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For two decades the NWT Status of Women Council has been recognizing the strength of women in the territory through its annual Wise Women Awards ceremony.

Whether it is through public leadership or serving as a role model, these women exemplify what it means to serve their people, their communities and, in some cases, their territory.

Grandmother, daughters, sisters, scholars, politicians and keepers of traditional knowledge, Wise Women Award recipients come from all walks of life and have demonstrated that strength comes in many forms.

Past award winners include people such as Deline's Gina Dolphus, Fort Resolution's Rosa Lafferty and Inuvik's Greta Sittichinli, to name a small few.

Each of those three women displays a different kind of strength. Dolphus, a former mayor, drug counsellor and social activist, demonstrates leadership in a very vocal and public fashion. She is among the long list of powerful community and territorial women leaders in the territory.

Lafferty, on the other hand, was not so outspoken. Her way of living, her connection to her culture and her desire to share that culture with those around her was an inspiration to many. A mother and a grandmother, her wisdom will be passed to future generations and a part of history will survive because of her choice to live a life true to herself.

Sittichinli is an example of perseverance. She began her family at a young age but did not let that stop her from pursuing an education. She was forced to deal with the deaths of the father of her children and eldest daughter.

Despite that pain, she chose to be a support for many people in her community.

There are numerous women in our territory who display traits similar to these. All are deserving of recognition, whether it is for political leadership, serving as a role model through a healthy and traditional way of life, or demonstrating strength during hardship.

We urge everyone to look around their communities and think about who inspires you. Who do you look up to? Who has helped make your community a better place? Make a list and nominate that person for a Wise Woman Award.

"There are up to a million more Indians today than there were yesterday."

The line above was used in the opening of a Globe and Mail column shortly after the court decision ruling that Metis and non-status Indians should be treated the same as Indians by the federal government.

The columnist then shared his opinion about the "consequences" of the ruling, "such as greater access to health, education and social programs for aboriginal Canadians." He means the huge cost to Canadian taxpayers and the potential "watering down" of existing services because the government might not spend more money, just the same money for more people.

People lacking a solid legal education, which is most of us, may well scratch their head over the ruling, wondering what it will change and what good it is.

After all, considering the treatment so-called Indians suffer at the hands of the federal government and its bloated army of bureaucrats, we might ask who wants that? Isn't that what all the Idle No More movement is all about?

But for aboriginal organizations and leaders, in this case those representing Metis and non-status Indians, court rulings are worth their weight in gold. Lawyers can use them like crowbars to open up vaults full of federal cash, compensation and legal deeds to what used to be traditional lands.

Ottawa doesn't like putting such tools in the hands of aboriginal organizations, so we can expect the decision will be fought all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In the meantime, Canadian Metis and non-status Indians can take some comfort their case is righteous and victory delayed is still a victory as they join their million Indian brother and sisters.

Baffinland's decision to downsize its plans at Mary River speaks to the high quality of the site's iron ore.

The rocky global financial market made it hard for Baffinland to find funding for the full scope of its original $4 billion project. The 149-km railway railroad and Steensby Inlet port are being shelved until the capital is raised to build them. Milne Inlet will be open seasonally to ship the 3.5 million tonnes of iron ore to overseas markets every year. The previous target had been 18 million tonnes.

The Nunavut Impact Review Board will be looking for the input of Nunavummiut on whether it should put the project back through the environmental process now that it's been, at least temporarily, reduced in size.

Is another review necessary? The project has already been studied comprehensively over the past several years. As long as the recommendations NIRB put forth remain in place, why go back through the process?

At stake are jobs for our heavy equipment operators and others who've undergone training to work at the project . While the company has said it will be hiring less workers for this phase, production looks to start sooner now that the project's downsized. Nunavut already lost a significant project in the Kitikmeot when then-owner Newmont Mining Corp. put the Hope Bay gold project into care and maintenance early last year. The costs of operating just weren't worth the profit potential.

This is just the nature of the industry. Now that the economic and environmental aspects of the Mary River mine have been studied and accepted, every effort should be made to ensure the territory's iron goose will still produce.

Concerns of fire safety at the Baffin Correctional Centre have once again come to light.

