No hope for studentsNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, April 3, 2017
It's said that Graham Nash wrote 'Teach Your Children' - a song about the often difficult relationship he had with his father, who spent time in prison.
It's amazing how some songs stand the test of time and can help us understand issues of the day.
As a society in the NWT, people must work extra hard in ensuring they provide the best and most effective education possible for today's children, for if they have indigenous backgrounds, they are very likely dealing with parents struggling with their own demons.
Now certainly it's not every family who struggles with the lingering trauma of Canada's residential school system but others have real-time issues of poverty and marital breakdown.
So as we have seen in the mountain of numbers issued of late, the children aren't doing well.
They tested poorly across the NWT, in small and large centres and generated news story headlines in News/North such as these: "Dismal student scores show need for fix," Feb. 20; "Achievement test scores dismal," March 20; and "Assessments missed, flubbed," March 27.
How can an education department, brimming to the rim with staff, accept the findings of recent studies? How can Education Minister Alfred Moses keep his portfolio in the face of such failure? (And don't get us started, Minister Moses, on the junior kindergarten mess or concession made to the teachers in the latest contract.)
As we've reported in News/North in recent weeks, students in communities across the territory are falling desperately behind in math and English, according to the latest Alberta Achievement Test (AAT) scores.
For example, just 10.6 per cent of Grade 6 students in the communities met an acceptable math standard during the 2015-16 academic year, according to AAT results calculated as a percentage of total enrolment. In Grade 9, only 11.2 per cent of those students met the benchmark for math.
Then there is the absenteeism rate. Now there's an area where the territory excels. Unfortunately.
And again, it's the smaller communities that suffer the most.
On average, school attendance was lower in small communities last year than in regional centres and Yellowknife. For example, just 22 per cent of Grade 6 students in the Deh Cho took the language arts portion of the mandatory Alberta Achievement Tests in 2016, according to Dehcho Divisional Education Council superintendent Terry Jaffray.
There are two main reasons for low attendance levels. Jaffray said some students are absent while others may be excused from taking the test if they are two or more years behind in school.
This is just shameful.
So what is the NWT doing about the problem it has let fester for so, so long?
Well, the low achievement rates have encouraged the education department to undergo an "education renewal."
It involves the introduction of junior kindergarten across the territory this year, a 10-year framework to improve early childhood development and pilot programs to better engage students.
We suggest the first thing the GNWT needs to do is to start recruiting more teachers.
A lot more teachers. And pay them well enough to retain them in the smaller communities, which are struggling more than the regional centres.
There needs to be more staff around to make sure kids get to school, are engaged when they are there and actually absorb enough key concepts and language skills so they are able to enter the workforce or go on to post-secondary education.
Failure to do so will result in higher health-care costs, more addictions, higher justice costs, and generally just a generation of adults who are lost.
And for indigenous families, when they see their kids haven't been able to follow their dreams, it will only make for more pain and heartache.
Let Nunavummiut stay home in old ageNunavut/News North - Monday, April 3, 2017
March saw the opening of Cambridge Bay's long-term care facility, a home for eight people who would otherwise be in care outside of the community.
It's about time but as astronaut Neil Armstrong said, "That's one small step...".
Far too many Nunavummiut are in care or custody outside of their home communities, regions, and even the territory. We're including about 60 foster children and 45 inmates who can't be accommodated in Nunavut.
Hindsight is supposed to be 20/20, yet here we are repeating the past with orphaned, disabled, convicted, and elderly Nunavummiut sent away, usually to Iqaluit, Yellowknife, or down south.
Like those sent to residential schools and sanitariums for tuberculosis treatment, people spending months, years and lifetimes away from home have little hope of maintaining their culture or language. How can they heal and reintegrate?
Or worse, how many will share the fate of the young man who died while in foster care after the Iqaluit children's group home narrowed the age range to his exclusion?
It was illuminating to read Cambridge Bay Mayor Jeannie Ehaloak note how her aunt would rather risk going without care to be at home rather than be in Iqaluit, where her dialect is not spoken.
So we praise the opening of the new beds in Cambridge Bay.
It's great to see 17 new jobs created in the hamlet as a result.
Nunavut's Makigiarvik minimum security facility, which will be featured on national TV this week, is another good example.
These men are benefitting from on-the-land programming and the opportunity to develop traditional skills, such as carving.
They also get to be entrepreneurs weekly by selling their carvings at the facility.
But there's so much work to do to finish the job.
Renovating the Baffin Correctional Centre (BCC) will be a giant leap, as Nunavummiut held outside of the territory need to be closer to home. Everyone can acknowledge an upgrade at that facility is long overdue.
