Curfew not the answerYellowknifer - Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Aboriginal women and girls have the right to move freely in any NWT community at any hour without experiencing or fearing violence.
That said, aboriginal women and girls have long suffered assaults and intimidation and worse in the NWT and throughout the country to a degree unheard of among other broad sectors of the population.
Northern political leaders and law enforcement authorities ought to make this problem a priority and the solution should be sought through changing or thwarting the behaviours of the perpetrators while educating the general public about how to assist in this process.
Placing a de facto curfew on women is tantamount to incarcerating the victims.
However, that seems to be what Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus called for during the 10th annual Sisters in Spirit vigil, designed to honour the lives of more than 1,000 missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada on Oct. 2.
"We have to tell them, get off the streets at a certain time," he told the crowd, referring to young girls he sees outside after 11 p.m. in some NWT communities.
Erasmus recounted a meeting he had with Rinelle Harper, the teen from the northern Manitoba reserve of God's Lake Narrows who survived a brutal attack in Winnipeg last November that left her swimming for her life in the icy Red River.
"That happened late at night. What was she doing out by herself?" asked Erasmus.
In a follow-up interview with Yellowknifer, Erasmus stood by his position, adding he is not blaming the women but that, "We all have to be more responsible. Sometimes the choice might be not to go out."
Such statements make it more difficult for aboriginal women and girls and their advocacy organizations to make change happen.
Aboriginal women leaders should not have to explain why women and girls should not have to lock themselves up nightly or travel in groups to avoid violence.
Instead, Northern leaders should listen before they speak and back up their calls for real solutions that look at the heart of the problem, such as aboriginal women's rights activist Sandra Lockhart's call for more education for the public and community leaders so they understand the scope of the problem of violence against aboriginal women and girls.
Grassroots movement shows promiseYellowknifer - Wednesday, October 14, 2015
As far as moving forward with a genuinely interesting and novel approach to shaping the democratic process in Yellowknife goes, IserveU is already a success story.
Where it falls down -- and here only time will tell if it can get back up -- is in the details of how the online political apparatus IserveU has developed will actually shape political outcomes in council chambers.
City councillors must often make difficult decisions based on the considered research of city staff and what special interest groups, other loosely-defined citizens groups and individual constituents voice at council meetings.
Furthermore, councillors often make these decisions on-the-fly after much debate and amendments made to the original bylaw or motion.
The realities of public administration do not seem to readily accommodate IserveU's group-think approach to determining political or fiscal outcomes. The group has modified its position somewhat to now state voters on the IserveU website will likely only be a factor on issues of great public interest, such as whether the city should host the Canada Winter Games. But that's only if enough of them participate and one wonders how much interest there will be if only three or fewer IserveU candidates are elected.
That said, IserveU has managed to field three credible candidates, any one of whom clearly stand ready to serve with or without the backing of IserveU.
Time will tell as to the impact IserveU will have on Yellowknife politics. Until then, and whatever the outcome of the election, IserveU has not only earned the interest of Yellowknifers with its unique if controversial approach, it has earned the respect of Yellowknifers with the quality of candidates the organization has attracted.
The day the music diedEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, October 14, 2015
There are precious few personalities who have been deceased for almost 35 years with the ability to almost completely obliterate all talk of a federal election just 10 scant days from heading to the polls.
But John Winston (Ono) Lennon was no ordinary personality.
Lennon, in many ways, remains a polarizing figure even in death.
Love or despise him, those with as much as a passing interest in popular or rock-and-roll music has an opinion on the former Beatle.
As I wrote this piece on Friday, Oct. 9, the world was marking what would have been Lennon's 75th birthday.
And the various manners in which media outlets around the globe choose to mark the occasion said as much about the complexity of Lennon's life as anything.
Many mainstream outlets, with their if-it-bleeds-it-leads mentality, chose to focus on the final day leading to Lennon's assassination at the hands of a madman outside his Dakota apartment on Dec. 8, 1980, in New York City.
As a huge (some say fanatical) Beatles/Lennon fan, I found that approach to be nothing less than despicable.
To reduce one of the greatest musical talents (he was a musical genius) the world has ever known to little more than the target of an assassin's bullets -- a tragic figure lost to a delusional maniac -- is akin to noting Ludvig van Beethoven was a pianist who did a little composing after going deaf.
