There's an old, racist stereotype about the 'drunken Indian.'
You all know of it. Some of you will have experienced it first-hand: that assumption by some people that if you belong to an Indigenous group, you have a drinking problem.
I heard that stereotype make the rounds when I was a child growing up in Whitehorse.
You would think that 20 years later, things might have changed — that society had progressed, and people are aware of how harmful such ideas are.
But those old stereotypes still circulate and they still influence the way Indigenous people are treated.
That much is clear after a coroner's inquest into the 2012 death of Paul Kayuryuk in Baker Lake.
Paul died under tragic circumstances, and although his death was ruled natural causes, it was very, very preventable.
All it takes is a read through the verdict from the coroner's jury, which held its inquest in late July, to see how badly the RCMP failed Paul.
I have to include a caveat here. Many, if not most, RCMP officers genuinely care about their communities. The ones I have known or been acquainted with have all done their absolute best to fulfill their job.
Sadly, sometimes the system fails. Reading between the lines of the coroner's inquest, which is a fact-finding exercise, it becomes clear policy was not followed in Paul's case. In fact, there were many failures in this case, from the assumption Paul was intoxicated to the delay in getting him medical attention.
Testimony during the inquiry, posted to social media by Paul's niece Karen Kabloona, references foam coming from his mouth, vomiting and incontinence while he was being held in cells.
Yet it took an entire night and the following morning for him to be transferred to the health centre.
That's a harrowing thing for me, who did not know Paul personally, to hear. I can only imagine how it felt for his family.
The coroner's inquest did the one thing it could: it recommended changes. Most of those changes relate to training of RCMP officers and civilian guards, education and a tightening-up of policy.
Such training can save lives. That includes very basic, common-sense training that encourages officers to -in the words of the jury's verdict -"challenge assumptions about alcohol use and intoxication in Inuit communities."
It's sad that those myths still exist, that people might assume intoxication before they consider the possibility of a medical emergency.
Unfortunately, the road to societal progress is often built on tragedies like this. Circumstances such as Paul's force us to look at the bigger picture and see just how much work still needs to be done to root out racism wherever it is found.
Hopefully, this is a wake-up call. It's past time for us as a society to destroy those assumptions once and for all. That would be the best thing to come out of this inquest.
Communication key for RCMP
Northwest Territories/News North - Monday, August 7, 2017
The RCMP needs to channel Blondie and call Indigenous communities. And First Nations need to answer.
That was the takeaway after Chief Frieda Martselos of Salt River First Nation in Fort Smith laid into the territory's top cop while discussing relations between First Nations and the RCMP during the 47th Dene National Assembly.
"I'm extremely disappointed in the RCMP because they did not do their job," she said, referring to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Martselos argued that if only the RCMP had treated Indigenous women like any other Canadian, maybe so many of them wouldn't be dead.
The stumbling point? Communication. Martselos said she felt there was a lack of understanding, accountability and transparency.
And the cops? Agreed.
"Our organization is not perfect. I know that," replied Chief Supt. Jamie Zettler, commanding officer of the RCMP's G Division, to Martselos statements.
It's not like there isn't a road map on how to do this better. Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus pointed to the Public Safety Protocol Agreement, which the Dene Nation and the RCMP signed in 2013, as proof that better relationships are possible. The protocol he said helped the RCMP work with the Indigenous community, which is good for everyone. And it comes down to something as simple as the RCMP knowing who to call -- a representative within the First Nation ready to work with them to make everyone safer.
So it's understood that better communications make for better policing, which makes communities safer and more equitable. It's understood that communities working with the RCMP, instead of feeling the cops are the bad guys, means that people are more likely to report crimes when they happen, and seek help when they need it.
The NWT has the second highest rate of police-reported family violence in the country, behind only Nunavut. But that's only taking into account incidents that are actually reported -- hard enough in any community but doubly so in the NWT. Of the 33 communities in the territory, 11 do not have an RCMP detachment.
Which is a problem if you're looking for help, especially if you're a woman.
In 2015, the NWT had Canada's largest increase in the rate of reported family-related physical and sexual assault, up by five per cent. And Indigenous women? Are nearly three times more likely to be violently victimized than their non-Indigenous counterparts, according to Status of Women Canada.
Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge of Deh Gha Got'ie First Nation in Fort Providence told the assembly it's important to encourage more recruitment of young people to join the RCMP.
"We want them to join a high-integrity, respectful agency like the RCMP," he said.