Hopefully the court system will speed up, too, so that those awaiting trial at BCC can get justice in a timely fashion.
Hopefully, too, money can be found to bring foster children and those with disabilities back home to Nunavut, and to bring more long-term care beds so elders can either be in their own communities or at least within a reasonable distance.
It will take a major investment to make this dream possible.
But it's important to remember that a society is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable.
The North still a good investment Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 31, 2017
As the old saw goes, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
If numbers were paint on an artist's palette, the latest missive from Natural Resources Canada ("Federal stats paint bleak mining picture," Yellowknifer, March 22) would form a glum portrait of the NWT's mineral and mining prospects.
The expectation is that exploration spending and the value of mining production are both on a downward spiral. Hindrances to mining and mineral exploration are ever-present, readers are reminded, in terms of inadequate road and power infrastructure.
Yet the real indicator of financial value is cash on the table, not statistical permutations and pundit observations.
In the pages of the same edition is a story about a U.S. conglomerate offering $1.1 billion U.S. to buy out Dominion Diamond Corporation, an offer that was 36 per cent higher than the company's stock value at the time. As impressive as this offer seems to be, what is more impressive is that Dominion Diamond declined the offer.
Between its Ekati diamond mine and its 40 per cent interest in the Diavik diamond mine, Dominion is projecting sales of close to $1 billion U.S. for 2018, which would be up 62 per cent over sales in 2017.
If this isn't a case for a certain robustness in the Northern mining sector, then nothing is.
Sure, exploration spending is down and many advanced projects are essentially on hold. But this is in light of the fact that international commodity prices don't justify expensive resource development in many sectors. This is not the fault of the territorial government's environmental legislation or the lack of road in the NWT.
There are several proven resources in the territory that are essentially shovel-ready should the day come when commodity prices rebound, as well as active exploration projects right on the city's doorstep, such as the TerraX Yellowknife City gold project or 92 Resources' lithium project near Hidden Lake.
The antidote to gloomy surveys of mining's prospects in the North are success stories in the NWT's mining industry that prove a profitable and desirable mine can be developed and sustained in the NWT.
When markets improve, so will exploration spending in the North.
Until then, the GNWT would do well to point to the relative success of Dominion Diamonds as an antidote to the fear-mongering notion that the territory is too stringent in its environmental protection processes, or not quick and eager enough to sign off on multi-million dollar road projects under the misinformed banner of supporting a flagging industry.
Riders must take personal responsibility Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 31, 2017
In the case of snowmobilers wanting more winter road rules and those who want to be free to build private winter roads, both sides have a point.
The recent case of a snowmobiler who was seriously injured and his machine destroyed after hitting a high berm on a private winter road on Yellowknife Bay has brought the issue of personal responsibility to light.
Bruce Hewlko, president of the Great Slave Snowmobile Association, says snowmobilers want rules on private winter road building to ensure they are clearly marked with flagging tape or spruce boughs.
Those who build winter roads want the snowmobilers to be more cautious on their machines. Mark Rocher built one such road and said snowmobilers should use common sense and mind their speed when out on open snow and ice. There is already a speed limit of 30 km/h within city limits. Out on Yellowknife Bay there are homes and businesses and people have carved out winter roads for easier access. Some are within city limits so the speed limits should be followed.
The common issue is safety. Yes, snowmobilers should be mindful of their surroundings and watch their speed. However, in poor light conditions it can be hard to see unmarked winter road berms until one is right on top of them. Even at slow speeds these berms can cause injury and damage.
Both sides need to take some responsibility for this issue and make snowmobiling safety a priority. The consequence otherwise will be bad for both.
It's been a good runDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 30, 2016
This week, I put my last issue of the Deh Cho Drum together.
As you will read in this issue, the Drum will stop publication effective immediately. While this is a sad moment for some in the Deh Cho region, we are lucky to have other papers to fill in the gaps, such as News/North.
For myself, leaving is bittersweet. It has been a true privilege to come to the Deh Cho region and build on the excellent work past editors have done. The Drum has a history - decades worth - of great journalism, and I will always be proud to have contributed to that in some small way.
Thank you to everyone who welcomed me into Fort Simpson and shared your stories with me. Without your willingness to speak up, a lot of topics would have gone unreported.
You are what made this paper possible in the first place.
You live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
The physical beauty of the Deh Cho region is matched by the resilience of its people.
The commitment of First Nations in this area to upholding tradition and celebrating their culture has been one of the greatest memories I have of my time here.
