Donna Adams
Guest Comment
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (June 29/05) - I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bryan Drakenberg for bringing up a serious matter about our youth that, we, as community members - especially elected members - do need to get involved with them.

That is one thing I do agree with him about. If any good comes out of this whole debate, it is to bring about the fact there may be a lack of support when it comes to the question of "how much do we care?"

Now that it is in the open, perhaps, hopefully we will wake up and get more involved with our children and youth.

Having said that, I also see more programs today that are helping our youth. There is a new group that calls itself Inuulisaijiit. This organization holds different activities to promote positive lifestyles amongst people of all ages. There are the people from the Holy Comforter Church congregation who hold Youth Nite and are devoted to extending their hours of volunteering in hopes of accommodating youth who stay out late with no place to go. And we at the Glad Tidings Church hold a Youth Nite every Thursday, in which I am directly involved.

There are countless Sunday School teachers in all the churches who devote their time to our children. I don't - and I'm sure these volunteers don't - expect recognition, pity, or an award for this commitment of our own time.

It is something we enjoy doing, and support or no support, I think I could say we wouldn't give it up.

I'm sure there are others who deserve recognition and maybe more programs I did not mention.

Lastly, out of the hundreds of thousands of programs that could have easily been adopted for the Youth Centre summer camp, there was one chosen which I disagreed with.

Therefore my children, as well as some others, are not participating in this year's summer camp. Yes, I know, it is easy to say "if you don't like the program, don't register your children." But as a taxpayer, is this not my right? And I ask, "who's enforcing their will on others?"

We could have easily worked out a different program.

And let me emphasize again that the Inuit culture is very rich in that it promotes sharing, teamwork, co-operation, addressing discipline, and more.

Not to mention, Inuit are very wise. You'd have to have lived through what our elders have. And did I mention our sense of humour? We cherish life. We cherish our youth.

To me, this is another glorified Western cultural program, which as always, is short-term, being applied to our society without so much as asking, "so what do the people of the community have to offer, nevertheless, what does the Inuit culture have to offer?"

Let me repeat my words. Get to know the folks around here. Get involved with the community, truly.

Dare I add I am not against non-Inuit cultures and am definitely not racist. You don't know me if you think I am.

This notion is automatically and all too often applied to those who promote their own culture.

For the record, the supporters that day at the council meeting came unannounced and were not on the agenda as delegates.

Anyone wishing to voice their concern is more than welcome to do so at any and all council meetings.

I have never seen our Mayor turn anyone away for not being listed under the delegates section on any given agenda, which is what happened this time. What I'm stressing is there was no public call for representatives of both sides to be present, in order to be fair.

- Donna Adams is a hamlet councillor in Rankin Inlet.