Denendeh Development Corporation suspects someone reached into the pockets of some of its companies, but you hear barely a whisper.
For months, News/North has heard talk of missing DDC money. Our questions were met with unreturned telephone messages and gag orders.
Only a break-in at DDC offices forced the Dene-owned company to come out into the open with revelations that $704,000 was missing.
To be fair, none of the allegations tabled in NWT Supreme Court March 5 have been proven. There was a forensic audit that points fingers, but it all must be proven in a court of law.
That doesn't mean Dene, ordinary folk from Fort Resolution, Dettah, Rae-Edzo, Wrigley, Fort McPherson or Fort Liard, shouldn't get answers to important questions about how the DDC is being run.
From the outside, it appears this 22-year-old corporation set up to "create long-term Dene economic self sufficiency" has a problem.
If the accusations contained in the affidavits filed in NWT Supreme Court are true, someone was able to siphon hundreds of thousands of dollars from Dene-owned firms with no-one being the wiser.
It's questionable whether the people in charge of DDC see the funds under their control as anything other than play money.
Dene must ask must ask why two signatures aren't required on every DDC cheque. They must ask why one person could be left with so much control that others within the corporation don't know what's going on.
There's talk of a special meeting to discuss DDC's troubles. This must not be a secret session where chiefs, band managers, economic development officers meet with DDC officers. Elders and ordinary Dene must take part in a special assembly that will direct the chiefs, band managers and DDC staff on how the problems must be fixed.
This corporation, its money and its subsidiaries are too important to the future of all NWT Dene to be left in the hands of a few.
There is an ancient quality to Tagak Curley's voice.
The voice often sounds like an old recording of the kinds of speeches made when the Nunavut land claims agreement was carved out.
His hands move dramatically when he talks about language. He connects with his audience, too, making eye contact with everyone in the room, a throwback to the days when leaders had that theatrical quality, and it was OK. It got your attention.
When Curley recently fought for the leadership of the government of Nunavut, he used that old voice and that drama to stress the use of Inuktitut.
He chose not to speak English with reporters, and spoke in Inuktitut most of the time in the legislature (when he did give in a couple of times and responded to questions in English, many non-Inuit exchanged puzzled glances).
He wanted to drive home the point that this government was going to be different than the last one: stronger on culture and language than before.
During his speech Curley said things like: "I don't want to pretend to be a qallunaaq."
He pushed people's buttons. He was on fire. Fearless. Determined -- the kind of person that could carve out a territory.
He spoke without notes. He spoke from the heart.
If you were there, you were moved.
Curley has been fighting for Inuit language preservation since the 1970s. But that doesn't make his performance in the legislature last week any less powerful -- it makes it more so, because even in the face so much change, and pressing social issues he is clearly still fighting for Inuit language.
Curley did not become leader of the government of Nunavut March 5. Paul Okalik won the race after MLAs cast a secret ballot. Okalik is a voice of present day, with an optimistic eye on the future and is a good choice. But there were moments on Friday when a Curley-led Nunavut was an exciting place to imagine.
While we don't share his religious views on human rights, Curley's call for a land where people speak Inuit with pride, force, and substance should never quiet down. Curley should keep pushing for that even it makes some people uncomfortable.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Things are certainly heating up as the federal election draws ever so near.
Regular readers of the Kivalliq News weren't surprised to learn Manitok Thompson was seeking the Liberal nomination in Nunavut.
A head-to-head campaign between Thompson and Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell is stimulating enough, but this race may get a lot more interesting yet.
We hear from the capital that former house speaker and Arviat MLA Kevin O'Brien has been spending time in Iqaluit lately.
We also hear a number of well-known card-carrying Nunavut Liberal Riding Association members were paying O'Brien a visit during his recent stay.
And, with Prime Minister Paul Martin promising to open up every Liberal riding in Canada, this could be O'Brien's best chance at securing the nomination.
In a straight one-on-one battle, we'd be surprised if O'Brien could topple either Thompson or Lindell.
But, with those two heavyweights splitting the party vote, the back door could open enough for a middleweight contender to slip through.
If O'Brien isn't in the race, he may be letting his best chance slip away.
There are more than a few Nunavut Liberals who may view him as the perfect balance between the silent and the outspoken.
Possible bombshell
While the Alliance doesn't seem to carry much weight in Nunavut, the NDP is a different story.
It's a poorly kept secret the NDP has been courting a couple of Nunavut's top politicians to join its political ranks.
It could prove interesting to see what decisions those who are not Nunavut's premier may make in the upcoming weeks.
Should one of the other parties outside the Liberal juggernaut attract a top candidate, we may have our most exciting federal election to date in Nunavut.
But, even if that does not transpire, the crack spreading across the Nunavut Liberal Association ranks promises to make the race for the Liberal nomination one to remember.
Many questions remain
Organized labour may not have rallied behind its union boss enough to topple Paul Okalik in his riding, but it certainly will be interesting to see which way card-carrying unionists in the Liberal camp throw their support.