It's difficult for anyone on the outside to know what the conditions are right now on the inside.

Last week in Nunavut News/North, Warden Ray Fast acknowledged overcrowding and the problems that causes, such as a lack of recreation options. On Nov. 12, 2012, two small fires were apparently set by bored inmates.

Previously, in May 2010, we heard concerns from former fire marshal Tony Noakes about overcrowding and a fundamentally unsafe building if a large fire were to erupt.

In April 2012, Fire Marshal Frederick Morrison cited 42 ways the jail did not meet the federal fire code.

Although the jail staff and the GN, maintain the place isn't a firetrap, hopefully they are taking these reports seriously. Fire safety is a critical issue when a jail designed for 66 inmates regularly holds more than 100.

An emergency relief structure to house 48 inmates is planned with a $14.5 million pricetag.

As soon as that is up and running, planning should begin on a new larger jail.

It may be difficult to fund such a project from the GN coffers alone, but if the current Government of Canada is so fixated on incarceration rather than rehabilitation, it should be opening its wallet to help Nunavut build a territorial jail designed to safely house what is unfortunately likely to be a growing territorial inmate population.

Pilot error. Those two words carry so much weight for so many people when used to make a judgment on an aviation accident.

Airplane manufacturers breathe a sigh of relief that their airplane wasn't blamed, considering all the legal implications and potential damage to their business reputation. The owner of a downed aircraft can get some comfort their practices and maintenance were not called into question.

It's left to the pilot or pilots to bear the full weight of those words. If they were lucky enough to live through the ordeal, they may do so with the death or injuries of their passengers on their conscience and a gigantic black mark on their record for the rest of their career, if they still have a career.

If they weren't lucky enough to survive, their families have the judgment of others added to their loss and grief.

Considering the heavy implications of the term "pilot error," it's important its meaning be put into proper perspective.

It was not business as usual in the instance of the Arctic Sunwest Twin Otter charter that came down on an Old Town street on Sept. 22, 2011. There were 30-knot winds sweeping across the southern shore of Great Slave Lake, coming straight up the barrel of Yellowknife Bay, whipping the water up into a chaotic chop.

The Twin Otter's floats bounced off waves twice. Chief pilot Capt. Trevor Jonasson took over from first officer Nicole Stacey, aborting the landing to attempt another. In 10 seconds of roaring engines, high winds, powerlines, rock faces, two and three-storey homes and businesses and stressful flying, it was all over.

No one knows what the pilots were facing in the cockpit in those 10 seconds, not even the experts who had a year to dissect the moments in time and determine what should have happened in a perfect world.

Whatever happened, the pilots paid the ultimate price. That says a lot about the risks pilots accept when they climb into the cockpit day after day while flying thousands of feet in the air and when bringing the aircraft back to Earth.

Last year, there were 42,445 take-offs and landings at the Yellowknife airport. That there were no deaths or injuries in 42,444 is a glowing testament not only to the pilots but the aviation mechanics, administrators, and safety inspectors.

Jonasson's father Ray says his family wants to remember his son as a hero. If the definition of a hero is one who accepts the risk of death or injury to serve others and losing his life doing so, then his son and Stacey are indeed heroes.

Other heroes stood up to be counted that day.

We don't know all their names, but there were Yellowknifers at the scene of the crash who ignored clear threats to their personal safety and charged in to the gas-soaked wreckage to help whoever they could get to safety.

They fit a different definition of hero and we hope they are acknowledged publicly, in some fashion, for their acts of courage.

Without such heroes in the skies and on the ground, our world simply wouldn't function as well as it does.

Even more than before, the high rocks at Pilot's Monument, towering over the very spot the Twin Otter came down so fatally hard, should serve as a fitting reminder of that enduring truth.

The Idle No More movement is still gaining momentum in Fort Simpson.

With students taking to the streets and people sharing information, it doesn't look like the movement will be slowing down anytime soon.

This is going to sound selfish and rather against the movement's principles, but it's time for the Deh Cho to see what it can get out of the movement. Dehcho First Nations Grand Chief Herb Norwegian, it seems, has already thought about this a bit.

