Tusaayaksat – Nov/Dec 2007

by Grade 6 students from Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, Inuvik

This picture was taken in front of Rock River, Yukon when elder Neil Colin took Grade 6 students from Sir Alexander Mackenzie School on a nature walk during an October caribou monitoring trip. Front Row (L-R) - Trent Gordon, Justin Collison, Chris Church, Christian Van Vliet. Back Row (L-R) - Elder Neil

I would like to go caribou hunting so I can learn how to skin one. I believe in my culture, and want to learn about it. I’ve never skinned a caribou before. I have only eaten caribou meat. Caribou is the best kind of meat! I have never been caribou hunting in my whole life. I would like to learn a lot so I can be ready for my first caribou hunt. Can I please go on this trip?

Paisley Day

I should go because I would like to learn more about caribou. I think it would a cool experience. I would try my best to listen and to work hard. It would be lots of fun with our friends. I really want to go. I think we need to monitor the caribou herd, so we know where they are, and they don’t get lost. And we shouldn’t hunt the females so their babies won’t be hurt.

Chelsea Elias

I would like to be chosen so I can learn new things. Next time when I go to Rock River, I’ll know how to hunt. I like doing things I’ve never tried before. If I get to go I’ll do the best I can and be the best I can! We need to monitor the caribou herd so we don’t kill the female caribou. If you killed the female caribou, you could be killing two caribou. If you kill a male caribou you won’t be killing two.

Trevor Thrasher

Colin, Mr. Deering, Paul Schab, Orion Donovan, Steven Alldridge, Joseph Semmler, Brandi Larocque, Robyn Rinas, Hailey Verbonac (red hood), Alison McDonald, Stac-cee Francis, Elana Joe, Megan Ross.

John Gruben

I would like to go on a hunt for caribou because I’ve never gone hunting before. I would like to see what’s inside a caribou, and to see a bear. I have never been to Rock River. I would like to learn about trapping and gun safety. I would like to know how many meters we have to go to hunt.

Hailey Verbonac

I think I should go on the hunt because I like to study animals and their habits. We should monitor the caribou because if we don’t people will hunt too many and the caribou can become extinct. If other animals don’t have caribou to eat, they will also die. In lots of places caribou are endangered and protected. There is a danger in not killing the caribou too, as they could over populate. We have to keep the balance. Animals like bears and wolves help too. So really, there are lots of reasons to monitor caribou. It helps us to monitor bears too, as we can watch the bears near the herds.

Alison McDonald

I’ve been interested in my culture for a long time and I often ask my dad about hunting animals. I’ve always wanted to go on a hunt but I haven’t gotten the chance. I think I should be chosen because my family has been hunting for years and it is a big part of my father’s life as a child. I’ve learnt a little bit about skinning a caribou and I think it will be a big deal for me to learn how my grand parents, great-grandparents and so on, have done it. My dad has taught me about gun safety, and how to use the safety catch on a gun. Monitoring the caribou is important because you need to know where they are in order to kill them for meat and fur.

ThisOctober, students at SAMS school were challenged to write essays explaining why they should be chosen to participate in a caribou hunt. 15 students (8 boys and 7 girls) participated in the three day, two night trip to Rock River. Members of Environment and Natural Resources, Forestry, elder Neil Collins, teachers Jason Dayman and Mr. Deering, and two beaver volunteers taught the students about the importance of monitoring and saving the caribou herds. Students were taken on nature walks, and identifying animal tracks, learning traditional language and hearing many stories about living on the land from elder Neil Collins. Viceprincipal Jason Dayman said the students saw twenty caribou and a grizzly bear.

“The students were definitely excited, the grizzly was about four to five-hundred meters away. The caribou were too spooked and went far away before we could hunt them, but it was still a great trip. The best thing was getting the students to experience the outdoors, and having the elder and resource people along to educate the students.”

Drawing by Paisley Day

“If Iam fortunate enough to get the position of Premier, that doesn’t mean it will be a rosy ride for the people of the NWT – I think we’ve to challenge our own people, challenge the bureaucracy of the government, challenge the leaders of our communities, and to challenge our own families. Nobody likes it when you’re in their face, but it has to be done,” said Floyd Roland in his home, a few days before he was elected as Premier of the North West Territories this October. Floyd has been acclaimed for the second time in the 2007 NWT elections as MLA of Inuvik Boot Lake, and is now serving his fourth term. We have come to learn more about his political journey.

He was first elected in to the legislative assembly in 1995. Over the past twelve years, he has been minister of a variety of portfolios, including Health and Social Services, Housing, Finance, Public Works and Services, Human Resources, and Public Utilities. In the 14th Legislative Assembly, he served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development, and also as Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight.

Premier Floyd Roland on Tough Love

Floyd Roland had an emotional moment when he presented his platform for Premier. He recalls his father David Roland giving him this advice, “One more time my boy, and this time, the top job.” David had then learnt when the next territorial elections would be. Recovering quickly, Floyd said “With your love and guidance from above Dad, I will carry on.”

He is known to stand behind policies such as the Fiscal Responsibility act, which in his words “limits the budget of the territorial government without driving the cost of living up for Northerners. If the government spends more than it has, it must make adjustments so the budget still fits within its original framework.” In times of weaker economy, he had cut the housing and travel allowance of the Legislative Assembly so as to balance finances.

“If we have to make the rest of the communities suffer by reductions, we had better lead by example,” he said.

Floyd is also known for emphasizing personal responsibility. In a speech to the legislative assembly, Floyd said he believes in “Tough Love.”

To explain the concept, he first stated who he

is and where he learnt his values. “Quite simply, I am an Inuvialuit, a northerner, and a Canadian,” he said. “I was born in Inuvik Hospital in 1961, where I spent my first few days in a tent on the shores of East Branch, before being adopted at five days old to David and Olga Roland.”

REBuILDINg RESPECT

“My father was a reindeer herder. I still remember his stories of pulling a tarp over his body as his only protection against the harsh weather. My father, like his father walked this land, harvested this land and now rests in this land – they helped set the foundation and now it’s our turn to build a stronger north.”

He noted the importance of the first time his father refused to take him along on a hunting trip. “My boy, I can’t let you skip school,” Floyd quoted his father, “you have to get your education. My dad could see down the road that living on the land wouldn’t be enough.” It is the strictness of his father, and his respect for his father’s authority that allowed him to complete his schooling and to be able to function in a wage economy.

COMMON SENSE AND gRASSROOTS ACCOuNTABILIT

well meaning, but the more I think about it, we’ve taken an independent people, who built their own house if they wanted one from trees, and now people go to government for housing, to get help for their children. What has government done? We have given people an education, but forgotten that they have been getting an education already. We introduced foreign languages and concepts. That’s the context that I see things from –we’re still a young territory, and we’ve gone from the fur era to the industrial era in two generations. Others from Europe and the rest of Canada have had hundreds of years to adjust to the wage economy, this is such a shock to the people.”

PRACTICAL SOLuTIONS

He observes that there are opportunities that if taken, will strengthen aboriginal groups. “We have gone from being laborers to owning our own organization. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is an example to the world that we can enhance our economy and have balance.”

y

hard to say no to people, especially your own family. But sometimes, it’s what’s needed. We need as a government, to let parents be parents. We have to give them the right tools, and not be afraid to tell them if they’re doing something wrong. Society has changed in such a drastic way, that the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. There used to be a time when you hear ‘no’ from your parents and you stop dead in your tracks. Now parents are taken to court, and if a school counselor phones a parent, they might hear profanity over the phone. The new rules are for all for the right reasons in a sense, but wait a second, where’s the common sense?”

Floyd is proud of the new Liquor Act that was recently passed. “The fines have been increased, this will make it tougher for the bootleggers. If you’re preying on the weak, be prepared to pay the fines. We need to set an example and send out the message that their actions are destructive to society and will not be tolerated.”

“I sometimes look at people that get out of a plane from Ottawa, to see people living in these communities—they think to themselves, this is brutal, this nomadic way, we’ve got to help them. For awhile it was

“I think it’s the people we have to focus on. I speak from personal history. There are a lot of times when we as government put programs in place, and all we’re doing is enabling people to not make a decision, to strengthen who they are and where they need to be for their families.”

Floyd wants to consult more with the frontline workers in the communities to create solutions for addictions and social problems. “We’ve to build on recognizing them for their contributions, and to get ideas from them on what works and what doesn’t. We’re too busy at the government level with reports and briefings made by outside government companies.”

“By working together, by instilling those family values back, I think we can make a difference and build strong families, communities and territories. Let’s give people the tools to make the right decisions and at the same time have accountability at the grassroots level.”

A sovereign North depends on a united voice. The newly elected Premier sees establishing the north’s sovereignty as a priority. “My first priority is to meet the people’s needs on a day to day basis, tackling their bread and butter issues, and secondly we want to instill confidence that NWT can get a balanced economy, and we will let the federal government know that NWT has come of age and can make our own decisions.”

In response to the throne speech this year, where the significance of Canada’s north was emphasized, he said, “We can help Canada become a stronger economy in the world

The Northwest Territories operates under the consensus system of government, rather than the more familiar system of party politics practiced elsewhere in Canada (with the exception of Nunavut). Within this system, all Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected as independents in their constituencies.

Once elected, the Members travel to the Legislative Assembly where a territorial leadership meeting is held. The Speaker, Premier and Executive Council are then elected by nominations followed by secret ballots.

The consensus system of governing is more in keeping with the way that aboriginal peoples have traditionally made decisions. Unanimous agreement is not necessary for decisions to be made, motions passed, and legislation enacted. A simple majority carries the vote for the sake of the greater good.

Members who are not appointed to the Executive Council are referred to as Regular Members. They become the unofficial opposition in the House. The Members are responsible, through questioning and through the Standing Committees, to hold the government accountable and responsive to the people of the Northwest Territories.

As Cabinet consists of only seven of the nineteen Members, the eleven Regular Members exert considerable influence on many of the decisions and the direction of the government.

“It’s

Chambers of the legislative Assembly in Yellowknife.

with our people and the strong resources this land holds, but we as Northerners need to benefit.”

A unified vision shared by northerners, territorial government, and the federal government will allow Northerners to move ahead, Floyd said. “It’s like in hunting. One holds the gun, another the ammunition, and yet another the traditional knowledge of where the game is. Without each other we can go nowhere fast. It has been that way for years, so for the good of all people, let’s bring it together and bring the game home. We can share like we did years ago, everybody included.”

ACCLAMATION

On being acclaimed for the second time, Floyd said, “The acclamation is a vote of confidence. I truly see being elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly as democracy in practice. The people are placing their power by an individual, and it was nice for me to see that they supported me in this way again.”

As Floyd did not have to campaign this time, he makes it a point to go to the people, to hear what their issues are. Whenever he is back in his constituency, he tries to have “Floyd’s on Friday”, a gathering where anyone can have soup and share their views. “We get more people coming out to those than to our public meetings,” he said.

“Inuvik is about the people, whether you are an elder, youth, employed, unemployed, government or private business owner…have your say and we’ll do the best we can. Sometimes we will have to go back and tell people we’re sorry, but we can’t do something because it doesn’t fit with policy, but some people will respect the fact that you came back. I’ve said that it doesn’t matter, good news or bad news, I am coming back home.”

When Floyd arrived in Inuvik after his first legislative assembly session as premier-elect, the Delta Good Times Band was waiting for him on the runway tarmac of the Inuvik Airport, playing fiddle as crowds of supporters welcomed him home.

