Arctic sovereignty was back on the radar with the recent visit of federal Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor to the NWT and Nunavut.

To get an idea how misunderstood Arctic sovereignty is to many Canadians, and more significantly, previous liberal governments, we quote interim Liberal leader and former defence minister Bill Graham who was also on a Northern tour earlier this month.

In reaction to the government's plans for more military equipment, soldiers and surveillance technology for the North, Graham scoffed: "Nobody's going to invade the Arctic; real Northern problems aren't Arctic defence."

Perhaps if there were no such thing as global warming and increasingly precious oil and gas resources under Arctic waters, Graham might be right.

How many short years before the Northwest Passage becomes a shortcut for world shipping? Oil and gas is the kind of cargo going through the passage, no doubt passing oil rigs pumping out a large percentage of Canada's known oil and gas reserves. Don't the Inuvialuit own those resources in the West and Nunavummiut in the East?

How can Canadians, how are Northerners who have the most at stake, going to police such traffic when we don't even have one naval ship that can venture North regardless of ice conditions?

The Conservative government of Stephen Harper harped on Arctic sovereignty during the campaign. They talked about a port in Iqaluit, a military training centre in Cambridge Bay, enhanced surveillance and three military icebreakers.

Now Northerners must keep the ball rolling. Both Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik and NWT Premier Joe Handley are taking the Conservative approach seriously.

Handley is reported as suggesting to Defence Minister O'Connor that Tuktoyaktuk would be a strategically sound choice for a deepwater port. Handley is absolutely correct and we hope he continues to press the point for both the North and Canada. The territorial legislature should pass a supporting motion and pledge the support of successive governments for the choice of Tuktoyaktuk, lobbying the feds to make it happen.

The Canadian Armed Forces have been underfunded for many years. In June, Ottawa announced $15 billion for new helicopters, ships, planes and trucks. There was no mention of military icebreakers.

While the need for the new equipment is understandable, Northern leaders should be looking to the next budget allotment. It's not just ordinary Canadians and their politicians who must be convinced of Arctic vulnerability, it's our military leaders as well.

Following the American military around is a natural temptation. How much better would we serve our allies and the world if we were to concentrate on defending one of the richest, most environmentally sensitive and soon-to-be militarily strategic locations on the planet?

Editorial Comment
Andrew Raven
Kivalliq News

Armed with on-the-land skills about as refined as the average Inuit four-year-old, I set out in search of caribou last week. Thousands ­ perhaps tens of thousands ­ of the animals were making their way across the Meliadine River valley, 10-15 kilometres from Rankin Inlet.

I found the caribou within five minutes ­ they were teeming across the gravel road that connects Rankin to the tundra. Cameras in hand, I jumped out of the newspaper's truck and followed my quarry, confident of my place in the food chain.

But I must have done something to make these cud-chewers a little uneasy, because three bulls and a handful of adolescents broke away from the pack and started running towards me.

"Strange," I thought. "How come Š Holy sugar!"

Faced with my first fight or flight situation since Grade 7 ­ the menace then was a 200-pound Grade 8 student with body odour like a trench horse ­ I decided to run. Well, from the caribou's perspective, it probably looked more like a hurried waddle. With two cameras and a photo bag dangling from my neck, my top speed was 'slow.'

In retrospect, I should have jettisoned the gear. But with three sets of velvet-covered antlers bearing down on me, that thought didn't even enter my brain, which by now was running in Homo Habilis mode: don't die.

It seems like the primitive human brain can make some spatial calculations, though. I realized I wasn't going to reach the company truck before the caribou ­ getting closer now, closer still ­ reached me.

But there must be something about a slow-footed, hairless monkey dashing across the tundra that screams out to caribou: 'no immediate threat.'

The lead bull suddenly broke away and sauntered back to the herd. The others followed and the "pursuit" ­ as it will be called in Raven family lore ­ was over. (I suspect it will replace my father's legendary tale of the "three hour-battle against rush-hour traffic.")

Peril passed, I evaluated the situation. Camera Š check. Film Š check. Truck keys ... check. Underpants Š mercifully fine. I also wondered: has anyone in Nunavut ever been killed by a caribou? Probably a few during the last couple of hundred years. Still, it's one of those tragi-comedy deaths that southern newspapers go ga-ga over.

I could see the headline: "Plodding reporter killed by caribou. Believed to be first person killed by herbivore in decades." At least that's ho

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

The main message I have to deliver to my readers today, is the word of sharing.

I don't mean that I want you to go out and give money, or forfeit half of your worldly possessions to your neighbour.