It's heartbreaking that so many in today's society prefer to dwell on the demented rather than the gifted.
Although Lennon will always be remembered mostly for co-founding -- along with Paul McCartney -- the most successful band in the history of music, popular or otherwise, he was a complex and often misunderstood figure who many in the establishment of the day found threatening.
The one complete musical flop of his career, Some Time in New York City, was released during the height of his radical left-wing-activist period (the new left) in 1972.
At the time, Lennon was hanging with political activists Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman (of the Chicago 7), and performed at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally.
Sinclair was serving a 10-year sentence for selling a couple of marijuana joints to undercover police officers.
Lennon also polarized the free world when he innocuously stated the Beatles had become more popular than Jesus, prompting death threats and record burning in some areas, particularly in the American Southern states of Alabama and South Carolina.
But what should be most remembered about John Lennon is the man's music.
From the musical tapestry of his youth that is In My Life, through his contribution to the Beatles masterpiece, A Day in the Life, to the childish, yet somehow overwhelming lyrics of Imagine and the no-holds-barred anthem, Working Class Hero, Lennon changed the world's musical landscape forever.
With studio advances looming so near in the future at the time of his death, coupled with the contentment of his finally coming of age as a husband and father, there can be no telling what additional musical masterpieces Lennon would have bestowed upon the world had he lived.
If there is a day in the life of John Lennon that should never be immortalized, it is the day the music died on that dark December night when he was taken from us!
Drawing imaginary linesNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, October 12, 2015
One of the fundamental concepts for anybody who chooses to study politics is sovereignty.
Every country on the globe enjoys it. It means national leaders have the right to organize their own government and use their own resources within their own borders however they see fit.
In the case of Canada, the federal government shares governing powers with its provinces and territories and over the years, provinces and territories have fought - and won - a degree of sovereignty over things such lands, resources, water and power generation.
Of course, there are limitations to sovereignty, as illustrated in two News/North stories, today's "Southern reservoir full but Mackenzie runs dry," and "ENR minister calls for Nunavut government to halt caribou hunt after population drop," published Oct. 5. While the post-devolution Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) has inherited jurisdiction over NWT's waters, rivers themselves don't recognize territorial boundaries. This means the territorial government may set a bar for clean water but it doesn't necessarily guarantee the water that flows in will match this standard.
Same with caribou - ENR can ban sport hunting on certain herds but if that herd crosses over to Nunavut, they are in Nunavut's jurisdiction where a number of sport-hunting tags are still available.
This limitation had lead to the rise of a novel tool - the transboundary agreement. Just one year ago, ENR minister Michael Miltenberger entered into a bilateral agreement with Alberta that sets a standard for water that flows into the NWT's ecosystem and if water doesn't meet this standard, territorial government leaders aren't the last to know about it.
"We will no longer read about upstream developments and events in the newspaper," announced Miltenberger to media when the agreement was signed.
Agreements like these between provinces and territories allow individual areas to guard their own sovereignty over resources while acknowledging what happens in one jurisdiction doesn't necessarily stay in that jurisdiction.
There are limitations to this too. In the case of the Bennett dam in B.C. affecting water levels in the NWT, News/North reports in this edition that the NWT is not in a position to enter into an agreement with B.C. because this water flows through Alberta first.
While it's not very well publicized, there has been a board in place to monitor the entire Mackenzie River Basin since 1997. It consists of representatives from B.C., Alberta, NWT, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and the federal government, and it is funded through Environment Canada. It exists for its members to make non-binding recommendations, which means there is some co-operation and knowledge-sharing between these governments on the basin.
Just two weeks ago, Miltenberger appeared in News/North imploring the Nunavut Government to stop issuing hunting tags to caribou herds crossing the border after ENR found numbers are continuing to plummet.
It's encouraging to see Miltenberger is also working to enter into a bilateral agreement with the Government of Nunavut to share information and co-manage these herds.
It's essential the territorial government continues to work at co-operative efforts like these because in a way, the NWT's sovereignty over resources like water and caribou is only as strong as the agreements they strike with others.
No shortage of issues to confront candidatesNunavut/News North - Monday, October 12, 2015
This is a pivotal time for Nunavummiut concerned about the future of the territory, its people and its potential.
At no other time can ordinary people get the attention of those who want to represent them in Ottawa than in the days leading up to the federal election.