Floyd’s personal journey

gROWINg uP IN INuVIk

“Twenty five years ago, people wouldn’t have picked me for anything,” said Floyd self-effacingly. “Like most young guys in the North, I went through my trials and tribulations – but we all make mistakes. If you move ahead, and break through the bonds of the past, you can change the way you look at things. I decided as a teenager to make some changes in my life because I knew it will be a world of hurt otherwise.”

Floyd remembers growing up in Inuvik, after his first few years spent at Reindeer Station. His father got a new job as a school janitor the same day he left Reindeer Station. “My earliest recollection of Inuvik is the house my dad built. It was the first house on co-op hill. I was told at a very young age that I was adopted. I was very fortunate to be adopted when I was, as I knew my biological family had a harsh life. My dad did very well for someone with a grade four education, he worked until the day he retired, to raise his family, and so that his children could have an education.”

gOINg INTO TRADES

He started going to school at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, but later had to live at Stringer Hall, the residential school in Inuvik when his mother Olga fell ill. “I attended Samuel Hearne Secondary, but applied in my final year for an apprenticeship with the GNWT to become an auto mechanic. I thought it was time to go out in the world, to do something else, but I ended up in school anyway.” He studied Auto Mechanics at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton.

Floyd Roland, with wife Shawna and son Mitchell at a Sir Alexander Mackenzie School ‘Meet the Teachers’ feast held this September. Floyd believes it is important to participate in local events.

David and Olga Roland, Floyd’s adopted parents.

“My father was not impressed that I went on the trade side, as he had always wanted me to have an office job, but he still supported me. He began to have an appreciation for my job when I rebuild his truck engine twice. For a few years, I had no interest except to get my paycheck as an auto mechanic, to put gas in my boat, and to get out on the land.”

WHO ’ S MAkINg THE DECISIONS?

Floyd attributes his entry into politics as “self interest.” “I was really enjoying meeting people, and telling them about the North, so I decided to take the next step: Tourism,” he said, “Because of the sensitivity around whaling, I made a plan where I can take people out to our summer camp without them being right in the middle of the hunting. I had to get approval from a variety of organizations, and the only one that didn’t approve was my own organization [Inuvialuit Regional Corporation].”

“Istarted wondering – who’s making the decisions? I started attending community corporation meetings and asking questions. I also wrote letters,” he said. Floyd was first asked to run for board member of the Inuvik Community Corporation (ICC). “It was very disappointing, I came in last out of the nine people who ran,” he laughed.

TAkINg PART IN POLITICS

“When the elections for HTC (Inuvik Hunters and Trappers Committee) came up, I almost said no, but people kept telling me how it made sense as my father and I were always on the land, and had knowledge of the land. Duane Smith (now Chair of ICC and president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference) and I both got on the board of HTC.”

Floyd and Duane applied traditional hunting values to HTC policies. “We realized that with the hunter assistance funds that we had, we could only help so many people. So we made it a rule for people who get gas money from us to go on the land to bring back an amount of harvest that we can give to other people in need.”

Floyd eventually became the HTC chairperson in 1994. “I got my approval for tourism after that,” he said.

He was also nominated to run for a position on Inuvik’s town council, and served for three terms. “Initially I said no, because the approach they came to me with was, Floyd, you are a good example of an Inuvialuit person. I believe I am just a person – you are who you are. I am not going to wave a flag about my background. I go back to the teaching of my dad. You treat all people with respect and they will respect you.”

Floyd did eventually run, as he decided he could contribute to Inuvik. “I thought it will be fairly straight forward, but my eyes were quickly opened to how many issues there were to deal with.”

TuRNINg POINT

Towards the end of 1995, Floyd had so many responsibilities his wife reminded him that their family had to “make appointments to see him

on Saturday.” He and his wife Shawna have five sons, Austin, Justin, Quincey, Samuel, Mitchell and one daughter, Courtney. At that time, he was an auto mechanic who ran a tourism business, and served on the board of the Western Arctic Tourism Association; he was Chair of HTC, and was also deputy mayor of Inuvik.

He was surprised when support began building up for him to run in the territorial elections that winter. “I was worried that this would take me further away from my family. But if I didn’t run for the sake of my children, then for what should I run? This is home. My children go to school here, and if they get sick they go to the hospital here. If this is not the right time, then when?”

With an executive director from HTC, Floyd went door to door to collect signatures, and filled up the nomination book in one night. “I was surprised by the people who showed up at my campaign platform meetings. They were young and old, employed, unemployed, government workers, business owners, Inuvialuit, Gwich’in, non-aboriginal, the mix was interesting, and it felt good at that point.”

“I was told that politics is a blood sport, and a dirty world, but I tell people that I have my back to the wall and my ears wide open. At first I tended to listen more than talk, firstly for self preservation, and also to learn the processes and information.” Floyd then climbed a steep learning curve, learning the processes and rules of the legislative assembly. “The expectations, the time commitment, the sacrifices on family… I remember being disappointed. I thought I was going to change things, but it takes a long time for things to be delivered to communities, even if a majority of the legislative assembly members agreed to it.”

“By the end of my first term, my salary was not as good as it used to be, but I liked what I was doing, and it seemed to be working. I like talking with people, bringing their issues to the table. I remember distinctly a presentation that Vince Steen made as an MLA, when he emphasized how a piece of legislature meant so much to government, but meant nothing on the kitchen tables of the people he served. It doesn’t matter to me if you were born here, moved here twenty years ago or six months ago. If you call this place home, then when you phone and say you have a problem and want information, I am here for you.”

David Roland, (Floyd’s father) was a reindeer herder before he moved to Inuvik and worked as a janitor until he retired.

Floyd says he is influenced by his father’s work ethics and respect for others.

Robert McLeod is elected for the second consecutive time as Inuvik Twin Lake’s MLA. He attributes his win to his performance over his last three years in the legislative assembly. “People saw that I wasn’t afraid to come down to pound the table and get their issues heard,” he said. Having his people heard is of paramount importance to Robert. When he was asked to consider the chance to become an executive member of the legislative assembly, he chose to remain as a regular member. The salary of a regular member might be less, but Robert is a man who wants to keep his word.

“If I were to take a run at cabinet and be successful, that would put two Inuvik legislative assembly members on the cabinet side. [Floyd Roland, Premier-elect represents Inuvik Boot Lake]. That would leave Inuvik without a public voice. One of the differences between cabinet and regular members is that regular members can question publicly decisions that are being made. When you are part of cabinet, you are part of the decision making process and your hands are tied to making statements with the same amount of freedom. I did make a statement in a public forum when someone asked ‘What are you going to do to ensure that Inuvik’s voice is heard?’ I committed at the time that I’ll be bringing their issues to the table.”

Robert also likes how being a regular member meant he could continue to live in Inuvik, amongst the people of his riding. During his campaign, Robert said his constituents are most concerned about social issues and housing. “This is always a big deal, especially for hardworking people who are trying to get into their own homes.” He said the public will be seeing changes in public housing, as a budget of $7 million over two years has been passed. “We will be replacing housing units,” he said.

CONSTITuENT PRIORITIES

“A new treatment center for addictions is another priority. A report was done that said there is no need for one. Regardless of what a $97,000 report says, we’ve to talk to the people on the ground. They will tell you that there is a need for a treatment center locally, with proper aftercare. They are saying that it doesn’t work when you send people down south to get treated, and then bring them back to Inuvik where there is no aftercare.” he said.

“A lot of our members heard from constituents about youth issues, and what we can do for youth during their campaigns, so I think you can see the legislative assembly is going to start making some changes. There are also a lot of senior issues coming up. In the next four years, hopefully we’ll be getting a new seniors’ home in Inuvik.”

Robert McLeod, MLA of Inuvik Twin Lakes speaking at the legislative assembly this October.

RObERT’S HiSTORy

Before Robert became an MLA, his political experience included being a town councilor in Aklavik from 1983 to 1985, and being Mayor of Aklavik from 1987 to 1989. He has worked as maintenance supervisor, then as manager for the Inuvik Housing Authority, and was a private contractor in Aklavik from 1997 to 2003. He is known for his work as a volunteer in sports for youth. He was a recipient of the NWT Volunteer Award and the Good Neighbour Award.

“I’ve worked on the frontlines for twenty three years, and we’ve had to live with a lot of the decisions made in Yellowknife, but now I am part of the decision making process, and I don’t always like what I see. It can be a slow process sometimes, but hopefully we have a new assembly now, and hopefully a new process, government and attitude. I hope we can act for the people of NWT, instead of reacting to it.”

Robert was born in Aklavik and spent the first eight years of his life there before moving to Inuvik in 1966. “Growing up in Inuvik, I’ve lived through the first economic boom and the first bust, when the CFS [Canadian Forces Station] was there, when both hostels [residential schools] were running, so I knew the history and the issues that Inuvik was facing, and the problems that youth were facing,” he said. When he was asked by Inuvik community

He will continue to argue against devolution, which he believes made NWT lose $274 million in income last year. “Our gas resources are given over to Ottawa, who then gives us part of our money back in transfer payments,” he said. He will also continue to help his constituents fight against red tape and misinformation.

“A lot of people come to their MLAs because they don’t seem to be getting answers for their problems. I am in the position where I can talk to the departments at the regional level and sometimes they’ll deal with it right away. We’ve lost more than we have won but we’ll keep plugging along. Sometimes I bring issues to the floor if I feel the ministers and departments are not giving the right response. But when it comes to my greatest accomplishments – I think it’s getting $464 out of the department of Education for a constituent who wasn’t given the right information. It took months, and now I am working on a $1200 issue. In the overall picture of a $1.4 billion budget, this shouldn’t be a big deal, but to the constituents, it’s a big deal. It’s not a matter of the money, but that they were misinformed. It’s been three years, and I’ve another four now to help them get it back,” he laughs.

members to run in the 2004 by-election, he decided he had something to offer. “I am a fairly honest guy and I do it with respect,” he said.

MAINTAININg FOCuS

Robert felt he has learnt to practice patience during his first term, and is determined to continue bringing his constituents’ issues to the table, whether they are big or small.

“One thing people have to realize is that there are limitations. A lot of them think that we’re MLAs and have the authority [to create change quickly], but a lot of departments and agencies have rules and policies in place. What I like to tell people is that I can go back and ask the question for them, and find out why something is happening to them,” he said when asked what constituents need to understand.

Robert is grateful for his family’s support. “You can never do anything like this without the support of your family. I am lucky my children are all grown and now it’s just my wife and me at home.”

Robert McLeod’s family celebrates with him at the swearing-in of the 16th legislative assembly.

Robert holds grandson Rylan (center), (L-R) sonin-law Raymond Wainman, daughter Kimberly, wife Judy and Sharla (Judy’s sister).

Comissioner Tony Whitford (L) and Robert McLeod at the signing of Mr. McLeod’s oath of office.

Jackie Jacobson

A fReSh START fOR NuNAkpuT

yOuNgEST MLA

Jackie Jacobson, at thirty-five years old, is the youngest MLA newly elected to the 16th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. He represents the people of Nunakput (Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk and Tuktoyaktuk.) The enthusiasm for this member-elect can be seen in his landslide win during the elections, and in the amount of applause he gets when he stood up in chambers to push for the access road 177, the all weather gravel highway for Tuktoyaktuk.

“I am excited and very happy, it’s so nice to have someone so young and committed. He will work well for the people of Nunakput,” said Agnes Kuptana from Ulukhaktok. I am very pleased and honored to be here to see him being sworn in.”

We asked Jackie what he attributes his popularity to. “I earned it. People know I am a hardworking individual, and I try to serve the people as much as I can,” he said. “I am excited to be serving the people of Nunakput and the people of the NWT as a whole.”

