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A place of refuge NWT News/North - Monday, May 10, 2010
Now, 15 years later, there's promise of $100,000 in funding from Health and Social Services and assistance from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to convert a donated NWT Housing Corp. building into a new addictions centre. The House of Hope had a rather informal feel. People gathered to offer each other support and keep their minds off their vices. Elders would drop-in to share stories. There is real value in this. Although it is not a rehabilitation program or a detox centre, such a place gives alcoholics and drug abusers a healthy environment to temporarily "dry out." It won't provide answers for some troubled souls, but it may help a few find the will to take the next step and seek counselling. In Inuvik, the Gwich'in Tribal Council has established a wellness camp on the outskirts of town. With money from the GNWT's Health department, addictions programs are becoming a reality there. These sort of initiatives are needed in as many communities as we can possibly manage. The federal government has short-sightedly cut Aboriginal Healing Foundation Funding. However, Ottawa has set aside $65.9 million for ongoing residential school mental and emotional trauma programs over the next two years. These addictions programs are a good fit for that money. Let's make a strong case for federal funding and keep pressing for the healing we deserve.
GNWT must act to protect water NWT News/North - Monday, May 10, 2010 Northerners are tiring of the territorial government's lack of will when it comes to protecting the NWT's most valuable resource: water. For years the GNWT has been saying it has plans to negotiate transboundary water agreements with neighbouring provinces and territories. Yet we're still waiting for more than lip service. In the meantime, elders along the Mackenzie River have been warning us for years about effects from downstream Alberta oil sands projects on Northern river levels, fish and wildlife. Now, a major dam project in British Columbia could have impacts stretching as far as the Beaufort Delta but once again the GNWT is not racing to our defence. The GNWT's water stewardship strategy, expected to be released this month in the legislative assembly, has been in the works for three years. Expected to outline the government's goals and vision for water management, it still isn't more than a list of wants. The GNWT continues to drag its feet on protecting NWT waterways. Three years without a finalized strategy - and more time needed to hammer out the final details - shows a lack of commitment and priorities. Until the GNWT starts protesting massive downstream developments and pressuring neighbouring governments for firm transboundary water agreements, it has failed in its responsibility to protect a resource that people rely on for food, drinking water and travel.
Arctic sovereignty includes us Nunavut News/North - Monday, May 10, 2010 Outside CFS Alert a few weeks ago, while the Canadian Forces and the federal government were patting themselves on the back for another successful sovereignty operation, Premier Eva Aariak pointed out to the assembled that Inuit were inhabiting the Arctic long before the existence of Canada. Back then, establishing "sovereignty" was not about twice-annual fly-in military exercises, but was a matter of walking these islands and shores year-round, and depending on them for sustenance. "Our hunters and their families marked them with Inuit place names only now being recognized on maps of Canada," she said. She went on to take the federal dignitaries to task for talking and spending freely on military operations to back up Canada's claims to the High Arctic while Nunavut goes without basic infrastructure such as sufficient housing, or roads; a lack of infrastructure she said southern jurisdictions would not tolerate. That's because the resources buried under the Arctic seabed are behind this government's emphasis on Northern sovereignty, not concern for the Canadians who call this region home. That's not to say there aren't benefits to Nunavut from large military exercises in the Arctic. Operation Nunalivut had a number of firsts this year, including the participation of a Danish Sirius dog sled patrol team, the landing of a C-17 at the Alert airstrip, the longest sustained dive in Arctic waters, the use of a portable fibreglass iglu and real-time GPS tracking of Ranger patrols. These operations allow the military to test its abilities in the Arctic, along with the equipment, procedures and communications required in the event of an emergency, such as a search and rescue or environmental accident. These exercises also spend a great deal of cash on charter aircraft, fuel, food and lodging in the territory. Most notably, search and rescue technicians on the exercise saved a life, picking up polar adventurer Tom Smitheringale. He was rescued within six hours of activating his emergency locator beacon after falling into the icy sea 500 km north of Alert. He was damn lucky, because usually the closest search and rescue plane dispatch centre is at CFB Trenton in southern Ontario. A lack of roads, an abundance of overcrowded houses and lengthy waits for help from the south are things Nunavut communities cope with year-in and year-out. Ranger, Junior Ranger and cadet troops made up of residents from these communities are the most permanent and widespread presence of the Canadian Forces in the North. We agree with Aariak that the best way to preserve Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic is to support those Canadians who live here and to invest in the communities in which they live. Organizers of Operation Nanook this August in Resolute plan to train the community, along with soldiers, in cleaning up oil spills - a possibility that increases with the influx of shipping and tourist vessels in the Northwest Passage and drilling for oil in the Davis Strait off Greenland. It's a small step in the right direction to including Inuit in sovereignty.
