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EDMONTON
Outgoing NWT premier Floyd Roland had strong words for aboriginal, business and community leaders in the territory during Canada's North Beyond 2011 in Edmonton on Oct. 12 and 13.

Premier Floyd Roland speaks during a panel discussion alongside former Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine at Canada's North Beyond 2011 conference, hosted in Edmonton on Oct. 12 and 13 by the Conference Board of Canada. - photos courtesy of Brent Dowdall

Roland addressed delegates on Oct. 12 as part of a panel discussion on governance in the North moderated by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Mary Simon. Other panelists included Phil Fontaine, former Assembly of First Nations Chief and Royal Bank of Canada special advisor, and Clement Chartier, president of the Metis National Council.

Roland advocated for the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project, the proposed Mackenzie Highway, and the planned construction of high-speed fibre optic links in Inuvik. Such projects require billions of dollars of federal government and private sector investment to develop, he said.

However, Roland placed much of the responsibility for future prosperity in the hands of NWT residents.

"Resource development in the NWT today has all but come to a standstill," Roland said. "In large part this was decided by a global economic downturn and by a change in markets. But, I also believe that we as government, industry and people of the NWT are falling victim to a lack of collective courage and will."

Roland criticized aboriginal leaders who protest the signing of a devolution agreement for stalling what he heralds as opportunities to negotiate resolutions for resource revenue sharing and post-devolution management of resources.

"I like the fact that the Premier stepped up and talked about the need to discuss devolution," said Inuvik Mayor Denny Rogers, who attended the conference with Jackie Challis, the town's Manager of Economic Development. "I thought everyone spoke quite frankly about devolution. Some aboriginal governments are saying it's not the right plan, but if you want to be involved in that discussion you have to step up to the table."

Organized by the Conference Board of Canada's Centre for the North, the forum included more than 300 delegates and presented notable speakers such as Simon, Juno-winning songwriter Susan Aglukark, and former prime minister Paul Martin.

Rogers said he found discussions about infrastructure and economic development at the conference worthwhile, but he did have constructive criticism to share with conference organizers.

"If we are going to discuss the North we should do it in the North," he said, noting that Inuvik hosts an annual petroleum conference for 500 delegates each summer. "They put some meaningful panels together but I'd really like to see these conference held in the North. I'm certain that Yellowknife, or Whitehorse, or Iqaluit could handle it. We have the capacity to handle it."

Other delegates from the NWT found inspiration in discussions about nurturing education, language, and culture among youth in the communities.

"For me the memorable discussion came from (former prime minister) Paul Martin," said Cindy Browning band councillor from Liidlii Ku First Nation in Fort Simpson.

Martin, who founded the Martin Aboriginal Initiative to increase aboriginal enrolment in post-secondary institutions, said that any governments that say they cannot afford funding for education are "as dumb as a bag of hammers" during his talk on Oct. 13.

"I really liked Paul Martin's talk because education is so important," Browning said. "We need to be educated in order to do well and participate and get a good job."

Browning said she was also impressed by Simon's talk about the way language and education can promote and protect indigenous cultural identity in the North.

Theresa Bitzer, business manager for the Deline Land Corporation, and Diane Andre, the corporation's senior administrative officer, shared Browning's appreciation for Simon's sentiments.

"Being a mom myself and being frustrated by the education system in the North, Mary Simon and her presentation gave me a bit of hope that there is a solution," Bitzer said. "Education and economic development go hand in hand. We have a resource here in our youth and it's time we start investing in that. Until we can educate our own people all the money for skilled labour is flying out of the NWT. If we can focus on education and training our own people here then we would have skilled labour forces."

Bitzer said education in remote communities emerged as a universal theme throughout the conference.

"Everyone is aware of the lack of funding to the isolated communities," she said. "Everyone is aware of the huge gaps between the graduating non-aboriginal and the graduating aboriginal students. Everyone is aware of the lower graduation standards and rates in the communities. Right now there's these huge gaps when you talk about aboriginal learners versus non-aboriginal learners and the funding that's available in the smaller communities and the resources and funding that is available in Yellowknife or Inuvik. The lack of understanding by our government and the lack of addressing the problems in the smaller communities in the North is frustrating."

No matter what economic or political progress may have been achieved in the North in recent decades, the education system has not enjoyed similar improvements.

"Students in the communities are graduating from Grade 12 with a Grade 10 education," she said, adding many parents in the communities send their children to larger centres to ensure they are properly prepared for post secondary education. "As a parent, my options for a 15 year-old are no different than they were for a parent in the 1970s. Are we any better than we were in the time of residential schools?"

While conference delegates did not resolve all the challenges they discussed, Bitzer said she found hope and inspiration in the sharing of ideas.

"This is how you make change," she said. "You have a voice. Conferences like this are where we begin to come up with solutions."

The Centre for the North was established two years ago to bring together aboriginal leaders and business, government, and community leaders to research and discuss challenges and opportunities in the North.

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