the ticket.

Remember that California once made Ronald Reagan its governor. His claim to fame was acting in old western movies.

At a municipal level, California has had some famous mayors, too. Clint Eastwood presided over the town of Carmel while Sonny Bono (best known for his duets with Cher, such as I've Got You, Babe) was the candidate of choice in Palm Springs.

But California doesn't stand alone. Jesse Ventura, a former professional wrestler, closed out his term as governor of Minnesota last January.

There are still a few elections to come in the Deh Cho. If we could get an amendment passed, maybe we could overcome the residency requirements and get a Canadian icon to run for MLA or mayor of Fort Simpson. Imagine some of the possibilities...

How about Rick Mercer for starters? If we have to listen to rants, well, they might as well be his, at least they're entertaining.

Red Green would be another humourous candidate. But would his duct tape hold together a Mackenzie River bridge or a pipeline?

From the sports world, it would be great to have a retired athlete like Lanny MacDonald or Guy Lafleur. Either one of them would be highly coveted in an MLA all-star hockey game.

For telling it like it is, nobody could beat Mayor Don Cherry (and you think there's too much swearing at village council meetings now?)

If we're looking for someone with political experience, there's always Kim Campbell. Canada's only female (and short-lived) prime minister could use an introduction to consensus-style government.

Even if she were the least qualified, Shania Twain would likely fetch her fair share of votes -- reasons for supporting her may vary.

In reality, a big star is not going to step into the political fray here. Then again, who would want someone completely unfamiliar with the issues representing local people? Sure most celebrities are good looking and have charming personalities, but what makes them qualified to govern?

California can have its Hollywood luminaries in office. We'll stick to watching them on the tube or the big screen.

The Peter Ross who died earlier this month was not from Tsiigehtchic, as reported in News North, Aug. 18, in the story "A cancelled celebration", but from Fort McPherson.

We are sorry for any confusion this may have caused and express our deepest sympathy to the family.