The First Nations' goals for this year include making substantial progress on both the Dehcho Process and the Dehcho Land Use Plan. Both items have a long history and are currently making little to no headway.

When asked if Idle No More will make the federal government more willing to work with Dehcho First Nations (DFN) to make progress on and conclude these processes, Norwegian said there was a chance it would. If the federal government wants a positive story for the media to show it is willing to make changes to the way it deals with First Nations, the Dehcho Process could be it.

This is an angle that, quite frankly, DFN should be promoting for all it is worth. Let's face it, the process has been going on for a long time and given its current status it could go on for a lot longer.

Meanwhile, people are getting tired. There is almost a sense in the Deh Cho that residents, and perhaps even some leaders, had lost sight of what the Dehcho Process was fighting for in the first place.

This atmosphere created by Idle No More may be the best chance DFN has to see a real willingness from the federal government to get the Dehcho Process done.

The Deh Cho is going to have to pull together and get behind the process. First Nation and Metis leaders are going to have to find their second wind. They are going to have to forget how long and how complicated the path the Dehcho Process has followed has been and focus solely on the goal of completing the process.

If, in the end, it turns out the agreement isn't what the Deh Cho wants, that will be the time to turn it down. Every effort should be made to reach that endpoint, however, so Deh Cho residents have the option.

Idle No More is seeking Canada-wide change, but the Deh Cho shouldn't miss out on the opportunity to bring about change in the region.

The town was abuzz this weekend as residents welcomed electro-rock singer Lights to Inuvik.

The artist did two shows while she was in town – one at East 3 High School and another at the Igloo church – and after each performance dozens of audience members lined up to get her autograph, snap a picture with her or even land a kiss on her cheek.

It was an exciting time.

But amid all the hype, a question came to mind. Why don't people get this excited about the superstars who already live in town?

Inuvik is home to a number of residents who go above and beyond to make this community a better place to live in. And it's their autographs people should be lining up for.

The stars are people such as teachers Lexi Winchester and Kelly Flexman.

Last year, Winchester and another teacher gave high school students a fun, safe place to go on Saturday nights when they started Lights On. The program continues to run today. On top of that, Winchester is also in charge of the art travel club, which is currently fundraising to go to London, England, over March break.

Meanwhile, Flexman coaches the girl's basketball team and volunteers for what seems like every organization in town. She's always ready to help.

Then there are our town councillors. They don't get paid much but they still put a lot of time, effort and care into making Inuvik a pleasant place to live. They'll spend 10, 15, 20 minutes focusing on one little detail, such as how the snow should be plowed so that when residents back out of their driveways they don't have a large bump or drop to go over.

It's people like our recent Diamond Jubilee medal winners -- Fred Church, Sam Lennie, Gerry Kisoun, Lance Raddi Gray, Don Craik, Mary Ann Ross, Margaret Miller, Sandra Ipana, Mary Ellen Binder, Delores Harley and Pippa Seccombe-Hett -- who make this a special place.

And this is just a snapshot of the wonderful residents who live here.

So the next time you see one of the many people in Inuvik who go above and beyond, give them a superstar welcome or at least a thank you, because this town wouldn't be what it is without them.

People involved with the Idle No More movement, including many youth, have contributed admirably to an important debate about the need for meaningful consultation between the federal government and Canada's indigenous communities.

These individuals include our friends, neighbours, co-workers, family, community leaders, students, professionals, artists and other people we interact with every day.

They have articulated their concerns and criticisms with symbolic acts, including downtown marches on Dec. 10 and Jan. 11 and a drum dance that closed the Deh Cho Bridge for an hour on Jan. 5. Their goals include the enforcement of treaties, resolution of land claims, resource revenue sharing, and a national inquiry into violence against aboriginal women and girls.

The activists are also expressing opposition to federal legislation such as the 457-page omnibus bill Bill C-45, which they argue undermines treaty rights and compromises the relationship between First Nations, Inuit and Metis Canadians and the Crown.

Regardless of one's perspective on the issues, participants in Yellowknife's Idle No More demonstrations have exemplified the kind of dignity that advances constructive political debate. They have embraced lawful protest tactics that maintain respect for passersby and local law enforcement personnel who keep politically-charged events safe and orderly.