Before making the trip to the ballot box on Oct. 19, take the time to press all four candidates about issues that require attention by the federal government, immediately and in years to come.
There is no shortage of major issues starving for attention.
The auditor general slammed the government over the Nutrition North program, making numerous recommendations to ensure that subsidies can be tracked to the consumer. Other than information added to receipts given to customers, not much has happened to improve food insecurity, an issue which impacts everyone. Besides expanding the program to communities not already subsidized, what do the candidates propose to make groceries more affordable and accessible?
Nunavut's dire shortage of adequate housing is another topic of utmost importance. Funding is urgently needed to construct more houses in communities where up to 20 family members live in one three-bedroom house. What can each of the political parties offer towards a meaningful solution to the housing shortage?
Despite federal funding to increase Internet connectivity, Nunavut still falls far behind what is available to computer users in the south, and even in the neighbouring territory of the NWT. Options toward a long-term solution all suggest that fibre optic is the most advantageous response to some Nunavut communities. What do the candidates seeking your vote have to say about ways to improve connectivity, which would result in better education, health-care delivery, commerce and access to wider markets?
There was much talk about funding for more small craft harbours just as the writ was dropped, with Pond Inlet and Iqaluit on the list for infrastructure projects. Now is the time for candidates to commit to these much-needed projects, should they be elected.
Many other issues need urgent attention. Justice Murray Sinclair's recommendations resulting from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work require attention by the next federal government.
Ottawa also has a role to play in the implementation of the recommendations by the chief coroner's inquest into the high rate of suicide in the territory.
The three main political parties each have strong candidates in Nunavut.
It is not enough to just vote in this election. Of more importance is to hear promises from the candidates on the issues that are most important to the individual voter. Those who are elected can then be held accountable to their promises.
Become informed, then cast your ballot on Oct. 19.
A $200 shot of inequality Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, October 9, 2015
Did Yellowknife just travel back in time?
If any indication is the bizarrely inequitable fact that the Department of Health and Social Services - via the Yellowknife Health And Social Services Authority - is charging parents of boys but not girls to get vaccinated against a cancer-causing viral infection spread by sexual activity, then yes, yes it has.
Parents of Grade 5 students received a letter late last month informing them of an opportunity to vaccinate their children against human papillomavirus (HPV) and that it is free for girls and $200 for boys.
One can only fathom the thinking behind this.
Is it the idealistic notion that every single female who engages in sexual activity with a member of the opposite sex will be vaccinated and therefore protect her partner? With the vaccine being voluntary, there is a spectrum of reasons that may cause a person to opt out.
Maybe it's the archaic assumption that males don't engage in sexual activity with other males. How will the department protect this undeniable demographic?
And what about the low-income families who can barely afford a bag of groceries, let alone $200 to protect their son from something that quite possibly won't affect him for years? It doesn't mean they don't want to protect their children - but anybody who can't afford to meet their families' basic needs cannot be expected to dole out this kind of money for a possible future threat. Not providing an equal benefit between the sexes is indefensible and the meager reason provided by the department - that it "will continue to monitor the experience in other jurisdictions" - is inexcusable.
It's unacceptable the health department is nestled into its cozy armchair justifying its inaction by waiting for a status quo to emerge from the rest of country. So far, British Columbia, Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia offer the HPV vaccine for free - to every child, regardless of their sex.
One is only left to wonder.
When the territory's health system becomes strained in the future due to an influx of cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus and throats - all which can be caused by HPV - health department officials will have to accept a lot of the blame themselves.
Exodus is lost cash for the North Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, October 9, 2015
What if, instead of imagining care for seniors as a chore, a duty, a burden that must be fulfilled, society pictured our elders as significant economic contributors?
In that light, it's no longer a matter of whether our territory can afford to care for seniors. It's a question of whether the territory can afford to do without them.
We will put it this way, using a very conservative figure because in many cases it would be much higher: each senior couple who leave the North represents $100,000 heading south with them - about $70,000 in lost transfer payments from the federal government and the rest in money they would be spending in the territory if they were still living here.
That's not chump change. The exodus of six senior couples would represent the amount of federal funding received for the Hope's Haven youth shelter. We will repeat: this is money fleeing the territory and now being spent down south.
Yet, to show our appreciation for seniors the territory asks these would-be life-long Yellowknifers to tough it out on housing waiting lists that are six or seven years long. This is the current state in the city even though the over-60 population is expected to triple by 2031.