And the territory needs more Indigenous people in uniform. Diversity and representation matters. Auxiliary officers in every community, acting as community delegates, would help to build a bridge between the RCMP and Indigenous communities.
As others at the Dene assembly mentioned, opening the lines of communication is a good first step, but it cannot be the last. Up next in the roster needs to be more education for the RCMP about Indigenous cultures, which should include going on the land with school groups and attending workshops on the residential school system offered by the GNWT to educators.
This will give police a better understanding of the historical background that underplays what happens today, as well as letting people in the community interact with the police in a positive way.
Most people only interact with the RCMP when something bad has happened -- and from the RCMP side, they spend a lot dealing with people at their very worst. Better communication is a good first step in showing up and acknowledging there is a problem, and putting those first bricks together to build that bridge to something better.
Once that happens, it's up to individuals, whether in the community or in uniform, to walk over it.
Buy-in is good business
Nunavut/News North - Monday, August 7, 2017
It was a real-life example of David vs. Goliath, pitting the small High Arctic community of Clyde River in a fight against big oil and the Canadian government.
It's hard to believe the years-long battle is over and Clyde River took down these giants. Last month's Supreme Court victory declaring that Clyde River was not fairly consulted before the National Energy Board approved seismic testing in Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait proves that one should never underestimate a determined underdog.
Much credit goes to former mayor Jerry Natanine and his community for pursuing this fight to the end. And the fight was won with financial backing from Greenpeace, which hadn't exactly endeared itself to Inuit with its decades-long efforts to destroy the sealing industry. Their support at the Supreme Court is a show of good faith but time will tell whether the partnership changes the Inuit view of Greenpeace.
We have yet to see the Nunavut government comment on the judgement but we can guess how former oil man Premier Peter Taptuna feels about the situation.
On one hand, the premier must view as good news the fact Inuit must be properly consulted on decisions that could affect Inuit rights, and Senator Dennis Patterson says the decision supports Nunavut's devolution efforts.
On the other hand, Taptuna is pro-development, and has made no effort to hide that resource extraction is his preferred way to bolster Nunavut's economy. Any barrier to development will be seen as a barrier to jobs for Nunavummiut.
But Natanine has emphasized all along that he is not anti-development. The fight against seismic testing is not a fight against development. It's a fight against unilateral decisions from on high. It's an effort to ensure progress benefits the people living where development takes place.
In the end, consultation works best when it results in buy-in from the communities that will be affected long after mining companies leave. Working to get that buy-in is smart business. One has only to look at Sabina's Back River mine in the Kitikmeot region, which was recently given a second look after initially being denied by the Nunavut Impact Review Board. The board subsequently reversed its decision.
Affected communities bought into the project, arguing it would bring jobs while making reasonable efforts to protect wildlife.
The proponents of seismic testing in Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait, to their credit, held off on testing during the appeal, despite no requirement to do so. That's smart business, too, if they ever try to argue for testing again.
But they'll need to do much more than get community support for seismic testing.
There is enough evidence to suggest that shooting off extremely loud sonic blasts underwater is damaging and potentially deadly for the wildlife Inuit communities rely upon.
The seismic proponents may have lost this fight because of the lack of consultation. But if they come back for round two, they'll not only need to do a better job of consulting Inuit, they'll also have to work to achieve buy-in.
Proving seismic testing won't hurt marine life is the only way that will happen.
Rubbish on the Rocks
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, August 4, 2017
Imagine throwing a party and some of your guests decided to pitch tents in your neighbour's yard and dump their trash and empty booze bottles there. You wouldn't tell your neighbour, "sorry, not my problem," would you?
The appropriate answer seems obvious. Alas, it doesn't appear to have dawned on organizers for this year's Folk on the Rocks music festival. A week after the two-day event came to a close last month, discarded drink cups, empty beer boxes and other debris remained in an area directly adjacent to the site.
A week is a long time to leave garbage lying around. Lighter trash is likely to blow away - into a lake or onto someone else's property. If some of that trash contains broken glass, the longer it remains, the more likely someone or their pet will step on it.
It's clear the trash was left behind by revelers attending the festival - Yellowknifer staff saw them - yet no action was taken until the newspaper began making calls.
Folk president Ryan Fequet insists anything outside the festival grounds' green fence perimeter is "solely the city's land." This is technically true but it was still their party.
Expecting taxpayers to foot the bill and have city hall clean up after their party is unacceptable. Folk on the Rocks recruits hundreds of volunteers for the event. Site cleanup is one of the required tasks. How hard is it to direct volunteers to clean up trash at the periphery of the festival grounds? It's not like cleaning up trash on public land is illegal.