And, although she has softened her stance recently, it will also be interesting to see if the more Liberal thinkers in the party can bring themselves to throw their support behind Thompson.
While Thompson went against the Liberal flow with her original comments concerning human rights, Lindell toed the party line in Ottawa with her vote on the infamous Anti-Scab Legislation.
However, in this particular race, it's the opinion of the Nunavut Liberal that matters, not those in the nation's capital.
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
With all of the talk about reducing the number of bingos, limiting their jackpots and such, a common concern kept popping up during a recent Lottery Committee meeting: underground gambling.
Many who are against decreasing the number of bingo licenses the town gives out each year (300 to be exact) say that if legal forms of gambling are not available, people will seek out alternatives.
First off, legal gambling is just another way to describe any form of wagering in which the government takes a nice healthy slice.
In Inuvik's case, the town is the government body: six per cent of all prize money on top of a 30 or 50 per cent surcharge on the license itself.
If that weren't enough, the town also puts on its own regular Monday night games. It reminds me a little of the last town I was in where the mayor owned the liquor store. But that's a tale for another day.
It's no secret that high-stakes "underground" gambling in the NWT exists and Inuvik's six-day-a-week TV bingo probably goes a long way to mitigating this shady action.
Charitable and volunteer organizations say that if the number of bingos are reduced, then the programs they support will suffer and the money their bingos do bring in will line the pockets of those who run underground gambling rackets.
Though bingo proceeds are not the community's lifeblood, it would not be a great leap to say that it is a sustainable "industry" of sorts.
People will always find the money to play and organizations looking to raise money either on a one-off basis, or regularly, will always have a guaranteed source to tap.
Raise the stakes
So instead of reducing the "legal" gambling options in town, why not increase them and raise the stakes a little while we're at it.
If Inuvik wants a really sustainable industry -- even more sustainable than the business of harvesting gas from the depths of the earth -- why not build ourselves a first-class casino.
Yes indeed. Erect a shrine to gambling right here in Inuvik, complete with glass-domed roof so the high-rollers that charter in from Fat Cities around the world can really take advantage of what we have to offer.
Patrons can enjoy the Northern Lights in the winter while never having to leave the blackjack table; all the while emptying their wallets.
In the summer, they will become delirious with joy at losing thousands of dollars while basking in our 24-hour sunlight.
And not only would such a facility provide jobs, but Inuvik's coffers would fill up in no time.
Think of the future where no program would go unfunded and no wish would go denied all because of our sparkling casino, churning out the satisfied customers who can brag that they lost their shirts at the Top of the World Casino.
Now what was all this fuss about underground gambling again?
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
The Deh Cho First Nations are playing hardball with Imperial Oil.
The monolithic oil and gas giant has been attempting to complete preliminary geo-technical work in this region for the past two winters. It hasn't happened.
Will the terms be even sweeter next winter? The Deh Cho is willing to wait and see.
And this is only the beginning. Some observers insist that the Deh Cho is making a mistake by dragging its feet, that the region alone cannot manipulate a project as enormous as a Mackenzie Valley pipeline to its own advantage. Only time will tell.
The federal government's negotiating position remains in question with an election pending. As well, the natural gas industry pressures the markets. As do court rulings. In the end, all of these outside forces may ultimately prove irrelevant. The Deh Cho, with its all or nothing approach, stands to win big or lose big.
Everyone knows how hard it is to lose a loved one. You can't go through life without experiencing it. How you deal with it is the key. Grieving is a natural process, but one without exact parameters. Some people take longer than others and need time for themselves. Others feel more comfortable quickly returning to the confines of things familiar, such as the workplace.
Irene McLeod, who lost her daughter and attended the Fort Liard workshop, offers some poignant advice. When grieving, it's best to share your feelings rather than keeping them bottled up inside.
Just as important -- as difficult as it is to swallow one's pride -- she recommends trying to be on the best possible terms with others.
Don't be ashamed to express love and gratitude. If a friend or loved one isn't around tomorrow, at least he or she will know how you felt. Sometimes death isn't preventable, but anger, hostility and grudges are entirely within our control.
Celebration time
Carnival season in the Deh Cho kicked off this week with the Beavertail Jamboree -- the coolest celebration in the region, as it has been dubbed.
Here's a tip of the cap to the organizing committee and all the volunteers who make it happen.
It's rather remarkable that Fort Simpson, a community of 1,250 residents, can sustain a week-long spring festival when Yellowknife, a city of 17,000, hasn't been able to do the same thing with much success. We're fortunate to have a number of dedicated people who freely contribute their time.
Thank you all.
In the article "Okalik gets one more round" (Nunavut News/North, March 8, page 4) Premier Paul Okalik's riding was incorrectly identified. Okalik is the MLA for Iqaluit West.
In last week's editorial "A costly lesson" (Nunavut News/North, March 8, page 7), the cost of the upgrade to the sewage plant was incorrect. It's estimated the upgrades will cost the city $5.5 million. Nunavut News/North apologizes for these inaccuracies.