The emphasis communities put on their youth also deserves commendation. Engaging that demographic is not always easy and it takes a special kind of person to be able to do that.
Luckily, the Deh Cho has plenty of those people.
This has been an incredible learning experience. I have often been amazed by the passion and dedication of people I talk to, whether it be volunteers, leaders or youth.
The efforts these people undertake to engage and uplift their communities are inspiring, and deserve recognition.
You have a lot to be proud of here.
As far as the loss of this paper goes, we are always worse off when news goes under.
But the fourth estate, as news is sometimes called, is only sustainable if it is supported and read, and when its audience is actively engaged.
Although News/North will step in to fill the gap, there will still be many stories left unwritten within the Deh Cho region.
It is up to all of you to see that the people who deserve recognition are recognized, and the people who need to be held to account are indeed held accountable.
In the meantime, don't forget to celebrate each other's successes and sing each other's praises.
In the absence of a dedicated newspaper, it is more important than ever that people talk to each other, make personal connections and learn each other's stories.
As we strive for healthy communities and personal healing, that connection is one of the most important things we can do.
Role of Inuvik Native Band importantInuvik Drum - Thursday, March 30, 2016
These days, the role of the Inuvik Native Band is a little fuzzy.
Since progress on land claim deals, the Gwich'in Tribal Council and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation have emerged as the premier advocates and headquarters of aboriginal issues in the region.
But though it might not have a fancy website, the Inuvik Native Band still exists on paper and gets funding, and a symbolic role is a lot better than nothing.
It doesn't take a massive budget to show up at events, volunteer time and try to assist community members in whatever way possible.
There's a certain level of authority that comes with getting the support of a named and relevant organization.
The Inuvik Native Band can leverage its title in letters to government, declarations and other means of supporting and acknowledging people in the community.
Perhaps the band could sponsor a student's conference trip, scholarship or involvement in sports.
Beyond any money given, young people would be proud to receive the Inuvik Native Band stamp of authority over, for example, just the name of a person.
That's the kind of thing that goes on their resume.
The band might not have a lot of power to swing around but it has a meaningful name, and that counts for something.
Wellness day an admirable effort
Wellness is a rather vague and difficult to define term, but East Three Secondary School sure did well on its day promoting that concept.
Students engaged in all sorts of classes and workshops, from snowshoeing to beading and a type of hip-hop yoga.
Marika Cockney and James Jones stole some of the show with their visually impressive hoop dance routine, but the message behind it was even more important.
Cockney, who has family ties to Inuvik, talked to students about leaving a lifestyle of drinking and partying to pursue her dreams in dancing. Now she's one of the most well-known aboriginal hoop dancers in the world.
The pair encouraged students to identify their own dreams. It didn't have to be becoming prime minister of Canada, they said, emphasizing that any-sized dream is a good one.
However, it's a hard concept for teenagers to understand.
For most, exploring the social realm is the next frontier of personal education once their interest in schooling diminishes.
This is not necessarily a bad thing but can morph into a far larger and more impactful distraction than would be beneficial.
Exploring is one thing, moving into and setting up shop in that partying lifestyle is another. It can also lead to long-term mental health issues with people relying on validation from other people or substances and not from within themselves.
Through connecting with themselves in simple, traditional tasks and ruminating on their own goals and ambitions, students had an important opportunity to slow down and build their mental house, whether they consciously identified themselves as doing that or not.
It might have just seemed like an easy and fun school day, but the long-term impact could pay dividends.
Dark cloud over A New DayYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 29, 2017
This is a tale about a program run through the Department of Justice.
Once upon a time, the department developed a program with help from the Coalition Against Family Violence for men who have issues with family violence. Once the department finished designing the program, The Tree of Peace Friendship Centre took its reins.
Then, the department commissioned an evaluation of A New Day. That evaluation found that while about 80 people had taken part and only 12 had completed it, those who made it through 10 sessions were less likely to re-offend. In order for the program to be successful, the evaluation recommended a continuation of one-on-one counselling sessions and full-time staff support.
After reading the recommendations, Department of Justice officials decided they would abandon the qualities that made the program successful in the first place. They issued a request for proposals for an organization to continue operating A New Day in the future, where instead of one-on-one counselling sessions, bureaucrats decided group sessions will be sufficient, and men who aren't ready to participate in them will be asked to leave.
Department officials have also decided those who facilitate the program need only to be available part-time, and don't need to be "experts" in family violence.
Hay River North MLA R. J. Simpson rightfully blasted this move in legislative assembly March 10, accusing the department of "sterilizing" the program.
