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Monday, July 5, 2004
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Dene communities make the win

In Dene history, Ethel Blondin-Andrew's victory in 1988 is proudly noted as the first Dene woman elected to parliament.

Now a political veteran and a cabinet minister, the MP for the Western Arctic travelled almost full circle last Monday, as she came within a whisker of losing her seat to Dennis Bevington and the NDP.

The Western Arctic mirrored the national result that returned Paul Martin with a Liberal minority government after just slightly more than 60 per cent of eligible Canadian voters cast ballots.

The national campaign to encourage young voters had little influence on the Western Arctic's reluctant electorate. Last Monday, about 48 per cent of 28,300 eligible voters cast ballots, a drop of almost five per cent from 2000.

Bevington's near win can be attributed to his popularity in Fort Smith, Yellowknife, Hay River and Inuvik, the collapse of the retooled Conservative party, and a drop in Liberal support.

With an unknown candidate parachuted from the unemployment rolls, the Conservative drew 1,000 fewer votes than the Tories and Canadian Alliance got in 2000.

After losing in 2000, Bevington spent four years courting the big towns which boosted his 2000 total by more than 1,800 votes.

Blondin-Andrew was trailing late in the evening when the votes from the Dogrib communities were counted. Their support was enough to return her for an unprecedented fifth term.

Blondin-Andrew's roots are deep in the communities and she never forgot that. Her win demonstrates that if the small communities stick together, they can dictate who represents the Territories in Ottawa.

She has also worked hard to get Northern issues on the federal agenda and in large measure, she has been successful. She has been less successful communicating that to non-aboriginals in the towns.

However, minority governments are usually short-lived, and there is no reason to believe this one will last beyond two years -- just enough time for Blondin-Andrew to savour Monday's win and decide on her future should another election call come sooner than later.


Under these rocks and stones

In order to build an inuksuk, you need the right kind of stones. You need ones that will not fall over under pressure from the weather.

The stones may create something beautiful, like art, but they must stand out so travellers know in an instant: someone was here. Life was here. Others can be here, too. It is safe to travel here.

Nunavut stands as a beacon of hope, carved out of the top of Canada. Nunavut is a big, thought-provoking piece of land, a reminder of things achieved and things to come.

The parades and flag raising ceremonies, the games and feasts, are a huge part of Nunavut Day, July 9. People come from all parts of the world, and gaze upon this land with awe at its beauty and size.

But size isn't everything, nor is beauty. After five years, what is there to truly celebrate?

People flock to the North for Inuit art work. The carvings and wall hangings that so define Nunavut and are so valued are still being produced every day.

But ask any carver in Nunavut how much their families have to eat, and what their quality of life is, and you will get a story much less glamourous than the lives of the people whose living rooms are filled with carvings.

The artists of Nunavut must still go office to office, street corner to restaurant table daily, offering their art works for a small price.

Pick an area of concern, and you will find a challenge in Nunavut.

Health care: Inuit continue to lag behind other Canadians in the quality of health care they receive. Life expectancy here is 10 years less than the rest of Canada, the tuberculosis rate is 25 per cent higher.

Lung cancer rates are increasing significantly -- three times the national average for men, more than five times the national average for women. It doesn't help that 60 percent of Inuit are smokers.

When Gov. General Adrienne Clarkson met with elders in Iqaluit recently, she asked: What is the biggest problem facing Nunavut today? One elder gave the unflinching answer: Suicide. The suicide rate in Nunavut is 6.8 times the national average.

If people are not taking their own lives, there is enough violence in Nunavut against women to tarnish the peaceful images people have of the North.

What can be celebrated? If anything, the acknowledgement that Inuit can and will make their own decisions.

Size doesn't mean greatness automatically. Only the people here can make the land truly great. And the people, together, must rise up like inuksuks, and be strong, sturdy, and yes, beautiful to behold, to remind everyone there are people here.

It is safe to be here.


Time to plug in some answers

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News


We can't help but wonder where Nunavut Education Minister Ed Picco is hiding these days?

Picco has long trumpeted himself as the type of guy who stands up and faces the heat when things don't go exactly as planned.

Yes, indeed, terms such as accountability and accessibility have been popular buzzwords for Picco during the past five years.

He's not the type of politician who dodges the tough questions or ducks pressing issues.

At least, that's how he has publicly described himself on many occasions.

So this begs the question: just exactly how hot does the heat have to be before Picco reaches for an extinguisher?

In the case of the Qulliq Energy Corp., things couldn't be much hotter, but nary a peep from the man who was the minister responsible for the corporation during much of the upheaval.

It's not like we have a lot of really big questions to ask.

We'd like a small explanation on how the corporation broke the government's own rules to borrow so much more than it was allowed to?

No biggie, eh Ed?

Maybe, just maybe, there should be an explanation forthcoming as to why a rider wasn't kept after the split from the NWT Power Corp., and, more importantly, why one wasn't put back on when it became painfully obvious the corporation was losing money at a staggering rate?

