Editorial

Over the past 30 years, more than 500 aboriginal women and girls have gone missing or been murdered across the country, a fact the National Aboriginal Womens Summit held in Newfoundland blamed on "systemic racist and discriminatory factors."

Amnesty International reported in 2004 that, in this country, Aboriginal women between the age of 25 and 44 are five times more likely to die as a result of violence compared to other Canadian women.

The three Northern three territories top the country in violence against women.

In the NWT, 471 women, 371 of them Aboriginal, used shelters in Hay River, Inuvik, Yellowknife, and Fort Smith during the past two reporting years.

Despite this, the federal government only sees violence against Aboriginal women occurring on reserves.

Ottawa made a big show recently of announcing $56 million for shelters on reserves. While that's good in the South, it shows a lack of understanding of the problem and a disregard for the North.

In the NWT, one-quarter of residents are Aboriginal women. Where's the funding for them?

Beverley Oda, federal minister for the Status of Women, while visiting Iqaluit for the annual Status of Women Meeting, stated she would work to address this discrepancy with the three Northern territories.

However, it's going to take a lot more than talk to convince us of the government's sincerity. So often, their caring for Aboriginal people only goes as far as the boundaries of southern reserves, which are only home to about 300,000 of Canada's 1.3 million Aboriginal peoples. First Nations and Inuit in the North don't live on reserves, but face the same problems of violence, substance abuse, poverty and unemployment.

Charles Dent, the GNWT's status of women minister, said he is cautiously optimistic that Oda will be true to her word. He isn't content to sit back and wait. He and his territorial counterparts from the Yukon and Nunavut met last week to discuss the matter and come up with figures and time frames for what they want.

First of all, Dent and his counterparts shouldn't be content with just a slice of the $56 million fund already announced. Reserves need that money and in an era of multi-billion-dollar federal surpluses, surely Ottawa can find new money for Northern shelters and anti-violence programs.

Dent must be diligent in his fight to protect the rights and fair treatment of Northern women. The territorial government has recognized the problem and in 2003 initiated the $5 million, five-years NWT Action Plan on Family Violence. The money runs out next year, but the work isn't over. During the last two years, the government's own statistics show the number of women using shelters has actually increased slightly.

A healthy North is built upon healthy families. Working to stop violence in the home is one important part of that. It's unfortunate that during this battle against such a devastating social issue women's groups and the territorial government must also combat the federal government for equal treatment.

The North needs icebreakers

We either use it or lose it.

That's Stephen Harper's assessment of maintaining Canadian Arctic sovereignty.

The thawing Northwest Passage is coveted as a shipping lane by nations around the world, including our mighty U.S. neighbour.

Harper's initial response was to promise three new, armed icebreakers to enforce Canada's claim to the region. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister took a step back, proposing instead to purchase six to eight patrol vessels to ply Arctic waters.

Although these boats will have helicopter landing pads and be equipped with guns, they won't possess the most important criterion for an Arctic vessel: the ability to break through ice more than a metre thick.

Therefore these patrol vessels, which are expected to be in service by 2013, will spend the winters maneuvering around the east and west coasts.

Inuit hunters and the scientific community have been informing us that the polar ice cap is melting. Does Stephen Harper surmise that the Arctic Ocean, which forms Nunavut's northern waterways, will thaw permanently over the next several years? How else could one explain his decision to cancel the icebreakers in favour of a $3.1 billion Band-aid intended to exert Canada's sovereignty in the North for only half of the year?

He was obviously looking at the bottom line. The icebreakers would have ran up a tab of billions more, but they would have given the Canadian government the horsepower it needs to legitimately state that our country controls the Northwest Passage.

With billions of dollars worth of oil and gas reservoirs beneath the Arctic Ocean - resources that are now too expensive to exploit, but with increasing demand will eventually be feasible to develop -- this isn't a time to pinch pennies.

This sovereignty issue could have been resolved in the mid-1980s when a previous Conservative government, under the leadership of Brian Mulroney, pitched a Polar 8 class icebreaker in response to an American icebreaker traversing the Northwest Passage without Canada's consent. The hue and cry over the perceived trespassing faded, and within a few years the plan was buried.

Twenty years later, the same problem still exists. Our Prime Minister, instead of living up to his commitments, is now offering a weak alternative.