The campaign to staunch the exodus must accelerate. Stephen Jackson, the incoming CEO for Avens, says the lack of beds and homes for seniors is his top priority as he takes the reins from his very vocal predecessor Jeff Renaud. He should be given every possible support from the territorial government, the city and the public.
The failure to date to address seniors' housing needs demonstrates not just a lack of compassion but a lack of foresight that recognizes losing seniors to the south hurts us in the pocketbook as well.
Northern treatment for Northern needsDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, October 8, 2015
On Sept. 25, Deh Gah Got'ie Koe Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge sent an e-mail endorsing concerns from K'atlodeeche First Nation about the territorial government's failure to fund a detox centre.
In that e-mail, Bonnetrouge called for a full inquiry to determine why the GNWT Cabinet is steadfast in its decision to deny the centre's funding.
K'atlodeeche First Nation currently has an addiction treatment facility sitting on the reserve - a building that closed in 2013 and thus lost government funding.
Health and Social Services Minister Glen Abernethy has said the NWT currently outsources its addiction treatment to southern facilities across Canada.
In the most recent sitting of the legislature, he pointed out southern treatment facilities offered a wider variety of programming than the NWT was able to offer when the facility on K'atlodeeche First Nation was open.
He also said southern programs cost the territory one-third of what the old facility cost.
While these are all valid points, they also bring up a key issue that has yet to be addressed: there are only, as Abernethy said, about 12 residents in treatment at any one time.
While questioning Abernethy, Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli said it best: we have a huge addiction problem in the North.
With 44,000 people in the NWT, there are more than 12 people per day who need access to the programs offered by a treatment centre.
Add to that people from the other territories and Northern communities who, like those in the NWT, face unique challenges in overcoming their addictions, and the North has more than enough patients to warrant a treatment centre.
A detox centre would also serve to bolster mental health services in the NWT, an issue that shows its severity more and more with each passing day.
If the government is serious about its desire for a healthy population, one not ravaged by the effects of drugs and alcohol, it needs to approach the situation from a different perspective than just looking at numbers.
The benefits of a healthy population make it worthwhile for the GNWT to eat costs associated with running a detox facility - which, in and of itself, should not be aimed at making a profit anyway.
The programming in southern detox centres is designed for its southern clients.
Having a Northern treatment centre is an opportunity to meet specific Northern needs, addressing the effects of inter-generational trauma and the psychological difficulties faced by people in the North.
Until the government changes its tune, initiatives such as the New Mental Health Act, on-the-land programming and community wellness centres will fail to have the support they need to thrive.
Hospital heading back to basicsInuvik Drum - Thursday, October 8, 2015
While there is a lot of jargon and a whole slew of acronyms surrounding the programs implemented by the Inuvik Regional Hospital over the last decade or so, a lot of it comes down to common sense.
Staff at the hospital have been working hard to make the facility the safest it can be for babies and their mothers through initiatives that prevent women from being induced before 41 weeks and encouraging breastfeeding, among other things. The overall focus has been on maintaining a level of health long before getting pregnant that will allow women to carry and give birth more safely and with fewer possible complications.
That is all excellent, but it's a shame it's taking programs with so much jargon and acronyms to get there when it's largely a return to older practices.
One or two generations ago, people didn't have much choice but to breastfeed. Even now, it's a much cheaper option, especially in the smaller communities. Only 50 years ago, fewer people were overweight, which seriously decreased the risk of complications during pregnancies. So, while it's a shame that it's taking a government initiative to get back to what largely worked, it's a positive thing that it is happening at all.
Babies who are breastfed grow up to be healthier and do better in school, said co-chair of the Baby-Friendly Initiative Lesa Semmler this week, but women are often discouraged early on because they don't know what to expect. She said there is this automatic response to turn to the bottle and formula when a baby fails to latch on to a nipple right away but that with a little more coaching and help, they might tough it out a little longer, making it more likely they will succeed in breastfeeding.
Women and families here have the admirable attitude that pregnancy and birth is more of a natural process than a medical one. There are undoubtedly good reasons for this as well as advantages to this outlook, but it can also make women complacent about their own health. It is so important for women to be taking care of themselves, not only in the interest of having healthy babies, but for their own sakes. Once again, if it takes a hospital program to encourage that behaviour, then we should do that.