As such, the Yellowknife demonstrators are exercising their rights of freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. Peaceful protests, whether they involve chanting, marching, singing, drumming or dancing with passion or anger, must always be protected and respected in our political system. That's part of democracy.

It would further benefit healthy political debate and strengthen relationships in our community for those of us on the sidewalks to listen to the messages aboriginal residents are working hard to share with politicians and neighbours.

Downtown is a little like Uncle Harry with a drinking problem.

A TV-style intervention would be great but Uncle Harry and all his friends like their freedom and aren't interested in cleaning up. So they are just going to carry on making the rest of the family feel uncomfortable.

City council's social services committee was intended to be an 'agent of change' for dealing with Uncle Harry and his friends but the people with the most money - GNWT bureaucrats - didn't like the way the rest of the family was looking at them to fix everything, so they backed off. That left the rest of the committee comprised of council and city groups dispirited and the meetings finally stopped late last spring.

Newly elected city councillor and GNWT employee Linda Bussey is the new social services committee chair and has already admitted she can't criticize her boss. Her alternate is Coun. Dan Wong, another GNWT employee.

Obviously, the committee is already crippled by conflicting loyalties.

If council wants to get serious, a new chair and alternate must be selected from the five others on council not in conflict and the GNWT employees originally on the committee replaced by Yellowknife MLAs.

Who better to lobby the GNWT on behalf of those people they directly represent?

The MLA's first task will be to ensure the GNWT comes up with $50,000 to match council's conditional $50,000 contribution to the downtown day shelter. Despite all the misguided criticism, losing the day shelter would put Uncle Harry and all his friends right back where the problem is worst - downtown streets.

It's finally over. A new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has been signed and the NHL will begin an abbreviated schedule this coming weekend.

The good news? The new CBA is for 10 years, with either side having an opt out after year eight.

The bad news? Well, where to begin?

When you look at the final CBA, it defies all logic to know there was a lockout and protracted negotiations (I use the term lightly) to get here.

I'm one of the world's biggest hockey fans, but, I'm sorry, this could have been a rather painless process, without any of the silly posturing we witnessed during the past few months.

Everyone has known for months they were going to agree to a 5050 split in hockey-related revenue.

And the rest of the CBA barely scratches the ice over the problems plaguing the NHL.

Too many players came across as spoiled brats with their ridiculous Tweets during the lockout, and the owners often looked like they were trying to turn the clock back to the 1950s with their takeitorleaveit ultimatums, none of which turned out to be the hill they died on.

The worst the players looked during the dispute was when Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane -- a poster boy for too much too early if ever there was one -- Tweeted a picture of himself in Las Vegas holding wads of cash in both hands like sugarcoated cuds, two of which he used like a cellphone to pretend he was mooing to Floyd Mayweather.

To add further insult to injury, he pulls the stunt a week before Christmas when many laidoff employees at NHL arenas were struggling to make ends meet during the holidays.

Fast forward to the end of the negotiations, and there's a number of players crowing about their pension plan being the crown jewel to the CBA for them.

Pension plan? Really? One must play in 400 games for a NHL pension, which takes about five seasons playing the vast majority of your team's 82 regular games.

With the average NHL salary being about $2.4 million, the average player would have grossed about $12 million during that time.

Can you say savings account, boys and girls?

Other NHLers whispered during the lockout that fan negativity was due to nothing more than jealousy over the money they make.

That may or may not be true in some cases, but the majority of NHL fans cheer for the crest on the jersey, no matter who happens to be wearing it in any given year.

The game survived the retirement of Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux and hundreds of others. Today's third liners couldn't carry their skate laces, yet they make as much or more than these superstars ever did.

That's not jealousy, dear players. That's reality.

I will be among the millions of people cheering for their favourite teams once the NHL resumes play this week.

Like them, the game is in my blood.

But, while the game may be in my blood, this lockout left me wishing for all the silly antics to be put out to pasture before I find myself begging for a transfusion.

Like many other NHL fans, I fear the bad taste in my mouth from this latest display of greed and stupidity is going to linger for a long, long time.

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