Jackie Jacobson, elected for the first time as a member of the Northwest Territories Legislative assembly, is grateful to the people of Nunakput, for coming out to vote for him.

He also thanks his family and friends for their involvement in his campaign. Besides his grandfather Jimmy Jacobson, Jackie cites his uncles Buck Storr [former councilor for Aklavik] and Vince Steen[formerMLA]ashisgreatestinfluences.“I’ve bigshoestofill,”hesaid.“It’sanexcitingtime,andI am ready for challenges.”

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE

Jackie was mayor of the Tuktoyaktuk hamlet for the last three and a half years. He has served his community in a variety of public functions. Before he became mayor, he was on hamlet council for two terms. He was also secretary/treasurer of the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation for eight years, a community recreation board member for three years, and Chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Housing board for four years.

In addition, he has served for six years as both member of the board and as the Chair of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, and Chair of the Human Resources Board with Norterra.

“This is my next step,” he said. Jackie’s first job in public service was as a community constable. “In those five and a half years, I saw a lot, it made me want to take the opportunity to show what I can do for my community, that was when I started on town council.”

“I feel sad to let go of the reins, but I know I left a good mark as mayor.

Jackie Jacobson (L) taking it all in during a session.

Jackie congratulating a fellow MLA after the swearing-in ceremony.

There will be a new curling rink for the community, kids can play lacrosse soon. This year, Tuktoyaktuk is finally out of a deficit. I have to thank the hamlet staff and my uncle Vince Steen, who is on the board for helping to make this fresh start.”

RESPECTINg ELDER’S VALuES

Brought up in Tuktoyaktuk by his grandfather Jimmy Jacobson and grandmother Bella, Jackie learnt to take words of elders to heart. “Elders are my sounding board, their guidance makes me want to work even harder,” he said. He said his grandfather instilled in him a strong work ethic. “When I left home at 17 to work for the Trans-Canada pipeline, it felt like a real eye opener in terms of me having to be away from home. I wanted to come home but ‘Dad’ told me, you’ve got no home, you have to get a job to keep one.”

road will give my community a new water source, a dumpsite, and gravel for building. With the current government funding we can’t build much due to the shortage of gravel in Tuktoyaktuk.”

During the election campaign, Jackie was unique in his visiting every community in his constituency, speaking with the hamlets and mayors to understand the infrastructure needs of each place.

Heplans to keep his eyes on doing what it takes to give opportunity to youth of the North. “ g rowing up in an isolated community, we get a trip or two per year to Inuvik, and if we’re lucky, we make it on a sports team and go to yellowknife. What I’ll really like to do is to get the pride back to where we come from.”

TOP ISSuES

Jackie said that during his campaign, his constituency brought up their priorities. “The main issues are housing, transport, the price of groceries, lack of nursing staff, and the need for more policing in Sachs Harbour. I want to move forward on these issues.”

Another issue high on his list is to push for a gravel highway from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk. Last year the GNWT department of transportation announced a new proposal that includes a $15 million budget for the highway but has yet to follow through. “Access road 177 has always been a priority for me ever since I’ve been mayor of Tuktoyaktuk. This

Toemphasize that, Jackie said, “I have no plans to move to yellowknife [where the Legislative Assembly is.] Tuktoyaktuk is where I am from, where my family is, and where my people are – Nunakput is the jewel of the NWT.”

Jackie brought his family along with him to Yellowknife to celebrate his new beginning as MLA of Nunakput.

Elders Helping Scientists

Soil sampling and engineering work at Stokes Point.

Caribou freely roam around the remains of the old BAR-B DEW Line. They seem to enjoy the shelter from bugs provided by the current short range radar station.

Photos and words by Zoe Ho

This July, as Lucy and Bill Cockney stepped out of the A-star helicopter onto the soil of Stokes Point, they were struck by a wave of nostalgia. “This was home, it’ll always be home to me, even though I don’t live here anymore,” said Lucy, taking note of how infrastructure has changed and vegetation is flourishing. She and Bill had moved to BAR-B, a Distant Early Warning (DEW)Line site on the Northern Yukon coast, right after they got married in the late 1950s, and raised two of their children here.

“I worked on building the airstrip,” said Bill. He was one of the five people based there. There is now a new airstrip, and much of the former Stokes DEW Line (one of the forty two built for continental defense during the cold war) has been dismantled since Bill and Lucy’s time. Given the vastness of the Yukon Coast, the new short-range radar station currently operated by the Department of Defense looks like a small dot of technology out in the wilderness. BAR-B is part of what is now known as Ivvavik National Park of Canada. Even the caribou hanging around the site seemed at peace with their surroundings. Despite the constant hum of the station’s generators, the caribou took shelter underneath the buildings to get away from biting insects. Lucy was amazed by this, and took pictures with her digital camera.

Recording elders’ memories

It was easy to see why Bill and Lucy have fond memories of Ikpikyuk (the Inuvialuit name for Stokes Point, meaning “high bank”.) Together with elder Danny C. Gordon, and Andrew Gordon Sr., they returned to tour Stokes Point by helicopter and foot, revisiting where they had once worked and lived. The elders recounted their memories about the site to help Parks Canada, the Department of National Defence –

“Once we lost our boy. We looked for him all over, and then somebody tells us he’s climbing the tower. I run there, and he is six stories high, hanging off the side of the tower,” Lucy laughs. “I was always kept busy, I had no time to get bored, running after my children and taking care of this one,” she said, looking at Bill. “Look at the foundation of this garage, it’s the only thing left (of the DEWLine) from when we were here. My son liked to hide in it, and when I got him out, he would always smell like fuel.”

As they spoke, contaminants investigator Nick Battye from the Environmental Sciences Group of the Royal Military College of Canada and project historian Elisa Hart recorded. While Bill, Lucy and Danny C. spoke about Stokes Point in the earlier years, Andrew Gordon Sr. had memories of working as a bear monitor on site in the early 1990’s when the old DEW Line station was being taken down and the current short-range radar station was built. “They did a clean up then but couldn’t clean out everything. I asked workers then about removing contaminants further along the shore, but they said they had orders to only clean up within a 300 feet area from either side of the road,” he said. Andrew, like many others from Aklavik, recognize Ikpikyuk as a traditional caribou roaming ground, and have

North Warning System Office, and the Environmental Sciences Group of the Royal Military College of Canada look for possible pollution left behind at Stokes Point. There were lots of laughs shared during the tour.

Nick Battye, RMC scientist, and Elisa Hart interview elders Lucy and Bill Cockney about their memories of living at Stokes Point.

concerns about making sure harmful contaminants left behind from past activities are removed from the area. “The porcupine herd roams around here, it would be really good to clean it up. This is a issue that affects both the Inuvialuit and the Gwich’in.”

The knowledge gathered from these elders, in combination with investigative work done over the past two summers by scientific and engineering experts (hired by Parks Canada Agency and the Department of National Defence), will help create a comprehensive plan for the final clean up at Stokes Point. “The elders are a ‘super force’, providing common sense and local knowledge,” said Ed McLean, the project co-lead from Parks Canada. McLean noted that this project meshes with the principles of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement(IFA), to protect environment, to provide economic opportunities for Inuvialuit, and involve the Inuvialuit as meaningful partners in deciding how to clean-up the site. “The project steering committee, made up of representatives from Aklavik Hunters & Trappers, Aklavik Community Corporation, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope), Parks Canada, Department of National Defence – North Warning and the Environment Sciences Group of the Royal Military College of Canada, allows us to make better decisions to run the project smoothly.”

Carol Arey, a member of the steering committee said, “I’m very proud to say I was a part of the initiative from the very beginning; we are thankful that IRC and Parks Canada helped to push this through. Ed Mclean has put a lot of effort into listening to the community of Aklavik. The Royal Military College has given me comfort in the way they had handled the sampling and assessments; they had done this as a not for profit project which makes a huge difference in how things are conducted. Bill and Lucy have been a great help, along with the other elders who have been involved -- Nellie Arey, Moses Kayotuk, Colin and Andrew Gordon, Danny & Annie C. Gordon. I am glad the

process has started and we will finally see some progress.”

Project wanted by multiple proponents

The Parks Canada project co-lead said that over the past fifty years, a whole host of land managers had taken “a piecemeal approach” to the clean up of debris and contaminants at Stokes Point. The Stokes Point BAR-B DEW Line station was abandoned only a few years after its construction in the 1960’s when newer technologies allowed for security with fewer sites. Industrial activity surged in the Beaufort during the oil exploration boom of the 1980’s. Gulf Beaudril operated a logistics base at Stokes Point. In 1984, when the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was in place, Ivvavik became the first national park to be established in Canada as a result of a land claim. The goal was to protect and celebrate the lands important to the Porcupine Caribou herd and to the Inuvialuit traditional way of life. In recent years, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the community of Aklavik have come to Parks Canada to express their concern and request a complete investigation and clean up of the area. McLean described this whole area along the Yukon North Slope as very important to local people for fishing, whaling, caribou harvesting, and berry picking.

“It’s basically the grocery store of the Inuvialuit who hunt around here, and after a year of investigation we’ve found the site to be relatively clean, and that people and animals are not at risk. Even though we found some contaminants, they are not at a harmful level. But we still have more work to do this summer in 2007 to complete our investigation of Stokes.”

Parks Canada, as the current land manager responsible for this site located within Ivvavik National Park of Canada, is committed to work with their project partners to clean-up any pollution left behind to protect the land, water, and wildlife of Ivvavik that is so important to Inuvialuit and the rest of Canadians.

Elder Danny C. Gordon (middle), points areas out to the investigators where there may be pollution left behind.

Working at Ikpikyuk

Andrew Gordon Junior is one of the young Inuvialuit recruits hired by Parks Canada to work with the engineer Bill Liu and the Environmental Sciences Group investigation team. He had a two-day training session in Inuvik before traveling from Aklavik to Stokes to work in the field. “I’ve worked in office jobs for a short time, when we had work placements in school. It’s pretty good working for Parks Canada, going out on the land. I am taking lots of soil samples with Bill, we’re looking for possible places to have a landfill. Bill says he wants me to go back to school and become an engineer, I’ll think about it when I go back home.”

Donald Ross, John Lucas, Judy Selamio, and Sarah Dillon have worked for Parks Canada longer. Donald is a resource technician, in charge of logistics, dispatching, and helping to set up the camp. Donald and John also are assisting with catching sculpins (devil fish or kanayuq) needed by the scientists for testing whether or not any pollution left on site is getting into the fish in the area. He got the position after taking a three-year natural resources program at Aurora College. “It’s great to be out in the field, or working in the office. Everybody has their specialty and we all learn from each other everyday. Being on the land, and using our skills, setting boats and operating camps, it’s natural to me. I’ve been doing it since I was young.”

Parks Canada archaeologist Sharon Thompson is working with her field technician from Aklavik, Judy Selamio, to search for any artifacts that may be at Stokes so that the location of any cultural resources at the site will be known and steps can then be taken to protect them during the clean-up phase. “In the clean up efforts, we want to make sure that everybody has a voice in what takes place, and that we are not destroying any cultural remains.”

A group shot taken at the end of the elder's visit at Stokes Point (with staff from RMC, Parks Canada, ICS and the helicopter company.)

An old Inuvialuit cabin sits on the beach below below the site of the old BAR-B DEW Line and current radar station.

A siksik (squirrel) scrambling through debris left behind on the beach (Ed McLean/ Parks Canada Photo.)

