Last week during a stop in Norman Wells, Indian and Northern Affairs minister Jim Prentice proved what Northerners have always known - the feds like to trample aboriginal rights.

Saying his department intends to consult, but not seek "unanimity," on the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline project because of the national interest is in fact working against Canada's national interest.

His job as minister for Indian Affairs requires he strike a deal with the Dehcho First Nation's that cements their rights to govern and control their own land as they see fit.

The decision-making tactics demonstrated by the minister as of late will only lead to confrontation and mistrust similar to the current situation in Ontario, where the Six Nations were involved in a stand-off over opposition to a housing development.

That's the last thing the pipeline proposal needs and will hurt aboriginal and non-aboriginal business interests up and down the valley.

Prentice and his department must win the confidence of Dehcho leaders through honest negotiations that recognizes the Dehcho's rights to land and honours the fact that self-government negotiations are in progress.

It's time to order federal negotiators to get down to business, or risk setting the stage for future lawsuits or resistance. Such an outcome would help no one and harm the aspirations of many.

The decision to move the Territorial Treatment Centre to Hay River from Yellowknife was politics at its worst.

Now the government is prepared to compound its bad judgment by tearing down and building anew rather than renovate the Dene K'onia young offenders building to house the centre. Public works officials say it would cost the same to demolish and build a new structure, but we wonder how true that can be given what's happening with other buildings in the North.

Costs are being driven up by mega building projects in B.C. and Alberta. Contractors have more than enough work to keep their crews busy, a fact Hay River found out through numerous delays in finishing construction of its new pool. Even more troubling are questions about whether this change in building plans has broken government rules.

Unfortunately we might never know because demolition tenders are due back May 11, weeks before MLAs reconvene for the next sitting of the legislative assembly.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that everything goes as planned, otherwise there will be plenty of pointing fingers looking for blame when the project is months behind schedule or hundreds of thousands of dollars over budget.

Last week, Inuit organizations, First Nations and the federal government approved the residential school compensation package.

With that hurdle out of the way, the most important things is to get the money -- $10,000 plus $3,000 for every year spent at a residential school per student -- into the hands of those who need it the most right away: elders.

They have suffered for years and have long awaited recognition that being forced from their homes into church-run schools was racist and wrong.

Everyone must understand, however, that this money will in no way erase the pain and suffering.

The compensation is supposed to provide a step toward healing.

There are numerous sayings about money. Money can't buy happiness; Money is the root of all evil; A fool and his money are soon parted are but a few.

While money is nice to have and certainly solves some problems, it can't solve them all.

A sudden influx of money could provide a few creature comforts for homes or fill the pantry for a few weeks, but it could also do more harm than good.

Communities will have to pull together to provide assistance for those who are willing to accept it. Information sessions are a step toward this goal. They introduce people to information they might not have been aware of.

Davidee Itulu will be remembered as one of Kimmirut's best artists, a master at working with walrus tusk.

Itulu, who died on April 15, was a renowned scrimshaw artist, someone who works with ivory.

His feel for art started on the land, where he was born, and remained with him as he adapted to the sedentary life that Inuit now live.

His work broached the traditional elements of nomadic life with present day realities.

With ivory becoming scarcer, the art of scrimshaw is fading, but Itulu's legacy may be a renewal of the art in Nunavut. Inuit art continues to attract national and international attention and recognition.

And while Itulu may have left this world, future generations can rest assured that his spirit lives on in his works.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

There has been much said, and written, concerning the controversy in Baker Lake surrounding the Bantam tournament earlier this month.

Let us say right from the start, we fully support the Baker Lake Youth Athletics Association (BLYAA) and the excellent work it has done during the past few years.

We also recognize the type of "spirit" the board members are trying to instill within their athletes as being, for the most part, positive.

The BLYAA is trying to provide a full spectrum of benefits to the athletes which transcends the mere playing of sports.

Board members and coaches are working hard to establish pride among their young athletes, as well as a sense of belonging, fair play, self-worth, community and team spirit.

And, for all that, we applaud them.

In fact, the BLYAA has become somewhat of an organizational role model for the rest of the Kivalliq to structure its own programs after.

All that being said, a ton of responsibility comes with any organization trying to instill proper values among youth.

Youth pick up quickly on messages being sent to them by the adults in their lives, especially those they tend to look up to, such as teachers and coaches.

One message youth should hear as they mature is that it's OK to admit when you're wrong.

And, in this particular case, the board members of the BLYAA were wrong.

These four youth weren't being malicious or vindictive with their cheering.

They are, by the admission of the personalities involved themselves, good kids.

There are few things in everyday life that spark the type of emotion we witness at sporting events.

And, there are far more glaring examples of "negative-cheering incidents" than what these kids did.

Bodychecks, scoring goals and taking penalties are all part of hockey. Hockey fans across Canada cheer when the team they're rooting for scores, bodychecks a player on the opposing team or induces them into taking a penalty.