I'm not here to preach; I just want to make our community as nice as possible. While walking through the arts festival earlier this week, I saw a man and his son looking at some carvings.

I talked with them for a bit, and learned about some nice looking pieces. They were talking about different styles, and how the art has been changing. It was nice to be a part of the exchange, because it made me reflect on the things around me.

I think the arts festival is a great place for learning, regardless of age or walk of life. I saw artists giving workshops, and passing on their knowledge to interested people who would stop and talk with them as they worked on their latest projects.

Various discussions took place, about the many techniques one can have with a paint brush, from short, brisk stokes, to dabbles with a worn out brush to give a painting an "air brushed" look.

While some people may think that sharing your success in art could be classified information, I say it should be open to all. Let anyone know how, so if they choose to become active in the craft, they have a good idea of where to start.

I also saw that television personality Dennis Allen was on hand to share his wisdom with whomever wanted to sit down and listen. After working with this guy for just over a year I can say that I learned a lot from him.

Whether it be shooting tips with a digital video camera, or writing tips, and how to properly outline a 24-minute TV program, I could always count on his explanations.

One thing about Dennis' teaching, is that he never complicates his words by jumbling some useless jargon when he's telling you about something.

His workshop was a great opportunity for regular people who do not work in the broadcast industry to pick up a video camera and shoot.

I don't mean the kind of video camera that you learned about at your cousin's wedding, when your uncle told you that nobody else could work it. These machines that Dennis uses on a daily basis are top of the line equipment.

I know because I was in the thick of it all for two years, and when I left, I still had no clue about what half of the knobs were for, and my white balances were off on more than half of the raw footage I took. I thank Dennis for his patience as well.

For those of you lucky people who were in the workshop, now you have a taste of the biz, and what comes with the territory - working late nights and sharing workspaces with other people.

We need more venues like the arts festival, so more and more people can become involved in pastimes that they enjoy.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

It's great to see the large number of people who took the emergency firefighter course in both Fort Simpson and Fort Liard.

With most of the participants being between the ages of 18-24, these young people gained additional skills that could open new doors or job opportunities for them.

They are also now qualified to help fight forest fires if the need ever arises.

Even more encouraging is the number of women who took the course. In Fort Simpson four of the nine participants were female.

From the outside, fire crews can seem like a male-dominated environment so it's positive to see women who are willing to move into the field.

Besides developing new skills and probably getting a boost for their self-esteem, these young women paved the way for even more to follow.

It's been more than 40 years since the women's liberation movement in Canada swept the nation in the 1960s and '70s. While women have come a long way, their journey is not yet over.

October is women's history month in Canada, an event that has been celebrated since 1992. This year the focus is on aboriginal women and their journey forward.

The goal is to make people across Canada more aware of aboriginal women's contributions to their country, communities and families. Organizers also hope to promote an understanding of the unique realities and challenges that aboriginal women face in their lives.

In the Deh Cho, women occupy many positions of power. There are women chiefs, council members, Metis presidents, health care workers, entrepreneurs and professionals.

But it's not just the women with fancy titles who are powerful in communities.

Many families are kept together by women who work hard to care for children and the household - contributions that often go unseen.

Women are also important in preserving many aspects of the culture in the Deh Cho. Women carry traditional knowledge about a variety of subjects and ensure that traditional crafting skills are passed on to the next generation.

Women are even branching into different cultural areas that have been traditionally seen as the domain of men. A few months ago a group of women in Fort Providence gathered together to learn how to make and use drums.

Across the Deh Cho it's time to recognize the contributions that women make to communities and the quality of life. There is no need to wait for October to arrive. Women provide examples daily that are worthy of praise.

As the younger generation of women move forward it's important that they know about the people in whose footsteps they are following so they can both appreciate the ground that has been covered and break new trails moving forward.

Whether they are taking emergency firefighter training courses or making drums, women in the Deh Cho have clearly shown that nothing is beyond their grasp.

Incorrect information appeared in the July 17 edition of News/North. In the article "Elias gets six years for killing brother," court documents show no evidence James Elias had barricaded himself inside a house in November 2003. In the same edition, the wrong photo appeared with a story about marine biologist Amy Thompson.

News/North apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment our errors may have caused.

Incorrect information appeared in the July 17 edition of News/North. In the article "Elias gets six years for killing brother," court documents show no evidence James Elias had barricaded himself inside a house in November 2003. In the same edition, the wrong photo appeared with a story about marine biologist Amy Thompson.

News/North apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment our errors may have caused.