Judy Selamio is working with Parks Canada for the 2nd year on this project. “I grew up hunting and fishing on the coast,” she said. “It is good to have a clean up, there are DEW Lines all along the coast, and I wouldn’t want our children and grandchildren to harvest from a contaminated site. Sarah and I picked berries from here last year, we did because we know that it is safe.”

Judy also enjoyed helping the elders travel down memory lane, as they pointed out the old cabin remains of Neil Allen, Walter and Winnie Cockney, Hilda Irish and Andy Kayotuk. Danny C., who also has a cabin on the beach below the Stokes Point site recalls, “We used to hunt around here, in the eighties, and we would stay in this cabin when it gets cold. It’s still usable, we just need to fix it!” The creek where Bill and Lucy Cockney had their camp has become overgrown.

“It is important to know who to ascribe the cabins to,” said Sharon Thompson, “We need to inform the owners if there’s any clean up to be done, it was nice to find out who lived in those areas and when.”

Attheend of their visit, the elders are satisfied with the progress of the investigation. “I am worried about the garbage dump, and the big CAT tracks, they should be piled up and removed,” said Lucy. “It’s right on the shore and you never know where it’s going to end up. When we were here the sand spit was really narrow but now it’s really wide. But it looks like everybody is doing what they can and that’s good.”

Danny C. said, “I was worried about materials that shouldn’t have been there, but when I walked around today, it looks really good. I see that people are doing a really good job, getting down on their knees to take samples.”

The next phase

“With the conclusion of our field studies this year, we are going to take what we learned over past 2 years and come up with a draft clean-up plan to take to the steering committee by March 2008,” said Ed McLean, “and then we’ll have a public meeting in Aklavik plus other chances for people of the region to share their comments, so that people who want to get involved will have a chance to give us feedback over a period of several months into the late Spring and early summer. We hope to have a final plan approved by October 2008.”

Clean-up work at Stokes Point is expected to start in 2010. This will depend on getting project funding through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan as well as receiving approvals under the various environmental assessment processes for the Yukon North Slope.

(Left) Andrew Gordon Jr. learns how to prepare soil samples he collected for testing in the field lab.

Don Ross finds working on the land a natural fit for him.

Lucy

and Bill Cockney are happy to be back 'home', at Stokes Point.

Ed McLean/ Parks Canada

The First Step

words by Frances Wolki

by Markus Siivola

Francis Wolki from Paulatuk shares why she believes talking about residential school impacts is the first step on the path of healing.

It’s good that all this publicity is happening in regards to residential schools settlements, because survivors have suppressed their feelings for too long. Without facing past demons, one cannot move forward with their lives.

They need to realize why they are drinking themselves into oblivion, and why they do not care for others or themselves when they do drink. They need to understand why they turn into this Jerkyll and Hyde personality, when they are sober vs. drunk.

Once survivors come eye to eye with their problems and realize their coping mechanisms are not working anymore, their last resort is to get the help that is offered. They need to know they are not alone, and that this shame that they carried for so long can come to a STOP.

Repeated incarcerations would become less, violent behaviors would cease gradually, when they realize how the problem came about, to cause them to behave like they did.

The impact of the residential school abuses has impacted the families of the survivors for so long, and when you can break the silence, you can end the violence, so long as they set up proper treatment centers for Residential School issues.

Working on my own healing path and observing others has made me reflect much on my own past, and it’s such a good feeling! I can make a difference, I can be here for my people, my dad and Father Leonce’s words of wisdom have finally found true meaning in my own life.

I pray for healthy families and stronger leaders who can voice themselves to make a difference.

Upon this realization, when the past will fail to control a person’s present way of living, and with the proper resources that are accessible, impacted families can have hope for a healthier lifestyle. Alcohol related crimes will lessen, and our children will become stronger and confident leaders.

photo

Diane Dillon (L) and Frances Wolki (R) working at the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee office.

TRY THESE SELFExAMINATION quESTIONS:

How do I cope with stress and pressure?

What are my believes regarding substance abuse? What has my family said about my substance use?

Thesequestions are just some of the tools that will be used to gain personal insight, in a series of preparatory and capacity building workshops in the Inuvialuit Settlement communities. The workshop will enhance capacity building in three areas – financial planning, addictions prevention/treatment, and elder abuse prevention.

Nirrie Kistan is the mental health consultant/addictions and psychotherapy provider contracted by IRC to design these workshops. She has worked as a counselor in Sachs Harbour and Paulatuk. The financial management planning component, where participants can gain budgeting, banking and investing knowledge, was carried out by CESO (Canadian Executive Services Organization).

“AHF workers have interviewed people in the communities, looking at what’s presently happening in their communities. So far the needs of the communities are similar,” said Nirrie. “These workshops are created as a way to mitigate the impacts of the residential school settlement compensation. Situations such as elder abuse could occur with the influx of compensation monies into the communities. Elders could be manipulated or have care withheld from them by caretakers. Through interactive situations, such as open group discussions, where participants watch videos, or are given hypothetical situations to solve, we hope to help individuals and families find solutions, and to provide information about abuse and treatment available. These workshops are directed at both elders and caretakers. Elders will also learn how to make safety plans.”

Nirrie Kistan held the first of her Addictions and Elders Abuse Workshops in Paulatuk and Tuktoyaktuk this November. “The Paulatuk sessions were well attended and people had comments and questions on topics of addictions -- such as, what are the types of substances out there, and how addictions changes community and family dynamics. They also discussed elder abuse issues -- about how elder abuse is in the communities and what people should be aware of,” said Brenda Ittunga, residential schools coordinator for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

Participants will also be directed to resources both within and outside the communities. “We want to enhance what the families are already doing well, and to help them with decisions in areas where they need to build capacity. For instance, in the case of addictions, we will be able

to provide information for recognizing substance abuse, its impacts on the individual and the community, and to direct people to treatment that is available for them,” said Nirrie. She recognizes that individuals will react differently to tools given to them. “No two people are the same, and with therapy, we hope to help people change their perception on a problem. It’s about helping them figure out the puzzles by asking questions and providing tools, but not expecting the tools to have the same effect on everyone.”

She observes, “People who participated in these workshops said they were grateful for the information, and that they can apply it to their lives and their communities.”

To date, Service Canada has received over 70,000 applications for CEP (Common Experience Payment) and is expected to receive about 110,000 applications. Brenda Ittunga has accompanied Service Canada representatives to Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok and Paulatuk when it provided assistance to those who needed to fill out Common Experience application forms.

J essie Colton: Renewing Tradition

Photos and words by Zoe Ho

Jessie Colton might have made parkas for the royal families of England, Luxembourg and Belgium; She still feels awkward when others call her a professional.

“That was around 1969 to 1971. I also made parkas for Roland Michener, the governor general of Canada then, and for his wife,” she said. Her latest project is a parka for Michaelle Jean, current governor general of Canada.

“I

am always excited about doing something like that. It will be my first priority when the material gets here. The last time I did a parka by phone, it was for hockey player Brian Trottier. All I was given was how much he weighed, and his jacket size. I wondered if the parka would fit him, I didn’t know if he had a thick neck, or a pot belly? You have to observe these things as a seamstress. He was so happy with the parka he came to my house to see me,” she laughs.

“I love the work,” she said. “You have to take pride in what you do. Don’t slap things together just to make a quick buck; do it to get a beautiful, satisfied smile from your customer. When you work like that, the word will get around really fast. I get all my business through word of mouth.” The line up for Jessie’s products are long. Most people have placed their orders since last year.

Jessie has been sewing ever since she was nine years old. “I grew up in a house of very good seamstresses. People used to do a lot of sewing for Christmas. They would go into town from their bush camps to attend church. They always wore something new, it might not be the entire outfit, but at least the parkie covers or mukluks were new.”

“ My mother Mary Kaglik saw that I had potential to become a seamstress. She gave me little scraps of stroud, silk and

Jessie Colton and her amazing beadwork.

Photos

Top: Dryfish at Jessie’s summer camp.

Bottom: Inuvialuit dolls made by Jessie. photos this page courtesy of Jessie Colton

embroidery thread. Even at residential school, I tried to sew during recess. We didn’t have a lot of money then, so material we bought had to last from Christmas until the end of June. I remember trying to hide something I did a bad job on into a corner, and asking for more material, and my mother wouldn’t allow any waste. I spent many hours watching my mum cut out material. She would talk as she was cutting, and at that time I thought she was talking to herself. Today when I sew, I find myself repeating the same things she said, such as 'Now which way should I cut this?' It was her way of teaching me.”

First Wages

“When Inuvik started, ‘Granny’ Agnes Semmler and Slim Semmler told me to make some mukluks for sale in their store. When I got paid for my work, I took more pride in it, especially because in those days few women made wages. It was not a lot of money, but I could purchase things for my children and myself. Before that I had not sewn for about ten years, because my family was young, and it was hard to get material. ‘Granny’ Semmler was very inspirational for me. We are not related but everyone called her ‘Granny’ because she was so caring. She taught me how to manage money. I didn’t even own a sewing machine when I first started, but I learnt to take my profits and to put them back into the business. If I used up my profits, eventually I won’t be able to buy materials. Almost a hundred percent of my profits go back into replenishing material.”

“In the mid fifties, Northern Images (Art Gallery) was called the Inuvik Craft Shop. The government ran it, but ‘Granny’ was the manager. She hired me to work as a sales person, but I also got to sew. It was really nice, I took measurements for people and could help anyone who walked in with a broken shoelace or a busted zipper. I also took work home. I would cut out a parka and finish it in the evenings. When the shop was sold to Northern Images, I could only sew out of my home. People had to go to Yellowknife to get materials for parkas. I am thankful to all the people who help me bring materials to Inuvik.”

Jessie’s first sewing machine is still working. “The machine mended many airplane tarps when we first had hangers around here. One day the motor broke, and I took it apart. I saw a piece of flint inside, and I knew I had seen flint in flashlight batteries. So I broke down a battery, extracted the flint, cleaned it out, dropped it in oil, and filed it down to size. That was in 1971,” she laughs. ‘Granny’ Semmler admired Jessie’s ability to improvise, and recruited her to join COPE (Committee for Original People’s Entitlement).

COPE Days

“I was approached because they needed more field workers. I wasn’t sure if I could, at first, because I was already doing a lot of sewing, but I gave it a try and enjoyed working with the people. During the negotiations with Ottawa, our negotiators would come back with press releases that we’d deliver to the households. I went door to door with Granny Semmler. Granny

could understand a lot of Inuvialuktun and could even speak it a little, but she knew I was knowledgeable in the language and could help her."

“For awhile I became a jack of all trades. I became a gofer when we tried to save freight costs for food to further communities like Paulatuk. I had to get a driving licence. They needed a project manager and the next thing you know, I am doing that. We got a lot of char out of Paulatuk. There were no facilities, so we took the fish up to Nellie Cournoyea’s place, where we washed all of them on the floor, bagged them and froze them in the government freezers. We used an old saw to cut up the caribou.”

“People wanted native food. We installed freezers outside the COPE office in Inuvik. You can still see it, it’s the little house up from Norcan Motors. We started expanding and before you knew it, I was manager of a fish plant. Then sports hunting started as a business in Paulatuk and Sachs Harbour, and I had to meet big safari hunters, pretending that I knew what I was doing until I knew the business inside out. When Ulu foods started, I initiated the first muskox harvest in Sachs Harbour. I was the only female out of the twenty-four people working, and I often flew back and forth alone, hauling three thousand pounds of meat!”