"The result appears to be a program stripped of all of the qualities that make it successful," he said.
Simpson is absolutely right. It's common knowledge that this territory is particularly hard hit by domestic violence, and much of these problems stem from complicated inter-generational issues such as colonialism and residential school.
Yes, it costs more to hire professionals to run the program full-time but if there is a moral to this story, it's that if the government is going to do something, it should do it right.
Do the people who made this decision want to start properly investing in preventative domestic violence programs or waste money on a stripped down, ineffective facsimile that is robbed of the qualities that made it work in the first place?
It's a snow castle, not a bouncy castleYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Yellowknife residents are very lucky. Every March, Old Town resident Anthony Foliot and his crew build a castle out of snow for the community.
In this realm he has designated himself king of the castle. But this king is kindly.
For $5, he lets community members young and old explore the fortress' tunnels, passageways, corridors and other intricacies. Day and night throughout the month, the snow castle is the place to be for live music, dancing, comedy, movie screenings, presentations, storytelling, craft sales, fish fries and even a rave party.
Because the castle is made of snow and ice, it's a slippery place. Its frozen floor is unforgiving and the Dead Man's Slide is fast and steep. The Snowking provides volunteers for safety but the onus remains on visitors to use common sense when inside.
This year's winter festival is over but when next March rolls around, hopefully every visitor has fun
and stays safe when dancing, climbing, sliding and crawling around Yellowknife Bay's temporary winter kingdom.
Understanding shines brightly in natural environmentsEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 29, 2017
It was a lot of fun talking with three Naujaat cadets about their experiences in British Columbia this past week.
The laughter coming across my phone was warm and genuine. It was the type of laughter close friends share when a memory is still fresh enough to be revisited simply by speaking it out loud.
Making my conversation with the cadets even more fun was Capt. Lloyd Francis sitting with them and conveying their body language to me over the phone.
I kept hearing the same word again and again every time I asked about an activity they took part in. What did you like most about it? Everything!
Exchange programs have come a long way and, today, they offer incredible opportunities to youth of all ages across this land.
Sometimes, when speaking with a group of youth, big or small, I'll get lucky, as I did a couple of times this past week with the cadets, and the interview or presentation - the official reason why we're communicating - falls by the wayside long enough for us to be just talking.
We're all the same, young or old, when it comes to our comfort zone. When we're comfortable, we relax, we laugh more, we have more fun, we become more attentive to what another person is saying, and we share our thoughts never knowing when they'll make an impact.
One cadet's voice would shiver with excitement any time he spoke about trying to get to as many places and do as many things as he could possibly jam into five days.
I could envision him: a thousand sights, sounds and things to do greeting him every way he turned.
A person can become so overwhelmed by the choices in front of them, they freeze up - sometimes for a few moments, sometimes longer - trying to process the data bombarding their senses to make some sort of supported decision. But it's impossible. The pure volume of the stimuli is such, you can't even be sure which signal you're tuned to.
Suddenly, my cadet friend clues in to a point I made and I hear him say that is weird.
For the next brief moment or two, my young friend is trying to contemplate getting up every day and having almost limitless choices of what to do. But it's an abstract thought for him. It's like you or I contemplating $5 million. We have no idea what that much money is all about, except that it will probably last forever. But, there's a trail of broken lottery winners who didn't really grasp what that kind of money is all about, and it seriously altered the concept of forever.
While my cadet friend, who lives in a little Northern community, tries to figure out what he could do with so many choices, a kid somewhere, born and raised, complains they are bored.
In a few short months, their southern cadet friends will arrive in Naujaat. And, after two or three days, most of them will, for the first time, understand why their new Northern friends were so excited about a swimming pool and a movie. And the time they spent oohing and ahhing over some trees was, in fact, genuine.
Naujaat, for the most part, has a motivated cadet corps with a strong, genuine connection to the traditions of their community. When the cadets talk about fishing and hunting, their pride often shines through like a beacon, and, while they were discussing different activities Capt. Francis and his corps leaders may come up with for the B.C. cadets to enjoy, I'm on board with the cadet who worries ayaya singing may be life in the fast lane for the B.C. cadets, proudly proclaiming that he has absolutely no fear at all of the visitors getting bored, especially while singing or drum dancing.
Now that's a pride in his culture and tradition that a southern cadet has to see in his own natural Northern environment, if he's to have any chance of grasping the concept of loving the land.
Anywhere else, and it becomes abstract in nature to the southern kid, which is why these exchange programs are wonderful vehicles to introduce our youth to each other, and the different parts of this country we call home.