No strength in numbers Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 7, 2010
The latest under-powered thrust comes from Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley, who questions the territorial government's position on the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, which is currently before the National Energy Board for review. He believes the GNWT is ceding too much ground to big oil and gas interests, demonstrated, he argues, by the government's apparently lack of interest in obtaining a socio-economic agreement. He may very well be right but it doesn't seem to be a hot topic among his regular MLA colleagues in the legislative assembly, or more precisely, outside of it since MLAs only met in the assembly for a mere 49 days over the past year. Perhaps other MLAs will join in when the group gathers briefly starting next week but it's doubtful. Yellowknifer contacted or attempted to contact the four other Yellowknife regular MLAs about Bromley's concerns but they either had nothing to say or did not return phone calls. The regular MLAs lack cohesion, which too often translates into a lack of credibility. Consequently, the issues they raise are easily dismissed by cabinet, which is never divided even when the positions it poses proves widely unpopular. The lack of time MLAs spend together is part of the problem, especially in a territory as vast and disparate as ours. How can regular MLAs develop decent alternatives to cabinet policies when they hardly ever see each other? We're not suggesting the Yukon is better governed but at least its legislative assembly sat for 61 days last year. That doesn't exactly make them workhorses but a more industrious lot than our legislators. Our regular MLAs must look among themselves and not just at cabinet when addressing the territory's woes. The regular MLAs do not even have to present a united front. It was six of the 11 that filed a conflict of interest complaint against Premier Floyd Roland last year. That complaint gained traction and led to an inquiry which found Roland was in conflict but, as adjudicator Ted Hughes ruled, had quietly engaged in a potentially compromising relationship with a legislative assembly clerk "in good faith." The greatest challenge lies in regular MLAs, like Bromley in this case, acting as a lone voice. They're sure to be drowned out more often than not. NWT residents deserve better leadership not just from cabinet but from regular MLAs.
The first step is the easiest Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, May 6, 2010
On May 3, Chuck Strahl, minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, unveiled an action plan to improve Northern regulatory regimes. It's no secret there's been a longstanding need to revise the system that reviews applications for proposed developments. Criticism of the system has been made on many different fronts, including developers and government-commissioned reviews like the McCrank report. Announcing that change is coming, however, is the easiest part of the process. The action plan, as explained by Strahl, is short on details. The Mackenzie Valley Resources Management Act, the Northwest Territories Water Act and the Territorial Lands Act will be amended, but there was no mention of what exactly will be changed. Existing land and water boards, in an ideal situation, will be condensed into one body - but again, the "how" was missing. The timeline for all of this work was also conspicuously absent, although Strahl said some portions would start immediately. The process this plan has launched will in all likelihood turn out to be just as complex and time-consuming as it is to get a water licence for a proposed mine. John Pollard is not in an enviable situation. He has been appointed Canada's chief federal negotiator to lead consultations and negotiations with the territorial government and aboriginal leadership on structural changes to land and water boards. This won't be easy Aboriginal groups with existing land and water boards enshrined in their land claim agreements are not going to give them up without a fight. Dehcho First Nations doesn't have such a board yet, but the establishment of the Dehcho Resource Management Authority is among the items being negotiated in the ongoing Dehcho Process. There is a lot at stake here for the territorial government, the federal government and aboriginal groups in the territory, as well as current and potential development projects. The federal government did the right thing in launching the action plan for reform but the revisions have to be done exactly right. If consultation isn't carried out in a manner agreed upon by all sides, and if changes are pushed through without widespread consensus, then the reforms have the potential to cause as many headaches as the current regulatory system has. The right steps have been taken thus far, but the federal government will have to tread very carefully to reach the goal of a regulatory framework that is, in Strahl's words, "strong, effective, efficient and predictable."
A lesson worth spreading Editorial Comment Andrew Rankin Inuvik Drum - Thursday, May 6, 2010 As you can see in the paper it's partly about Dave Jones quest to empower aboriginal youth. But perhaps what didn't come across is how talented this Ojibwe man is at his job. I sat in on one of his sessions at the school's library on Friday afternoon, and witnessed how he had about 30 Grade 10 students sitting around him, totally absorbed in a group discussion to the point where many of them forgot a reporter was in a room. Every single one of those students told Jones how valuable the program was to them, and nearly every one of them cited how it changed their lives, whether it had to do with improving their confidence or allowing them let go of anger and frustration. I started thinking about how cool it would have been to meet this guy when I was a teenager, craving an older mentor. Ultimately Jones' goal is to make leaders out of these students. This is an ambitious but common goal among many teachers. Part of his teachings include getting youth out of their comfort zone to make them feel it's okay to be in a seemingly awkward situation. It's OK to feel different. The techniques he used to get kids out of their zone included getting them to dance uncontrollably in a circle and strutting along the library floor as if they were supermodels. Naturally, at first I was a little skeptical. But it didn't take long to feel the positive energy. You could see the more reserved ones starting to come out of their shell, and the more hostile ones begin to loosen up. What I also liked is that Jones, right off the bat, got rid of the ones that would be a distraction to the group and those who weren't ready to pitch in. After 20-odd years of motivational speaking, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Jones had such a great impact on the students. But what is a surprise is how his teaching philosophy seems to fly in the face of how we as adults like to build our young leaders. We like to tell them there's a certain defined mould they must fit to be a leader, and to succeed, which is true to an extent. But how many of us encourage and allow youth the freedom to find their own voice? More importantly, how many of us have the patience to offer the support that's often needed for them to find it? Not too many, I suggest. Luckily there are some like Dave Jones, who care enough.