A friendship and beading

“I picked up beading much later. Around 1990, Ellen, a young woman from Ft. McPherson would come over on weekends to spend time with me. She was beautiful at beadwork, and fast. I asked her to teach me. We helped each other, sitting at the kitchen table, talking and laughing. I began to take pride in beading. Sadly, she passed away a few years later. For the longest time, I wouldn’t pick up a needle. I was very sad, I felt like I had lost a partner.”

“I started having arthritis in 1993, and a year later, I could hardly walk. By 1996, I was in a wheel chair. I had surgery, double knee joint replacements. When the arthritis set in, it hurt my hands, my wrist, and my knuckles really badly. This illness crashed on me like a ton of bricks. I went into self- pity for a while. I am not the type to mope on the couch but I did it day after day, for a couple of months. I was very active before that. I hunted, I trapped, I fished, I worked, I always had supervisory jobs. I had a large family and a lot of siblings that I took care of.

One day, towards fall, I started thinking, what the heck am I doing? And I started sewing again. I picked up a needle said, “Here’s to you Ellen,” and started doing barettes, then beaded uppers.”

Satisfaction before profit

Now, Jessie continues to sew out of her home everyday. Clients who want to purchase her work have to place orders at least year in advance.

“A lot of people think I’ve a store here of finished products, but I can’t stock up! I don’t have time to make things for myself. When I finally made myself a pair of moccasins, somebody came in here the next day and bought six ready made pairs, plus the pair off my feet! People are always buying presents for birthdays, Christmas, all kinds of occasions. Locals buy a lot.”

Jessie puts artistic satisfaction before profit. “I’ve my own style. I seldom use patterns, I just take a measuring tape and think, the person has shoulders this wide…You’ve to be passionate about your work. You’ve to have the urge to try something new. Parkas are always going to be the same in terms of form, but creating a new design with flowers or delta braids, trying different colours…it makes me feel good. I don’t sew just to sell. Sometimes I do beadwork and I think, I would like to keep this around, it’s hard to let it go. I fall in love with it. I’ve also got quite a few sewing machines. You might ask me why, but why does a musician have so many guitars?”

“I believe that anybody can accomplish what they want, if they really want to do it,” Jessie continues. “Many a time, I’ve sat down and made a kit for mocassins. I draw a pair of uppers, put in more than enough beads, and include the moose hide that it’ll take to be completed. I give these kits to women. I’ll tell them, “Take this and sew it. Then sell what you make, take half the money, and purchase more beads. I will even sell them material cheaply just to give them a start. It’s really encouraged a lot of the young people to sew, and when they laugh at each other, I tell them “You’ve no idea what my first one looked like.” I’m still embarrassed when people tell me that I’m a pro.”

1. Nick, Jessie’s grandson, wearing a parka made by her.

2. Jessie and her sister Eva when they were children.

3. Okpiks (owls) made by Jessie, from fur. photos this page courtesy of Jessie Colton

J essie Colton migururuk hungarannik

Jessie Colton atigilaiururuk ilannirinik Englandminlu, luxembourgeminlu, Belgiuminlulu. Ilaani huinariga ilihimakpaktuamik pimani.

1969min 1971munaglanlunni atigiliugga Roland Michener, governor general Canadamin, tuvagatingalu, innaktuak. Atigiliuniagga Michaelle Jean, governor general Canadami.

“Quviarihugigga tainna piggama. Callicot qaigpatta havangniagigga. Brian Trottier atigiliugga phonetigun qugguamatta. Uqumautilangangalu, qupiargga angitilangalu pillirnakluggu. Ihummaruanga atigi namakpaagiaq, Nallugara qanutun qunguhinga itilanga, narrakpaggagpagiak? Qilauruat taitna ihumanaktug. Quviahukpiluni tautugiagangani iglumni; iglaktuak."

Havargaa nakuarigga taitnaktuak. Havan pilautagnaktug huligavit. Qanugligga pingitchuk qilamik moninagniaktunni, pilautarlugit, iglarman nakuriggamiung nakuruk. Tainna havakavit uqarurut havagun qilamik. Havaruangit tagirut Jessim.Ilangit inuit qanniktuat ukiutgig.

Jessie makunargutirruak qulingutailiuggami. Mikururuani iglum ilani innurutuanga. Inuit mikururuat qitchirvink galiman. Iniminin inilaramururuat angatchuliarhuting. Nutarnik atururuat, atiglutchialuting, kammitchirlutinglunni.

Mammagga Mary Kaglik tautugamma killiyarniarguruanga, qaitchikgangani stroutnik qupitiniklu. Iliharvingminamalu mikuniarurunga recessmilu. Monipaggangitchurut ahin calicut tauqiqtat Qitchivingmunaglan Junmunaglan itinirugivut.

Ilihimarunga irriniauggatga pilluatangitgumma ahin appirulunga allagayamik, aglan mamangma taitna pipganiangitgana.

Jessie Colton hungauraligutingit nakuruat.

photo courtesy of Jessie Colton

Taitutuagugara mammargga illigtigtuak. Uqqaruruak iliktiggami, ishumarhuruangga illingminun uqqaruruak. Uvlupak miguggamaa iliratun pihurunga inna “Qanuqiak unna halihigattaniaqpiruu? Taitnaa ilihautihuniganganii.”

Inuuvik aullanihakqaqman “Annaanak” Granny Agnes Semmlerlu Slim Semmlerlu uqallautingani kammiliuguvlungaa tunniguvlugii tauqiqniavinganii. Akilliuhiagamaa havamnin, pillautarguglungaa pihuktuangaa, taimmanigi arnnat moninapialuitchuat. Monikpaungitgaluaktugaglan nutaqatgaa uvangalu taukiktuangaa hugalinik.

Qulitlunni mikungitchuangaa nutaqatgaa mikivluting, calicut pitchiritchuat taimanni. Granny Semmler tautuyunaktuak uvamnun. Ilaringitgaluatugug aglan Inuit ququarugaa Granny Inungnun pigparihuruag. Ilihautiganganni qauq monitirun pinaktuat. Qiliyautiatchungaa aullarnihagamaa, aglan hunna tunnigapqu utiktinaktug hulilianun pugavit.Tapqua monit aturupqi hunnik piniargitchunga, calicuniklunii. Hunaligga piiliatgaa atururut taptumunga moningnun ahin taugiffalung calicunik.

1950nii , Northern Images (Art Gallery) inna atiqaqtuak Inuvik Craft Shop. Govamat angalatgangat, aglan Annaanak angalatchuraa. Havaktitangani tunniriguvlungaa

aglan mikururuangaptauk. Nakuruak, qanuq inuit uqturugatggaatgaptaug, inuitlu ishiktuat pilavlugit shingit giglugit, zippatgiglugitlu. Inuit Yelowknifemuguruattaugiruruat atigirautiminik. Inungnun quyakpauraktunga calicut maungagtinmagit Inuuvingmun.

Jessim killiyautiqangii havaktuthullii. tamna kiliyaun alliyangangi allat taimani hangerliuqaqammi manni. Atautchimi ingnikqutingi naviktuat ahiin piyakgagaa. Iluanni tamna ikuklugu t, halumaalugulu, uqruruliklugulu iluatitluguhahin. Taimani 1971ruk, irilaktug. Granny Semmler ilitniaqtuak tautuganga Jessie nakuarivlugulu, ahiin havanagtilugu COPEmi (Committee for Original People’s Entitlement.)

Appiruiagangani havatinik ivakluting. Aglan pilugu ihumangitchunga, taimani migunarutiruangaa, aglan uktuargagaa inuit havautigapqi nakurigaggaa. Taimani nunakput havangamirung Ottawami, makua hivulit havaktit qaimatta tuharraranik iningnun pularguruagut.Iglut alagayatlanun ishiruruagug Grannylu uvangalu. Grannygi gangigilaruk Inuvialuktun uqalaruktaug, ilihimaruk uqalaruanga ikayulagapguu. Taimani huniglikgaa havaktungaa. Paulatum hugalingit aginniarialugit. Araligat makipigangit licencentsnik pihugit pihuktuangaa. Project managerqarugtuat ahin tamna havak havagagaa. Paulatumin igalukpingnik pihuruagut tingmirualukgun. Humun tutquvitchurut tapqua iqaluit Nellie Cournyeam igluganun pihukavut, naturmi igaivlugit, makpiraliklugit ahin qiqitilugit Guvumat qiqitchivingani. Ulutualungnik uluarugavut tuttut.

Inuit niqiptingnik pihuktuat. Qiqitchivingnik hilamun piruagut COPE hilarmi ittuani Inuvingmi. Tautingnaktug iglurak Norcan Motorsni.Aglihinahuta Tuvrani iqalungnik havanagutiruanga atanaurauvlungaa. Taimani Paulatuklu Ikarviklu sports hunternik pihukangit piniagaming, ahiin anguniartit safarimin paglangniaqgatgaa, ilihimanguarlungaa havaktuanga ililugitahiin ilugan. Taimani Ulu Foods pikqarman Sachs Harbam umingmat aullarnihagaggaa. Inuinnaqtun havaktauruat uvanga arnalinak, ilani tingmirhuruanga uvapnik, Qivigtarlugit Ukumaitchuanik 3000 ukumaitilangit niqit.

Hungauriligilaitchuanga aglan gangma hungaurililarunga. 1990mi, Ellen, arnaq Iglukpangmingag uvamnunguruak. Hunaligilautaruruak, hugatuaktauk. Ilihautilagamma appirugagaa. Ikayutiguvlunug, akuppivlunuk nirirvingmi, uqaqlunuglu, iglaalunuglu. Nakuarimiutigatgaa hungauraligun. Qaffinigiak ukiuni annirnirquak. Qanutungiak mitgun akingitatgaa alliahuklunga, ilanagalugaa tamaigagaa.

Arthritisliglungaa 1993miahin atuahim ukinngani pihukatapialiglungaa. Ahin 1996mi wheel chairmittuangaa. Pilaktugangani hitgutitchialunga mallrungnik. Arthritis annirnargiman araagatgalu gayanatgalu, anirnakpauragurut. Tamna anniarrun uvamnugtuag ukumaitchautun 'ton of bricks'. Uvamnun nagliarutivlungaa. Tainna inunialiatchunga aqupilunga aqupiutami aglan taitan inuniaqtuanga gaffinik tatqiquiutani. Havaluguruanga taimani. Anguniaruruanga,naniriatuglungalu, ,

Mary Kaglik, Jessim aakanga tahiuraa Jessim arganga. Glenn (Jessim uigaa) nutaaugamik.

Jessim piksangit

Illargagtunga inugiaktuanik, nutaqatgalu iqalugniarlungalu, havaruruanga, naipiktuanik havaruruanga.

Nutaqagagrugagtungaa, ilatgalu munagihukatgaa. Atuautchimi uvlumi ihumaragtuanga hukpakpik? Ahin miqunarutiffaktuangaa. Mitqun tigugapgu innaktunga uva ilingnun Ellen ahin nuyagutilaulunga, hivunik kammingnun hungaraligivlunga.

Uvlupak uvlutuak miqururuk iglunganin. Inuit miqutihukpata atauhimik ukiunik qaniratut. Inugiaktun Inuit ihumarrut taugigvigagtungalugaa uvamnik nama rruanik, aglan nukuraktut! Uvamum unin qilayalitchunga! Atautchimi uvamnun magarhiliugama , inuk ishirhuni itcharanik taugigtuak, attugatkaptuak ishiraminin! Inuit taugirgurut annivingni, qitchirvingmilu, qanuhilimamatta. Iningnin manni taugigurut. Jessim havangit pilauta rniarugiitaugigaluatina gii. Uvanga iliktiatgaa. Iliiktiutipialitichunga, Uktutiturlunga ahiin ihumaraglungaa, tamna inum tatqiaga havatun pilautaniaklugit. Alakayaniktauk iliniagnagtutauk. Atigit atigigigtut. Aglan nautchianik miquglugitlu kuparlugitlu, allagayanik culungitlu…. Uvamnu nakuariggaa .