Based on his latest ineffectual approach, Harper's critics are right, he'd be better off recognizing the Inuit's presence as our claim to Canadian sovereignty and invest the billions of dollars in infrastructure to enrich their lives - or better yet, do both properly.

Treasure or trash

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Thursday, July 19, 2007

There's an old saying that one person's junk is another person's treasure but this sentiment only goes so far.

On July 14, there was a fire in Fort Simpson in a vehicle being stored on a property along the main street. The fire was lit by a seven-year-old who was likely just experimenting with a lighter.

The result was car in flames and a plume of black smoke that could be seen anywhere on the island and also from locations on the hill. Fourteen members of the volunteer fire department lost a few hours of their weekend, a derelict vehicle looks a bit worse off and a young boy learned a lesson about playing with fire.

This could be a case of no harm, no foul, but it really isn't.

Fear mongering seldom serves a purpose, but the truth is that this fire could have had a much worse ending.

One of the main factors in the other potential outcomes of the fire is the location of the vehicle.

Anyone who has visited Fort Simpson has likely noticed the closed Esso station and garage located across the street from the Liidlii Kue First Nation's band office and the post office. Despite its prominent location in the community, the property is unlikely to make a list of village's highlights any time soon.

The yard of the garage is the resting place for more than 25 vehicles. There are a variety of car models, a number of trucks, some vans of different sizes and one small, yellow school bus. Put together, the collection of vehicles doesn't sound bad, but judgment has to be tempered by the state they're in.

Most of the vehicles have had their windows and windshields smashed in. Broken safety glass can be found in scattered collections on the ground. Some vehicles have hoods and trunks open and others are missing doors or other parts. Many of the vehicles have odds and ends stored in them.

Everyone is welcomed to his or her own idea of aesthetics, but if the property had a mother, she would probably be the only person to find it attractive.

Being unattractive or unsightly, however, isn't the main problem in this situation. It comes down to a matter of safety.

It's fortunate that there weren't any more flammable materials in the car that caught on fire or it's possible that the fire could have spread to the surrounding derelict vehicles and given the volunteer fire fighters a run for their money, as well as threatening their safety.

As Fire Chief Pat Rowe pointed out, it's hard to tell what you are dealing with in the event of a trash fire.

For example, some of the other vehicles in the lot have propane tanks sitting in them.

The fire has brought to a head a long-standing concern about the property that has been voiced in a number of arenas by a number of people.

Youth do use this area as a playground, as Sgt. Cliff McKay noted, and it's hard to watch it all the time to keep them out. One popular activity is to use material found in the area to create jumps for bikes.

The truth is that this property should have been cleaned up a long time ago to make it safer for the whole community. The changes could have been made by the property owner, who is understandably upset that people keep vandalizing his vehicles, or by those with the power to press for change such as the village council.

When something is unsafe, it shouldn't take a fire or an accident to move people into action.

Keep traditions alive

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik News
Thursday, July 19, 2007

As Inuvik grows, I see many changes and developments. There are new buildings and more people seem to flock to our piece of heaven.

As I walk down the street I can almost hear our little burg getting bigger. We can see stretch marks everywhere. New lots are being flattened, waiting for a big house to fill the void.

Every kid is wearing an iPod and knows how to use the Internet. Everyone is learning new skills and embracing a new way of life.

This lifestyle is something that has been growing for many years.

I want to flash back to a simpler time, before the water can of growth sprinkled over Inuvik. Do you remember the first few gatherings at the Inuvialuit Community building?

I remember walking into that big new building and being amazed at the simplicity of the Great Northern Arts Festival.

The whole first floor was one big open area and there would be drummers and dancers doing their thing right there.

I don't know about the rest of you, but somewhere between that first time I saw the arts festival and today, something changed inside me. I grew throughout the years and so has the show. The evolution of the arts festival has been a glorious thing to see.

You know, I almost became a carver. It was during one of my trips to Tuk while I was younger. I saw a few of the older guys doing it and figured I should try it.

The thing about carving is that you need to be dedicated to the art. I remember making a polar bear and when one of the legs was uneven, I unceremoniously resigned from my soapstone carving pastime.

The venue has changed over the years and the show has fluctuated from many artists to only a few.

But no matter what the circumstance, visiting artists knew what to do. Carry on and keep culture alive.

These artists deserve our recognition. The painters, the carvers and anyone else who works with their chosen medium deserve to be showcased.