Security on the line Yellowknifer - Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The organization should be commended. Troubled by three reported sexual assaults on the trail in the past two years, Ecology North realized something needed to be done to improve public safety. The group then sprang into action. The project is still in need of RCMP approval and funding, and that should come without further delay. The popular and sometimes dangerous stretch of walkway along Frame Lake has been in need of extra security for some time. The phone system would provide security not available through an emergency 911 service. The city supports the project, but isn't prepared to put up the funding. Close to $15,000 is needed for the emergency system, and that should come from the Department of Parks and Recreation, which is funded by the GNWT. That would make sense since it's the GNWT which is acting as a roadblock to Yellowknife, and many other NWT communities, in need of 911 service.
Putting violent offenders in their place Yellowknifer - Wednesday, May 5, 2010 We have all heard of people who lash out at a spouse, either in a public place or inside their homes. Sometimes jealousy or heated arguments turn violent, and one person may be left with serious injuries, physical and emotional. Even worse is when the offender repeats this behaviour. It is then that so many of us wonder how that individual could have been in a position to strike again. In some cases, it's because the victimized spouse is too willing to forgive, counselling never takes place and the cycle of violence, sadly, begins again. In other instances, it's because the offender isn't kept in jail long enough and, ever persuasive but truly bent on wreaking more havoc, returns home to inflict more harm. For that reason it is welcome news that the police and Crown prosecutors have adopted a new spousal abuse assessment tool known as the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment. It provides a checklist of 13 criteria, like whether there's already a history of previous assaults and whether there's support available to the victim. This will help determine whether someone is likely to re-offend. As a chief federal prosecutor said, the tool will be helpful in focusing attention on important factors, but common sense and discretion must still prevail. That message must be embraced by all police officers and Crown lawyers.
A-List should start with different letters Editorial Comment Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, May 5, 2010 It's known as the A-List in Hollywood, and one has to be on it to be invited to the most highly regarded social gatherings of the year. Tinseltown denizens regard the A-List with as much reverence as the number of zeroes on the outlandish paycheques they receive for their acting abilities. Hollywood's AList has, for years, included such prominent personalities as Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts, Will Smith and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among many others. Those who live in the celluloid world know they've finally arrived when their name appears on the guest list with such high profile folks. But in Hollywood, it's all about prestige, being seen with the right people and basking in the limelight as you network for a megabucks role in a Steven Spielberg or Peter Jackson production. It rarely, if ever, has anything to do with survival or program delivery for youth. Hollywood has gala charity functions where the ultrarich can ease their collective conscience by opening their chequebooks. The AList starting to rear its ugly head in the Kivalliq, however, is a whole different animal. More and more programs and youthoriented organizations are running into the AList when they apply for funding or sponsorship. The A-List doesn't exist, quite so much, with airlines, most commercial and retail operations, and the vast majority of territorial and federal agencies with a few bucks to donate to a worthwhile cause. This A-List is rearing its head among regional organizations that are supposed to be in place to help meet the needs of everyone, not just those with the right last name. Too often those in charge of the purse strings in these organizations are deciding whether to approve funding or sponsorship requests based on the surnames of some of the youth involved. In other words, they're often granting financial assistance to those who need it the least and denying it to those who need it the most. Some organizations - with mega pay scales, generous benefit packages and lucrative travel allowances for their own employees - won't even sponsor an annual award unless the group applying has a sufficient number of youth with the right last name involved in their program. Now, let's be perfectly clear here. We're not talking about colour. We're talking about mostly Inuit youth who come from families a little less fortunate than others. And many of these kids are the ones who should be on a very special list in their own right. These kids are working their butts off to improve themselves socially, culturally, educationally and, in the long term, professionally. In short, they're the type of kids we're supposed to be helping to succeed - the ones ready, willing and able to do their best, but can't without a little help along the way. As for the A-List of people with influence who are granted help because of who they are, we have two letters in mind that should precede the list - B.S.
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