Tunnilugit miqulginalitchunga. Ilani hungaraligigamma ihumarhuruga, una manniniagtug, uvamninniargtug. Nakuarivlugit. Miqutiqaqtunga qaffinik. Appirungma huk?

Huktuag attuguruat qaffinik guitargagpat?

Kinaligga pilaruk pihukpat pihupiakpatta. Jessie innakktuktaug qaffinigiak akupigamma macasikraliupit. Uppernik aglarlugit, hungaraliklugit , agviamiktaug namakivlugit. Qaitchivlugit

arnat. Ukalautivlugit Una piung miquklugit. Ahiin tunilugu huliugtan, avanga moni pilugu, ahin taugiffarutin hungauranik. Tunnihugitgaa akillugit allanihuguvlugit.Nutat inniat miquqniarurut ahin iklautimatta, uqallautivlugit nalugin pilaffargaa. “Nakuaripiagitgaluargitgaa innamatta ilihimakpaktutin.”

Literacy is everyday and everywhere, especially during NWT Literacy week. What is Literacy? It is on the land, in the home, at work and in the classroom. Literacy links traditional, school-based and professional skills. The whole community -- kids, adults and elders can all take part in Literacy. Literacy is a whole lot of fun!

NWT wins Read for 15 challenge!

By Suzanne Robinson

Congratulations NWT – You did it!

NWT, Nunavut and Yukon competed in the Read for 15 Challenge, where for a day, readers who had completed fifteen minutes of reading called in to compete and see who has the most readers. 1st Place goes to the NWT with 32% of the population (13, 831 people.)

NWT Literacy Week was once again a huge success in communities throughout the Beaufort Delta. The Reading Rascals, Books in the Home family literacy program and the Afterschool Library Club had extra special Literacy activities all week long at the Inuvik Centennial Library. Parents brought their children to the library to meet Cree writer Larry Loie. He did readings of his work and also visited Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and the Inuvik Learning Center. Kids loved asking him questions about the story where he met a bear! On Friday, Moose Kerr School hosted Larry for Literacy Week fun in Aklavik. At Aurora College, budding Western Arctic Writers eagerly attended a weekend writing workshop led by Larry entitled “From Self to Story”.

A little tea and whole bunch of literacy fun was had when the Elders Day Program participants came to the Inuvik Learning Centre. Everyone brought home Northern books to share with grandchildren, great grandchildren and even great great grandchildren! To end the week off with a treat, SAMS kids received Northern books from the Inuvik Literacy Circle. The Inuvik Quilting Guild also created beautiful quilted bookmarks to help mark the place as our eager readers enjoyed their new books over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Literacy is something that can really bring generations together. Elder William Allen said, “Reading is good for your mind. It helps you to remember things, and the more you read, the better you get. I am going to read this book they gave me, and then probably pass it on to someone else.” Marjorie Bates also enjoyed spending time doing the literacy games with elders, “It’s great now that people who can read are helping out people who can’t.”

Children at SAMS School were excited to ask questions when an author visited during Literacy Week.

It asks: What do Literacy and Education mean to you?

Everyone is a learner but everyone is also a teacher. Community members shared generously of their time, memories, thoughts and wisdom. The local speakers in the video shone with viewers who gave high praise for their messages of encouragement and celebration.

The following moments from the video illustrate that Literacy is more than reading books. It is all forms of learning that happen for individuals, families and the communities.

It is traditional skills, aboriginal language, school-based skills, and professional development. It is cutting fish at camp, reading before bed, listening to ravens sing and going to school.

Have you done anything to celebrate Literacy in your life today?

For more information, contact Suzanne Robinson at the Inuvik Literacy Circle. tel: 867 777 7810 or email: srobinson@auroracollege.nt.ca

Nellie Cournoyea – Reading is everything that made me. Literacy is when you gain knowledge by being proficient and being able to comprehend through written word. Culturally and equivalently, traditional literacy was the gaining of knowledge by being a part of a group of people where you learned by example. It was important to know your environment and know how to survive. Written and Traditional Literacy are equally important.

Erin Joe – Traditional language is important to my family and me. I encourage my grandmother to only speak Inuvialuktun to my daughter so she can pick it up faster. She is really starting to pick it up and respond in Inuvialuktun. The more you talk to her, the faster she’ll pick it up. The first five years are their most important!

Cindy Voudrach – Education and Literacy are important to me and my children because it will get us where we want to be in life. I need to get a good paying job and in order to get that I need a good education. From there I can provide for my children; get them what they need (and some of what they want!) In turn, my children will further their education after high school and beyond. Then they will be able to support themselves and maybe me too!

Janice Elanik – Since beginning the Aboriginal Headstart program this fall, my daughter asks me every night to read to her. She tries reading along with me and listens to every word I say. Literacy is important to me because it helps her to start reading books and teaches that reading is fun!

Liz Hansen –As a member of many boards, I am reading a lot of proposals ... I’m reading about tagging fish and putting satellite collars on caribou. I have to know the procedure that is taken because you have to give a yes or a no to the people that are writing these proposals for you. And it’s just mind expanding.

MaryAnn Ross – Literacy is also documentation. Our Aboriginal Groups here in Inuvik and the Beaufort Delta, the Inuvialuit and the Gwich’in, are both documenting stories from elders. We both have our own social and Cultural Institutes where we are leading the way for other Aboriginal Groups in research and documentation. It’s really important that we continue, even now in this generation to document the stories of our parents.

Eliapaak, Monster in the Sea

Dino

Norris, who is known to most in Inuvik as an RCMP corporal for the past 19 years, is ready for a new career. “I think it’s in my blood,” he said. “My father ran several companies even during the early days of Inuvik. He was a contractor; he ran a mailing service, a water service, a taxi company, and one of the few garages in town at that time.”

“Even when I worked for the RCMP, I started a vehicle rental company here in Inuvik. I also worked as security for Frontec.” Dino has also served on the board of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation for the past year. His volunteering experience includes being a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder facilitator and working with the Inuvik Youth Center.

“I’ve had the chance to fully experience the life of a police officer. I’ve two brothers who are in the RCMP force as well. An opportunity arose with Canadian North Airlines that I couldn’t turn down. I was offered the position of customer service manager for the Edmonton base. I welcome this excellent opportunity to expand myself as an individual, and also to reach out to people in the North on a different level from policing.”

the person I am today. I know there will be challenges coming up with the new position, but compared with the RCMP where I might deal with someone who’s volatile or violent, it’s a very nice change.”

His new job duties are diverse. They include providing guidance and training to front line customer service agents; ensuring that cargo and passenger weight ratios are suitable for flying, and dealing with a worker’s union. “I think the important thing is communication. You can communicate with somebody in a volatile way, or you can communicate in a pro-active, constructive way.”

DINO NORRIS STEPPING UP

“Sometimes people can be upset with what’s going on in their lives and they might need to vent. There’s nothing wrong with venting. But at the end of that, it’s crucial to say, ok you’ve presented me with a problem, now let’s work together to try to find a solution. Everything is achievable when you have an open mind to working together, not working against each other.”

“Both the RCMP and Canadian North offer client based services, even though they are somewhat different. The diversity of what I dealt with as an RCMP officer, dealing with the general public, industry and government has helped me to evolve into

“We all start out in this world on different levels. My development started in Inuvik, where I was born and raised. I spent two years of my life on the land with my grandmother. I learnt a lot about what life has to offer, and that there will always be challenges. I was taught to face challenges head on. Even I at one point thought Inuvik was the center of the world, but I learnt that sometimes you have to move away from your community to expand your learning opportunities. Through stepping up to the plate and facing challenges as a RCMP officer, I learnt no matter where you are from, you can always evolve.”

FROM RCMP CORPORAL TO AIRLINE MANAgER

“ICOULD HAVE GROWN UP IN PAULATUK OR SACHS H ARBOUR , AND THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES WOULD STILL E x IST BUT IT ’ S UP TO THE PERSON TO CHOOSE WHAT TO GET INTO. I COULD THINK , OK , SHOULD I GO TO THE BAR AND GET DRUNK?

O R SHOULD I GET OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT THE WORLD IS ALL ABOUT? THERE IS A LOT MORE TO LIFE THAN GOING TO THE BAR AND DRINKING WITH YOUR FRIENDS .

I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO HAS THE DESIRE TO BETTER THEMSELVES TO GET OUT THERE AND GET LIFE E x PERIENCE . G RASP SKILLS TO DEVELOP ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL . W HETHER YOU ARE WORKING AT THE GAS STATION OR DELIVERING A NEWSPAPER , YOU ARE PROVIDING A SERVICE TO OTHERS .”

“Life is about experiencing life. I really enjoy flying. Before joining the RCMP I was an apprentice engineer for Fred Carmichael, who owned Antler Aviation in Inuvik. One of the best experiences was flying with Fred in the little 185 aircraft.

At that point I was a young man, and Fred gave me the controls. I was hooked from that point, but Fred’s challenge to me was, ‘You have to become a maintenance engineer before you can become a pilot.’ I was sixteen then, and I am thirty-nine now, I am not an old dog, I can still learn some new tricks. I’ve seen a lot in my life, but I’ve sought guidance from people like Nellie Cournoyea, Fred Carmichael, and the elders of the communities, so as to make informed decisions in my life. We don’t have all the answers as an individual, and I’ve always decided to ask questions when I don’t fully understand something.”

Dino is excited about Canadian North, an aboriginal owned company. “I’ve had the chance to meet the corporate end in Edmonton and Yellowknife, and the people that I’ll be working with. It’s an excellent mix of people from all walks of life. It’s the people that make it a thriving company. The people of Nunasi and Norterra who set up Canadian North had a dream, to fly the entire arctic and southern Canada. That dream is now fulfilled and carries on, because there are people willing to get up everyday, working very late for an airline that will always persevere.”

Enthusiastic About Learning

“Alot of the kids I teach don’t know I am native,” said Darryl Mitchener. “I let them know, I always mention Inuvik as my home, I’ve many memories and family there. I am proud to be Inuvialuit, I try to mention my culture and what I’ve experienced in Social Studies.” Darryl moved to Yellowknife with his wife over a decade ago. “It was a perfect fit. I did my practicum here, and my wife found a job in Yellowknife. I wanted to come back North and be close to home.”

Even though Darryl loves the North, he knew he had to leave in order to get a degree in Education. “I remember my graduation in Inuvik. It was a small class. I couldn’t imagine a big graduation class; university was strange for me that way. It wasn’t as much fun, but it had to be done. My overall goal was to get a job that I enjoyed.”

He trained as a Physical Education teacher in Red Deer and attended the Teacher Education Program in Inuvik’s Aurora College before going to the University of Alberta.

“I was lucky that my parents often took us on holiday to see other parts of Canada, I knew there was more out there than just Inuvik. School and sports also gave me many chances to travel. A lot of the people that I played basketball with were

teachers, and they had a big influence on my life.”

Darryl remembers being a substitute teacher in Inuvik’s Samuel Hearne Secondary School, before he decided to attend the Teacher Education Program.