Hours and hours of work come to a head during that week in July.

People come together and enjoy each other's company. Friendships are born and some are re-kindled.

This year seems to be one of those to remember. It's like one of those instances when you know to bring an extra memory card for your camera.

After spending a few years in the communications biz, I have covered my share of arts festivals. What always keeps me drawn in is the openness of the artists and their ambition.

I can't wait to walk through the workshop area and watch the masters at their best. I think it helps the festival to have artists on display as well as their work.

The gallery opens on Friday night for viewing and for the opening ceremony.

Seeing that whalebone being carried into the gallery and placed on the mantle is awe inspiring.

While you're out enjoying the festival, be sure to watch for me and my camera. I'll be the guy snapping photos with his jaw slack in awe.

So make the most of the next 10 days.

Before you know it, we'll just be standing in a cloud of soapstone dust, waiting for next year's show.

A fond farewell

Editorial Comment
Christine Grimard
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, July 18, 2007

I was driving down to the office, a drive I've done dozens of times in my seven weeks in Rankin Inlet, and I noticed that just now the ice is breaking up.

When I first got here I was told I would probably get a chance to see the water, and it seems suiting that it arrived just as I departed.

I can't help but get sentimental about the symbolism of finally seeing the water, like I feel I'm just starting to understand the community.

My first editorial spoke about the shock I felt arriving in Rankin Inlet from the comforts of Yellowknife. With no movies, malls, or pubs to fill my time, I found myself rather lost.

In the time I've spent here, I've realized that these things that are missing from the community are not lacking. If anything, I think not having these things is what made this experience so wonderful.

Fortunate to meet so many people eager to show me around, the things I've experienced in my seven weeks are things I'll carry with me my whole life. I'll never forget my first snowmobile ride on the ocean. Riding fast on the glistening snow in May was hard to believe, even harder was seeing that ice break and melt as the weeks went on.

Fishing at the Diane was equally memorable. I'm sure it was for my fishing partner as well, to hear me giggle and shriek as I tried to pick up his catch, a grayling.

My giggles and shrieks came out once again as I tried my first time at driving a Honda. I needed a reminder that rocks were something to be avoided, not aimed at.

Fond memories will stay with me of our nights at the cabin, looking out across the river at the majestic landscape laid out before us for kilometres on end.

My dearest memories I will reserve for my three little followers. They kept me company at the office, at home. They were eager to help and even more eager to please, helping me with my tasks and making each one a game. We laughed and giggled and cried together, and I will always keep the three of you close to my heart.

I was warned before I came up here that I wouldn't be quite settled until it was time to leave. I realize now how true that is. As excited as I am to see my friends and love at home, there are many people I will be missing here.

Paul and Jeff, thank you for showing me so many things and putting up with my girlish screams on the Honda. MC, you've been a wonderful friend, a kindred spirit when I needed one the most. Jeff and Jaime, I feel sad we were all just getting to know each other as I was leaving. Andrea, you've been a wonderful friend and companion, and I hope we always keep in touch.

My most sincere goodbyes go to Kandice, Glen, and Lila-mai. Though we have many years between us, I felt we all shared the same spirit. Thank you for teaching me to laugh so freely once again.

To the rest of Rankin Inlet, I appreciate so much the welcome you've shown me. This is a wonderful place to live.

On that note, I feel I must make this one last comment. While I claim to be no expert on Inuit ways, I can see how much hunting and traditional lifestyle mean to this community. In this respect, I urge you to look carefully at what's being done with the land.

Mining provides short-term employment, creating jobs for a period of time and leaving massive environmental damage and ghost towns behind it.

The caribou are a vital aspect of your culture, but with mining permits issued all over this territory those caribou are currently at serious risk. Choosing where to issue those permits is not saying no to mining companies, it's only showing them that you are in control and that you won't so easily sell your territory, and, in consequence, your lifestyle and culture.

Corrections

Nunavut News/North apologizes for the following errors:

Simo Kilabuk was misidentified in a photo on page 16 of the July 16 edition.

The Premier does not select members of cabinet as was stated in the July 16 editorial, but does assign senior portfolios.

In the July 16 edition of Nunavut News/North, incorrect information was printed in a story entitled "Artists share new prize." John Towtongie is in fact the craftsman from Rankin Inlet and Thomas Iksirnaq is the printmaker from Baker Lake.