What happened at the Baker Lake arena earlier this month was no different.

Had the hockey game been part of a larger event in which points from different sports were carried over into team standings, the board members may have had a point.

But it wasn't.

These were kids who, although BLYAA members, had friends and family members on the team they chose to support.

They enjoyed themselves at the event, cheering loudly for their team without causing problems for anyone else around them.

And they cheered properly. There were no personal or racial insults, no profanity and no mocking.

The sting the Baker Lake Bantams were feeling late in that gold medal game was coming from the scoreboard, not the stands.

Maybe the lesson to be learned from the experience is that it's just as difficult to teach kids how to lose properly as it is how to win.

Maybe more so!

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

Nothing beats a good gathering of people, and Friday night at the Legion was just that.

It was the musical farewell to James Boraski, and the first event leading up to the End of the Road music festival.

Those of you who packed into the Legion for the live music acts that night know what I mean when I say deep atmosphere.

The music was great, and I really enjoyed Craig Fudge's rendition of Johnny Cash's live at Folsom prison performance.

I don't know what it is about the man in black, but I always find time to stop what I am doing and just enjoy his music.

Craig, and everyone else who got up and performed that night, deserve hearty applause.

I have always enjoyed live music, and I don't think I am alone.

There is something about a live band that brings the community together.

Like actor Vince Vaughn said in one of his movies: "Live music is like pizza, it's never bad."

Speaking of pizza, I think I owe the Kraft food company a life -long debt.

I can't get enough of those oven-baked 'Delissio' pizzas.

Cooking was a skill that I never could get a grip on, what with all the take-out, and microwavable goodies out there to tempt me.

I am glad to see that there are youth out there who have skills that will help them later in life.

A group of students from Samuel Hearne just returned from a trip to Yellowknife where they took part in the annual Skills Canada territorial competition.

Again, not to harbour on my past, but I do remember those experiences to be good ones.

Granted, the skills trip was my only "out" during my school years.

(I was not terribly athletic, so Super Soccer was not on my list of yearly trips south.)

I have to applaud the school for sending those nine youth down for the competition.

Experiences like the skills trip help develop a person.

You meet new people, and gain a confidence that can only be found out of mother's nest.

Most of you parents out there can remember what it was like to take that yearly school trip out of town.

Maybe it was by a bus, maybe you packed 10 people into a truck. Either way, you still got to see new things.

I guess the point I am trying to get across is that I want to see more programs that challenge youth's minds, as well as their physical prowess.

It rained on Tuesday morning, and I thought it was pretty cool, until everything froze over.

Try not to slip and fall on the ice outside, because nothing is more embarrassing than falling down on ice.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

People in the North can breathe a small sigh of relief.

If the opinions of medical experts can be trusted, it looks like avian flu is something that can be crossed off the short-term list of items to worry about.

Goodness knows that most people have lots on their plate, so taking a potentially deadly virus out of the mix can only be a good thing.

A very relevant question, however, is how concerned should we have been about avian flu in the first place.

If you watch, read or listen to the media, stories about avian flu pop up almost every other day.

There is a scare everytime a bird in a new country is found with the virus. Sometimes it turns out a dead bird didn't have the virus at all, creating yet another story to let people know.

Following medical news for a prolonged period of time is enough to turn almost anyone into to hypochondriac. It can also be dangerous when people hear only bits of stories or reports that contradict each other -- something that happens a fair bit.

At times it's hard to know what to believe about avian flu. Of course this is nothing new. There always seems to be a new disease or virus that becomes the biggest scare for a while before slipping back below the radar, maybe quietly passing its time before rising up again like a monster from the depths.

Sometimes viruses have to be put into perspective. Worldwide, only a few hundred people have died from avian flu. In Canada every year, an average of 500 to 1,500 people die from complications related to normal strains of flu and pneumonia. The numbers are higher using some counting methods, which place the deaths at 700 to 2,500.

But with the light-heartedness wiped away, there is, of course, a deadly serious side to all of this talk of pandemic influenzas.

Pandemics can and do happen with tragic results. Maybe they capture the minds of the masses because unlike many other diseases, they often hit suddenly and people die quickly.

While Canada's chief medical officer Dr. David Butler-Jones said it's far more likely that a new dangerous virus will pop up in south-east Asia, there is still a chance, although a remote one, that it could happen in our own backyard.

But the chance of this happening shouldn't send people scurrying to buy medical face masks and lock themselves in their homes. Oddly enough, Butler-Jones recommends many of the same obvious precautions that any parent shares with their children as they grow up.

In the case of avian flu, don't touch or eat any bird that looks suspicious and make sure you practise safe hygiene while cleaning and preparing them.

For worries about other nasty flu strains, sneeze or cough into tissues so you don't spread germs, disinfect household surfaces that might be contaminated and don't go to work if you are sick.

Only time will tell what will happen with avian flu and other flu variations. In the meantime, keep washing your hands.