“Subbing is hard, I feel sorry for sub teachers because the kids give them a hard time. Thankfully I was only two to three years older than the students I was teaching at the high school, so it wasn’t as difficult. They respected me because they knew me from the community.”

In Darryl’s grade 7 math class, students raise their hands like rapid fire. Darryl goes around the room with a smile, helping them with their problems. He teaches with imagination. A girl figures out a subtraction problem when he suggests they look at the numbers visually with tiles.

“There’s nothing better than coming to school and having a rewarding day with the kids,” he said. He has taught for eight years, but does not see himself moving into other positions. “I don’t have any desire to become an administrator, I enjoy my spot with kids in the classroom. Coaching is also fun. It gets the kids to realize they’ve to do well in school to be on a sports team. We won a volleyball championship, and a basketball championship last year, I like to mention it because it puts a smile on the students faces!”

Darryl Mitchener flashes a big smile when asked about the children in his Math class.

Paulatuk News Briefs

Fall-Winter 2007

by Markus Siivola and Frances Wolki

The Inuvialuit Game Council (IGC) chairman Frank Pokiak and Steve Baryluk from Joint Secretary are expected to attend the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee (PHTC) regular meeting on November 19th. The focus of the meeting will be the conservation of the Bluenose-West caribou population and the resolution by the IGC to limit the total allowable harvest to 4 % of the 2006 caribou survey. The resolution is based on recommendations by the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (WMAC) and all the HTCs. There are 129 caribou tags available for subsistence hunting in Paulatuk until June 30th.

Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen arrived close to Paulatuk around November 6th. Members of the community were invited aboard: eighteen children were offered a tour on the icebreaker; fourteen elders, Paulatuk Community Corporation (PCC) and PHTC representatives joined the ship’s crew on a tour and and supper. They were flown in by helicopter. Three main scientific missions are conducted on board the Amundsen in Canada’s High Arctic: the Circumpolar Flaw Lead System (CFL) Study, the Inuit Health Survey, and the continuation of the work of ArcticNet, a Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada (source: DFO).

Elections for the Hamlet of Paulatuk, PCC, DEA and Paulatuk Housing Association are coming up in December. During the elections the community will also vote on rationing the flow of alcohol into town in order to prevent bootlegging. This is the third time the matter will be voted on.

The new Renewable Resource Officer working for the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) is Bill Wolki. Since October, Frances Wolki has been working as the new PHTC Resource Person.

Caribou have been spotted to the north-east and west of Paulatuk.

Ice is turning strong enough for safe travel and the snow cover is fairly thick for the time of year.

There are lots of new babies around!

Photo of Paulatuk as seen from the hills by Markus Siivola

Favourite activities:

Hunting, fishing, going out on the land, drum dancing, playing Halo 3 with friends

First hunting experience:

Geese hunting. “I had just shot my first goose, we used it as a decoy and a fox ran away with it! I practiced my aim with bb guns on empty shells.”

First whale:

This year, in the first week of July, we went eight miles out of Tuktoyaktuk on the ocean. First we watched the waves to see if there are any whales. We spotted one, and it took me five throws to hit it with the harpoon. My uncle said the job wasn’t done yet. It took me fourteen times to shoot it after that. We towed it back to Tuktoyaktuk. It took two hours. I watched my dad, uncle, nanny and cousins cut it up. One day, I hope to know how to do it myself.

Favourite food:

Country food, I like it more than fried chicken. When I eat it, I say mamaktuq (tasty).

First Bear:

I went to Anderson River with my father and brother. They got a bear, it was cool.

Lastest hunting trip: Geese hunting this summer. “We got 300 geese. We only take as much as we need.We keep about a hundred, then give away the rest to people who need them, mostly elders. I know how to pluck them but not how to cut them up.”

Why I like Drum Dancing:

“It’s fun, even if you mess up (it’s very embaressing if you mess up in a crowd.) I became interested in grade 4 when I watched people drum dance. The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers came to school to teach us. I used to be shy when I dance in front of a lot of people, but ever since we went to Barrow Alaska (Inuit Circumpolar Conference 2006) to drum dance, I am not shy anymore. There were lots of people there, the seats were filled! The Polar Bear Hunt is my favourite dance.”

Dang Dang’s parents

Patrick and Ethel Gruben believe good parenting is a combination of giving their children opportunity to learn, and saying ‘no’ to them at appropriate times.

Patrick Gruben Sr. likes to take his boys on the land. “That’s what my parents and brothers did with me. It’s a good way to learn where to go if you want to be alone, and to get your thoughts together. The best part is talking about the hunting and what you did during the day, especially with the younger boys. We laugh a lot.”

“Now Dang Dang has to learn to drive the trails on a skidoo. Instead of being in the sled, he has to pull the sleds and loads. He might find it very heavy in the mud, but I think going on the land helps build character. By going out at a young age, they will learn to respect and keep their ties with the land. We teach him to appreciate it, and not only for what you can get from it. It’s a good place to be away from the TV and radio,” said Ethel.

“Our culture is alive and vibrant. In drum dancing, the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers teach children traditionally. They have to sit and pay attention, to stand behind the drummers to listen and to learn to sing. It’s a good way to teach kids discipline,” she added.

When it comes to schoolwork and curfews, Dang Dang knows that he has to have his weekly homework done, ‘or else’. “Or else I don’t get to go out, to play my games, to watch movies and I have to go to bed early,” said Dang Dang. If he listens to his parents, his rewards include going out on the land, playing games, being allowed to go on the computer, and having his friends over. His parents also have a curfew for him, where he is only allowed to be visiting indoors, and not to go downtown after 8pm unless he has a valid reason.

“We have had our ups and downs with our kids with curfews, but they know why, and we don’t have to worry, because we always know where they are. It’s good to communicate with your kids. Sometimes they think we are mean, but I think they will be thankful in fifteen years. Our parents were strict with us and it made us the people we are today. I think parents who say yes to their kids too many times might find themselves in a little bit of trouble,” said Ethel.

Drum dancing

First whale

Hunting for bear with his brother Curtis

Dang Dang holding his harpoon.

With his father Dang, in his first ATV.

HARVEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGY NEEDS YOUTH INPUT BY

BOBBIE JO GREENLAND

Someworkshop participants were concerned that the youngest person at the recent Harvest Management Strategy Workshop for the Porcupine Caribou Herd was 30 years old. Many agreed that there is a need to include the younger generation in these workshops. It is known that there are many young hunters in the communities who are in their teenage years. Although young, some of them are quite knowledgeable and well skilled in the practice, values and responsibilities necessary for being a good hunter. These are the young people who were taught well by their grandparents and parents. They were not included in the recent Harvest Management Strategy Workshop in Inuvik.

The workshop took place at the Midnight Sun Complex on October 18-21, 2007. There were about 60 participants including the Porcupine Caribou Management Board Chair and Secretariat. The Harvest Management Working Group and local community harvesters from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich’in Settlement Area, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and the Trondek Hwechin First Nation were also represented at the workshop. The focus of the workshop was to hear from the Aboriginal hunters and Organizations who work for wildlife and environmental management. The workshop discussed the population trends, declines, traditional knowledge and future of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The recommendations coming out of discussions were put forward to the Harvest Management Strategy Working Group.

I was facilitator for one of the 5 breakout groups at the workshop. One of the many things I heard from the group members was that there should have been more involvement of the younger generation in a workshop. There were youth involved in the November 2006 workshop in Inuvik on caribou decline. So why were they not involved in this one?

When I presented our group’s discussion I shared some of the suggestions that came from a group of teenagers at the November 2006 workshop. I had helped to facilitate this youth group and I always keep with me their thoughts and ideas even as I continue my regular job. I also wanted to show people that these young people do think about what is happening to the caribou, and that they have a lot to say about the various issues that their local leaders are dealing with.

At this youth discussion I was impressed by all youth, but especially by two young men -- Isaac Lennie (Inuvik) and Edward McLeod (Aklavik). They were 17 and 18 at the time of this workshop in November and impressed me with their hunting stories and knowledge that they already had at a young age. They credited their grandparents, parents and certain relatives with teaching them.

They were vocal and not afraid to speak their minds and share ideas. I personally think these young men and others alike would have been beneficial to have at the October 2007 workshop. I would like to suggest to community leaders and organizations to include your young people in future workshops. Get to know them and their skills, and work with them. After all it is their future that your decisions will be impacting.

Donald Inuktalik, a local harvester from the community of Ulukhaktok was among the participants in my group. He has served on the Inuvialuit Game Council who then appointed him as a representative on the WMAC (Wildlife Management Advisory Council) for the Northwest Territories. He says he tries his best to represent the people, but always feels the need to involve the younger generation.

Donald smiled as he told me that he and his wife spend time taking kids out on the land in summer camp and teach what they can. He slowly shakes his head as he adds, “If we don’t involve these young people and teach them, they just are likely to get confused with a lot of things affecting their lives today and future”.

He shared with the group that in his daily life and work he thinks of his dad, himself and his son as if they are a representation of yesterday, today and tomorrow. He felt we should respect and have knowledge of our history while we think about the present, and not forget the future as well.

Many of the Caribou Workshop participants stayed for the Oil & Gas Symposium in Inuvik October 22-26, 2007. The theme was “Best practices for Oil & Gas development in the North”. There was no visible presence of youth at this meeting either. Donald, who was also attending this symposium said there were a lot of presentations made that could have been a good learning experience for young people. There were also opportunities for them to ask questions, meet people and let local leaders, government leaders and industry know how they feel about things going on today.

David Stewart photo

School attendance in Paulatuk poised to improve Photos and words by Markus Siivola

This fall the Angik School in Paulatuk was reported to have low student attendance during the beginning months of the school year. It was reported by CBC that that next year’s government funding for the school will possibly be cut due to weak September attendance.

The principal of Angik School, Russell Hancock, does not mind the media stir. In fact, he wants it. The attention garnered can only be helpful, as the call for co-operation throughout the community will have an attentive audience.

“We have to work on increasing interest towards school. Education is not a high enough priority,” Hancock said. He did not want to start guessing why. “It is a community-wide issue, and there is no single solution.”

According to Hancock, the town councils, parents and children all have to work towards higher levels of interest. That is starting to happen in Paulatuk, and the results are slowly showing. “It’s getting better. This year there has been a big difference in the attitudes of high-school students towards school: they work better in class, and there have been fewer instances of misbehavior. The attendance among high-school students is much better than last year.”

In June the Beaufort-Delta Education Council (BDEC) approved a motion whereby a monthly reward of $500 will be provided for the school with the highest overall student attendance. This is an exciting new initiative to improve attendance throughout the region. At Angik School, this is seen as an opportunity to offer a small incentive to the students, to create a sense of achievement among them. Still, money alone is not going to make a big difference. For children to have more freedom of choice in their future, education is essential. The whole community is needed to sharpen that message.

Earlier in the fall, Hancock had mentioned to a reporter that there was a day in August when only 17 students showed up for school. That is only 20 % of the total 82 students who make up the student population there. “But August is not a good month to look

at since some of the kids are still out on the land with their families,” said Hancock. School attendance reached equilibrium around September, at which time the attendance in Angik School had climbed to about 50-60 %.

In September, the government determined whether the school is eligible for full funding next year. An attendance of 60 % has to be reached that month. Hancock does not know what the September attendance numbers for Angik School were and whether the attendance was sufficient. “The government will make the call. We will know in a few weeks,” he said this November.

While we were having our conversation, a student called in after one pm asking whether it was too late to come to school. He was warmly welcomed.

Compared to last year, this year was much better also in terms of staffing. “Last year was bad. We only had three people working when the school started and it took many weeks to get a full staff.” This year there were no staffing issues.