Folk on the Rocks is an amazing event, the summer highlight for more than 2,000 Yellowknife residents each year. Organizers, including its volunteer board of directors, do a great job putting together a high quality and family-friendly event on a shoestring budget.
Clearly it would have been nice if the people who had left the mess outside the festival fence had cleaned it up themselves.
But next time someone asks organizers, "Hey, what's up with the trash left behind by festival-goers?" it's best not to pin the responsibility for cleaning it up on the city.
Way to go, Indigenous athletes
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, August 4, 2017
NWT athletes' bags were a little heavier on the way home from the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto last month. Athletes from across the Northwest Territories snagged 20 medals.
Yellowknife's Hannah Courtoreille won silver for the U16 girls' triple jump, while Deanne Whenham won gold in the U17 girls' golf division.
Other highlights included Tamara Lafferty of Fort Resolution shooting her way to a bronze medal in the U19 girls' prone position rifle shooting competition, and Gaius Crook of Hay River and Danika Burke of Fort Resolution each winning gold in the U16 prone position events. On the water, Kaidan McDonald of Inuvik and Davina McLeod of Aklavik brought home the gold in the U19 tandem 3,000-metre canoeing event while Inuvik's Kyra McDonald scored silver in the U14 girls' 3,000-metre canoe race.
But NWT athletes weren't done running away with accolades: on the track, Kayleigh Hunter of Fort Resolution brought home silver for the U16 shot put and Brayden Sinclair of Fort Smith captured gold in the U19. Cole Clark, also from Fort Smith, took bronze in the U19 boys' javelin and Bayleigh Chaplin of Fort Resolution captured bronze for the U16 girls' composite archery competition.
The medals are more than hardware -- they are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the young athletes who competed.
Events like these are great for youth but especially for Indigenous youth, a segment of the population that is often forgotten or ignored outside the territory.
Events like these help build confidence and self esteem in healthy ways, and regardless of whether the competitors came home with something shiny or not, they're all already victors. But it sure is nice to win.
Grounded aviation tour a disappointment
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, August 3, 2017
Hundreds of people enjoyed the show when the Canadian Arctic Aviation Tour dazzled Inuvik and surrounding communities early this June.
After each show, pilots took hours out of their time to meet with residents and discuss opportunities in aviation and form bonds with people of the North.
Unfortunately, it looks like not all Northerners will get to enjoy that show, as the tour has been postponed since its last stop in Yellowknife.
"I'm extremely heartbroken and disappointed," Nancy McClure, executive director of the project, said to me earlier this week. "I've put my heart and soul into this."
The tour needs more than a million dollars in additional funding to finish its route through Nunavut and Atlantic Canada. McClure had been banking on that funding coming from the Government of Canada for its Canada 150 events, but hope is running out as the season begins to change and no new grant comes through.
If it didn't come through this week, the tour would have to be officially cancelled, as the weather in Nunavut would begin to make it unfeasible to fly such small planes in the territory.
What especially hurts McClure is knowing the impact the show had on some of the smaller communities.
Ken Fowler, one of the pilots, relayed a story about how touching his experience meeting people in Aklavik was.
"We have so many people coming up to us that were literally in tears," he said at the time.
From what I've seen in my time in Inuvik, few events put on by out-of-towners have matched the interest and fanfare the aviation tour achieved.
What might be a simple spectacle to Vancouverites seemed like something bigger here.
Not many people come to the North to put on a show for Northerners.
Usually, the onus seems to be on community members to show off their traditional culture to wide-eyed tourists, which certainly has its place.
But there's something very special about a troupe of highly skilled aviators putting on a dazzling show for a community that might not even have 1,000 residents.
It's not just an afternoon spectacle, but a great sign of respect and involvement in celebrating a united country's pride.
Speaking of unity, a peculiar thing about this country is just how uninformed most Canadians are about anything in the North.
It's likely that other Arctic countries, such as Norway and Russia, understand Northern Canadian issues better than southern Canadians themselves.
The extent of many southerners' familiarity with the North seems to be as the poster boy for climate change.
It's nice for Northerners to be treated as a vital part of Canada and catered to once in a while.
The Canadian Arctic Aviation Tour went well beyond even that spectacle and truly inspired many residents of the Western Arctic. It helped connect our country and its people, especially ones who are often forgotten about.
There's little use in pitting one project against another and arguing about which deserves funding and which doesn't, but money aside, the record should show that this was a positive event for the North and more like it would be welcomed.
