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Friday, September 24, 2004
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Rabble-rousers aren't so bad

What's wrong with having a reputation as being a rabble rouser? Absolutely nothing when it comes to social advocacy groups like the Yellowknife Women's Society.

The society is proud of its reputation and wears it as a "badge of honour," and so it should.

Over the years, this non-profit society has gone beyond the call of duty. It has fought for the rights of women and children who are victims of family violence and sexual abuse. It has defended those who suffer due to poor government policies or programs and helped young mothers trying to get their children back from foster care.

Society members routinely knock on bureaucrats' and politicians' doors, demanding action on controversial issues that hit low income families.

At its annual general meeting last week, the results of a community survey circulated in July were released. Not surprisingly, 79 per cent of the 205 respondents agreed "community groups should be able to advocate against any systems/structures that impact the rights and/or lives of people."

Caroline Johnson, fundraiser and public relations manager for the society, said the survey was done after it "lost funding because we refused to sign a 'shut up' clause saying we'd follow whatever Child Protection laid down.'"

The contract was for running a family re-unification program, which helps return children in foster care back to their homes as quickly as possible. The Women's Society calls this a family support program, which it ran for five years. Part of it was funded by the society itself, with some financial aid from Health and Social Services.

This year was the first time that Yellowknife Health and Social Services put out a request for proposals to offer the same service. The Bosco Homes contract is worth just over $85,000 for one year, with the possibility of a three-year extension, depending on available funding and the quality of service provided.

The Yellowknife Women's Society didn't lose the contract, it just didn't win it. Bosco Homes appears to have the expertise and resources available to provide this program, so we can't argue that the Women's Society should have been awarded it instead.

What the Yellowknife Women's Society should know is the people of Yellowknife appreciate their efforts. The passion and commitment of the executive director for the society's Centre for Northern Families, Arlene Hache, is admired across the city and that should encourage her to continue the fight for women and children who need help.

Instead of dwelling on this particular contract, the society must continue fundraising and speaking out about issues. If they don't, who will?


Losing a way of life

Editorial Comment
Lisa Scott
Kivalliq News


A news release came across my desk this week that has the capacity to put fear into the hearts of all Nunavummiut.

It was the result of a study by the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental body made up of eight Arctic nations, including Canada.

Inuit and Arctic people, along with 600 scientists and the council, participated in it.

The results warn of an increasing warming trend that threatens to obliterate the Inuit way of life.

"Climate change will soon make the Arctic regions of the world nearly unrecognizable, dramatically disrupting traditional Inuit and other Northern native people's way of life," it warns.

It talks of melting sea ice and permafrost and the possible extinction of marine mammals like polar bears, walrus and seals.

Most Canadians have been aware of this warming trend for years, but are Inuit and other Arctic peoples aware of the added threat to Northern climates?

The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment study says the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, with calculations of a 6C increase by the end of the century.

If the Arctic warming trend is truly "an early warning barometer for what will happen in the rest of the world," then that puts Arctic people in a position to be heard.

Speak out on climate change that's happening in your community when you travel. Record anything unusual that you notice on hunting trips about the animals or their environment. Contact your MLA to ask about climate change in the Arctic and ask them not only what they are doing about it, but what you can do, too.

Affirmative action tips

Environment Canada's Web site has a section devoted to affirmative action tips for Canadians to reduce their daily impact on climate change. You can take the one-tonne challenge to reduce waste and energy in your own household.

No action means "the end of the Inuit as a hunting culture," according to Sheila Watt-Cloutier, chairwoman of the Arctic Council.

We are bombarded with studies like this one almost every day. But if its findings are even moderately accurate, Arctic communities stand to lose the most.

Look around and see what you can do to reduce waste and emissions. Walk to work, leave the Honda at the house and start working towards saving the Arctic way of life.


Distinct society?

Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum


After Quebec came away with a special deal from the First Minister's conference with Prime Minister Paul Martin, which revolved around leaving a legacy of improved health care for "generations to come," one has to question the meaning of "distinct society" as it relates to providing health care.

In the deal, Quebec is exempted from accountability measures imposed on other provinces for improving, among other things, patient waiting times.

Though the fine print leaves a lot of flexibility for all provinces and territories, so says the PM, the nasty odour of "distinct society" clauses once again permeates.

If one really wants to get into a discussion about distinct societies, the Northwest Territories is a great place to begin. While Quebec touts language as a cornerstone of its distinctiveness, the NWT has 11 official languages of its own. That's pretty distinct.

I wonder if the health service of a vitamin shot in the behind administered in Quebec is any more distinct than one given in Colville Lake.