Dare we ask if anyone in Picco's department bothered to check all those rosy numbers predicting profits for a corporation that was losing millions annually?

Was the minister even interested, or were all those comforting, yet totally unfounded, predictions a ready-made excuse for him to focus all his attention on keeping an even keel with his other portfolio at the time, that of Health Minister?

Wait a minute, that department has also been grossly over budget since the birth of our territory!

We would also like to know why Premier Paul Okalik hasn't brought Picco -- kicking and screaming if need be -- under the public spotlight to answer to the mess the corporation finds itself in?

The time for silence is past and the time for explanations is now.

Dare we ask to see some sort of vision for the future from the current heads of the Qulliq Energy Corp.?

Of course, they're no easier to find than Picco these days and they're not taking phone calls, either.

Finally, one last question to Nunavut's educators: Are you feeling just a little nervous about the direction Education may take during the next four years?


Politics could scuttle the pipeline

Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum


As the bureaucratic wheels have been set in motion for constructing an Alaska Highway gas pipeline, the players involved in the territory's pipeline project better find a way to get on the same page or risk losing out.

The same person who forgot to tell Deh Cho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian that pipelines can bend -- avoiding the Deh Cho Settlement Areas altogether -- better inform him of the stakes at risk if this "alternate route" beats the NWT to the punch.

Although building the Alaska Highway pipeline would be much costlier than the Mackenzie Valley option, the volume of gas in the North Slope -- estimated at five times more than the Delta's -- and the demand for cheaper fuel in southern markets could bode well for the Alaskan route's chances.

If the Alaska Highway plans were to go ahead before the Mackenzie pipeline, the Delta region down to Norman Wells would still benefit some, as NWT gas could be routed to connect with an Alaska Highway pipe. However, such a situation would push back any NWT pipeline plans -- and subsequent benefits -- as manpower and materials would be employed on the competing front.

In addition, several experts have noted that requisite pipeline steel, not to mention skilled labour, is not abundant enough to construct both pipelines simultaneously.

Green party sinks NDP in Western Arctic?

There were a lot of disappointed NDP supporters in the Western Arctic riding Tuesday morning as NDP candidate Dennis Bevington missed toppling incumbent Liberal candidate Ethel Blondin-Andrew by a mere 52 votes.

Blondin-Andrew must be secretly thanking her lucky stars that the Green Party chose to run a candidate in her stronghold, as several NDP backers in town cursed the same party Tuesday for the same reason.

Though it's true that the Green Party's existence makes for a more fruitful democracy, a cursory glance at the party's platform may make the average voter wonder what really separates it from the NDP.

While some may feel good about throwing their vote away or making a statement by casting it for the NDP's younger sibling, feeling good about oneself and making statements is not going to change things in this country if your party doesn't have a hope of winning a seat.

As Blondin-Andrew gets packed for Ottawa and Bevington sits licking his wounds in Fort Smith, the irony is that forces once considered allied with the NDP contributed to its downfall in the Western Arctic this time around.

To the Green Party's credit, it captured enough of the popular vote to qualify for federal funding that will undoubtably be put towards enhancing the profile of the party, thereby making the NDP's chances of ever winning the Western Arctic seat slim to none.


Oh those housing woes

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum


There is seemingly no end to the line of Housing Corporation clients with complaints.

Although it won't alleviate problems dating back over a number of years, current clients should make a point of getting all future promises in writing. There are far too many people claiming that they were told one thing, but later told something else entirely different.

If it's on paper, and the client is provided a copy, then it won't be simply one person's word versus another.

There are a few things that all housing clients should know, if they don't already. According to Larry Campbell, the Housing Corporation's manager for the Nahendeh region, the Housing Corporation relies on mortgage payments to help cover the cost of making repairs.

When people in a community fail to make payments, then the pool of money designated to fix houses quickly dries up.

That means everybody is left in a bind.

As well, Housing Corporation tenants are charged mortgage payments based on income. If they earn more, they pay more. If they make less, they pay less. To avoid slipping into arrears, clients must inform the Housing Corporation of changes in income level in a timely fashion.

Each community should have a Housing Corporation binder in the band office. Clients can use that binder to register complaints or request an appointment with Housing Corporation officials or technical staff.

Finally, self-government may soon bring the opportunity for First Nations to assume control of housing. It will be interesting to see what changes that will bring.

What an evening

There was no holiday commemorated or anniversary marked at last week's cookout at the long-term care facility. No, the get-together was held for the sake of getting together, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Elders, toddlers and everyone in between enjoyed the splendour of the outdoors, the tasty dinner and the delightful conversation. It was an idyllic setting.

The best part is that such a great social occasion can take place at any time, so long as there is a will to do it.

What a trip

Judging by the photos, the impressive list of stops and the enthusiastic recollections, Grade 6 students at Bompas elementary school had a splendid time on their class trip to Alberta. It was 12 days of good times that they and their parents earned through fund-raising activities.

They reaped the benefits for showing the initiative, and the community supported them in a journey they will surely remember for many years to come.