Nevertheless, put this region's distinctiveness in the context of delivering health care and the entire North could be classified, if nothing else, as distinctly challenging when attempting to meet its residents' medical needs.

If the federal government can't bring itself to recognize aboriginal peoples as "distinct societies," as it accords Quebecers, at least it has offered $700 million in additional health care funding for aboriginal people to be spent over the next five years. This is over and above the nearly $1 billion per year the feds already provide for in this arena.

While the "shameful conditions" regarding the health status of First Nations people wasn't enough to get the feds to recognize any distinctiveness there, at least it activated a time-honoured Liberal tradition of throwing money at a problem to mitigate any embarrassment.

Following the Western Premiers Conference in Inuvik, Assembly of First Nations NWT Regional Chief Bill Erasmus told the Drum that more money was not necessarily the solution, rather more control over money already available.

Hopefully, the $200 million earmarked for improving co-ordination between the feds, provinces, territories and First Nations health jurisdictions will be used wisely.

Destroyed tent a wake-up call

When an Inuvik man brought me to the burned out ground where his tent used to be last week, the thought that someone could have been cruel enough to destroy a homeless man's shelter was sickening.

What have things come to when the weak are targeted in blatant acts of violence?

This kind of behaviour should not be tolerated and when the perpetrator(s) is (are) found, I think -- just for a moment -- that it's too bad we live in an age of kid-glove punishments, as breaking rocks for five years in a labour camp would be too good for those responsible.


Those who matter most

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum


It's hard to imagine a more suitable individual for the role of Governor General than Adrienne Clarkson.

It seems that everyone who meets her has nothing but complimentary things to say about Her Excellency. She's radiant, gracious and she comes across as genuine. Even as she was obviously weary after a full day of travel and hobnobbing in Yellowknife and Fort Providence -- it's surely not good etiquette to point out the bags under her eyes -- she maintained a warm grin and pleasant demeanour well into the evening.

Perhaps you're thinking you too could fulfil the obligations of the Governor General in return for the generous salary and umpteen-million dollar budget that comes with the position. Maybe so, but the gig is not entirely glamorous. It's a rigorous schedule that she maintains. Not only that, there's a minimum of privacy that comes with the territory. Everywhere Clarkson and her husband, His Excellency John Ralston Saul, go, there's a rather large entourage that shadows them.

There's also a bevy of police officers present to offer protection. Then there's the media -- even in Fort Providence there were several of us constantly flashing the camera and sticking microphones in her face at every turn.

With all that attention, the Governor General can't simply slip out for a beverage and catch the latest sports scores. Neither could she very well decide she'd seen enough of an afternoon's festivities and retire to her motel room for a nap without disappointing the heck out of everybody.

It's demanding, but she seems to sincerely enjoy it. Furthermore, coming North as frequently as she does is a choice, not a requirement, so she must truly love it here.

However, she pops in, stays briefly and goes. It's been swell, but there likely won't be a return visit anytime soon.

That's why Fort Providence has it right

The community had Family Day planned for Tuesday of this week. The family is the core unit of everyone's life, or it ought to be. It should be celebrated more often. Hopefully there was a good turnout for Tuesday's activities.

At the same time, we can't forget about our neighbours who give of themselves on a regular basis: police officers, volunteer firefighters -- volunteers of all kinds for that matter, teachers, those who reinforce the aboriginal culture, medical staff and so on. These types of people make our communities better places in which to live.

Although they don't often get a lot of credit, public servants also deserve a tip of the cap, such as those who were given long-term service awards last week.

These folks keep the cogs turning in a relatively large bureaucracy for a small territory. It's true that some of them are busier than others. But many of them take flak for enforcing unpopular policies, things that are beyond their control. They must also do the best they can despite budget cuts.

Anyone who can remain loyal to an employer for 20 or 25 years is clearly an asset.


Correction

It was incorrectly reported Sept. 22 that Stanley Paul Desjarlais Sr. and Henry Lockhart were standing trial for a 29-year-old rape in Lutsel K'e. Charges were stayed against the men on September 17. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment this may have caused. Please see Two charges stayed in rape case.

In July 15, 2004, an article was printed in the Inuvik Drum regarding a muskox population decline on Banks Island. The story reported that half of the herd may have perished. Subsequent information and follow-up articles indicated that this was not the case. While a preliminary survey of the island by an RWED wildlife biologist revealed 471 dead muskox along the Thomsen River corridor, the actual impact on muskox numbers of severe icing on the northwest portion of the island will not be known until a comprehensive survey, scheduled for July 2005, is completed. The Inuvik Drum regrets any confusion its reporting may have caused.