One of the bigger challenges is getting the teachers to stay in Paulatuk. New faces appear every year, which is difficult for both the students and teachers. “If people don’t remain, there is a break-down every year. If we could keep three quarters of the teachers, it would help build on what already exists,” Said Hancock.

The school makes a great effort to encourage children to attend school. There are many after-school activities, and the curriculum includes gym, art, music and life skills, all amongst the more popular subjects. Culture is also well recognized in the classroom: for example, one can learn drum dancing, drum making, dancing outfit making, and sled building.

When a group of grade-eight children were asked, most of them name physical education as their favorite subject at school. They love soccer and basketball. The students said that math is very important and that one needs it in most jobs.

“It’s dumb not to come to school,” some said. Lauren Ruben added, “Some kids are too tired to come in the morning. They watch movies at night and hang out late.” One of the boys, Patrick, boasted that he went to bed at a late 3 am last night. He laughed sheepishly. Nevertheless, he did show up the next morning.

An Overview of PAULATUK COMMUNITY CORPORATION

Paulatuk is a really traditional community; we still harvest the land traditionally and go on the land a lot. We are unique in that we still have a community freezer, and we will share the bounty of the harvest within the community.

CHAIRPERSON: GILBERT THRASHER SR.

VICE CHAIR: FRED BENNETT

SECRETARy-TREASuRER: DEBBIE GORDON RUBEN

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: BOBBY RUBEN, LAWRENCE

THRASHER, MILLIE THRASHER, ANDY THRASHER

Annie Thrasher runs the PCC administratively and financially under the guidance of the PCC board of directors. She gave Tusaayaksat an update on the Paulatuk Community Corporation.

“I supervise all the agencies under the wings of PCC. We give monthly reports to the board. Our board of directors is very aware of the bylaws and policies under the IFA, and with our employee handbook. It is a board that understands very much the operations of the PCC. They allow their employees a great deal of space, to work as an efficient and productive team for the community of Paulatuk.”

WHAT IS PCC’S MANDATE?

The mandate for PCC is to set the criteria for membership, as well as administer and supervise programs and services for Inuvialuit beneficiaries in accordance with section 5 of the IFA.

WHAT ARE THE REquIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP?

Those applying to be members have to be 18 years or older, with parents who are already beneficiaries under the IFA. They also have to be residents of Paulatuk for more than six months.

WHAT IS THE VOTINg SySTEM FOR POSITIONS AT PCC?

Elections are held in December each year, each member has a vote. The chairperson’s term is three years, directors’ terms are two years.

WHO ARE OTHER ORgANIZATIONS THAT PCC WORkS WITH?

All the ISR community corporations keep in touch with each other and we feed off and support each other as managers, so our policies and bylaws are similar. Fred Bennett will be attending the Wind Energy Workshop in Tuktoyaktuk this December, and he will be bringing back information to our community. We also have departments working

CORPORATE MANAgER / FINANCE OFFICER/

EMPLOyMENT OFFICER / RECEPTIONIST /

SECRETARy: ANNE THRASHER

SELF-gOVERNMENT FACILITATOR: ALBERT RUBEN

BRIgHTER FuTuRES COORDINATOR: TRACY WOLKI

ABORIgINAL HEALINg

FOuNDATION COORDINATOR: HIRING

yOuTH COORDINATOR: CELINA WOLKI

on Self-Government, Brighter Futures (programs carried from year to year to continue to sustain our traditional values.) We have AHF with programs for women and men. We have an elder’s committee that is elected by elders only. This is distinct from other communities and the elders take pride in it.

PLEASE TELL uS ABOuT THE PROgRAMS DELIVERED By PCC

We try to integrate elders and youth in the community. We have a summer language camp, and lots of on the land summer programs. During the time of harvest participants learn to assist with the harvesting of caribou, fish and seal. There will be another program before Christmas for elders to teach sewing. We are also looking to start a men’s on the land program. There was recently an on the land program for women (funded by Pauktuutit) – it was called Somebody’s Daughter – this program helped young ladies in the community to work on their self-esteem and on the land skills.

One of the distinct goals of our community is to teach preventative measures to tackle issues, such as ones concerning youth delinquency. One of our board members Andy Thrasher brought that up at our meetings over and over again, until he was finally heard. What needs to be done is not just fixing the short-term problems, but also to work on long-term solutions. The costs of living is also very high, and we have an ongoing concern with prices of airfare.

WHAT IS uNIquE ABOuT PAuLATuk?

Paulatuk is a really traditional community; we still harvest the land traditionally and go on the land a lot. We are unique in that we still have a community freezer, and we will share the bounty of the harvest within the community. The community loves to gather for celebrations. There are volunteers throughout the community. Even elders and young children volunteer, just to be part of the community.

Anne Thrasher wears many hats at the Paulatuk Community Corporation, including those of finance officer, and corporate manager.

R e P o RT : g overnment has not met obligations to the i nuvialuit People

Nellie Cournoyea, Chairperson and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation met with Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC) Minister Chuck Strahl in Yellowknife early this November. This meeting received much attention from the media, as the Auditor General of Canada Sheila Fraser had released a report on October 30th, with a full chapter on the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

The audit found that in the twenty-three years since the land claims agreement with the Inuvialuit was signed, INAC has yet to show the leadership and commitment necessary to meet the federal obligations and achieve the goals of the agreement. The report said INAC did not form a focused, strategic plan to ensure that its obligations under the agreement are met, and it procrastinated on some land transfer problems. It was also shown that the government had failed in meeting its obligations to inform the Inuvialuit of a reasonable amount of federal contracts.

The IRC issued a press release indicating strong support from the IRC Chairperson for the findings of the Auditor General’s report: “The Auditor General’s report confirms many of the difficulties we have experienced working with federal government departments on the implementation of our land claims agreement.” IRC was also “concerned that despite a clear message from the Auditor General’s Office in 2003 (on government failing to meet its obligations to the Gwich’in and the Inuit), the federal government continues to focus narrowly on the letter of its obligations under land claims agreements while refusing to accept any responsibility to work with the respective claimant groups, in identifying and implementing measures that would support the achievement of the spirit and intent and overall goals of the agreements.”

After her meeting with the INAC minister, Nellie Cournoyea said, “We had good time with him and were able to go over a number of issues and bring forward some concerns that have been outstanding for a while so it was an informative meeting.” Strahl announced $44,400 to replace the hamlet of Sachs Harbour’s aging airport shuttle during the visit. Cournoyea is confident that “Canada will ultimately recognize and accept its full obligations…and will ensure that the Honour of the Crown is maintained not only in word but also in deed.”

“Knowing government, it’s going to be always difficult,” she said. But I believe the Auditor General has clearly outlined what has to be done and the government, as well, has signed off on the report with the recommendations as they are; so Mr. Strahl did commit that they had an obligation to get on with the work.”

1984 Andy Carpenter and Charlie Haogak signing the Inuvialuit Final Agreement in Tuktoyaktuk

(L-R) Merven Gruben, INAC Minister Chuck Strahl and Nellie Cournoyea during the minister’s visit to Tuktoyatuk this October

photo courtesy of IRC

photo courtesy of Merven Gruben

The elders of Tuktoyaktuk know all about the power of the Internet. “When my grand daughter got into high school, I told my husband, we should get her a computer,” said Jean gruben. “It will help make up for the courses and options that are not available in Tuktoyaktuk. When you go on the Internet, you can learn information and find jobs.”

This year, Tuktoyaktuk had ten high school graduates. “This is the highest number of graduates Tuk has ever had,” said Jean. “So the elders committee got together and thought of doing something to encourage the graduates. They made it all the way through school and didn’t drop out, we wanted to show them how proud we are of them.”

Elders Reward Tuk TOyA k T uk G RA duATES with Laptops

The elders committee met up with the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation. “At first, we were held back by a limited budget, but the Community Corporation proposed the idea of giving each graduate a new laptop computer. It was a great idea, we decided the elders committee should fundraise for these.”

The Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation fronted the funds and acquired the laptops, which were awarded to the graduates in a ceremony held at the town hall. Robert Gruben, Chair of TCC said, “We had a good turnout. All the graduates who were in town came to the ceremony, and some parents and community members also came in support. We hope the laptops will help the graduates with further education or finding work. We’ve sent out letters to companies seeking donations for this cause.” The elders committee will also be having a meeting to discuss further fund raising.

College Scholarship for Soccer Player

This is Jenny Thompson’s daily schedule as a student and soccer player at Grande Prairie regional college.

“I wake up, go to school all day, and right after school is done I go for two hours of soccer practice and then train at the gym for another hour and a half. It gets tiring by the end of the day, and then I still have to do homework – it’s usually around 9pm at night. But it’s all good.”

On the weekends, Jenny plays in soccer matches for her college team, the Wolves. The eighteen year old from Fort Simpson is adjusting to her first year in college in Alberta. She has been playing soccer since she was ten years old, playing on teams that have won Super Soccer Banners (Yellowknife) and two teams that won Northern Cup Banners (Grande Prairie). She is a leader on these teams and one of the top scorers. At the Northern Lights Tournament in Grande Prarie this May, head coach Robyn Watson identified her for his team, along with Alyssa Carpenter, Lynette Anderson and Cordelia Bouvier from the NWT Pulsars soccer team. Jenny has won a scholarship which pays for her first two years of college tuition.

“It’s really good to get your tuition paid for. We also get funded by student financial aid, so we have money for other things,” said Jenny. Now that she is playing on a college team, she is adjusting to life in a bigger city with more people and competition. “Most of the girls from the college team are second year students, I get playing time but not as

much as before, now it’s more about being there to support the team. I’m not really ‘the best’ anymore, but that’s the nice thing about it, it’s not that people back home didn’t challenge me, but now I am playing with people who are more experienced.”

She does not mind the time consuming nature of training. “It keeps you healthy and it definitely keeps you away from alcohol and drugs. All of us on the team are not allowed to drink and that’s a good thing, because what’s the point of trying to play soccer if you’re going be hurting your body?”

Grande Prairie College is now ranked 7th in Canada for its soccer team. The next big game will be held in Edmonton, where Jenny and her teammates will try to defend their ranking.

Besides soccer, Jenny has a goal to become a teacher in Fort Simpson. “I hope to get my degree in education, and to go back to Fort Simpson to teach elementary school. I really enjoy younger kids.” She also misses helping young soccer players back home with honing their skills.

When asked what is the best thing about soccer, Jenny said, “My dad. He took up my team as a coach. We used to hate how much he made us run, but I wouldn’t be here today if he hadn’t done everything he did to support and encourage me.”

Donavan Felix (R) is presented his laptop by Lena Kotokak of Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation.

Jenny (L) and Lynette playing in a competition last year.

Jenny (L) and her mother Dixie at her graduation.

photos courtesy of Dixie F. Thompson

Priscilla’s

Revenge

nominated for two aboriginal music awards

The band Priscilla’s Revenge, contrary to images the name conjures, is made up of three very amiable and talented musicians. It was a pleasure to stop by their jam space at Spiritwalker Productions to hear what they had to say and to play.

Norman Glowach is the group’s music producer, drummer and lead vocals. Greg Nasogaluak, originally from Tuktoyaktuk, plays rhythm and lead guitar. Blair Brezinski is bass player and vocals. The group has been playing their unique blend of blues music for about a year, and has already put out their first album “Built for speed”. They are now nominated for two Aboriginal Music Awards in the categories of Best Group or Duo, and Best Blues Album. How did they manage to get so far, so fast?

“When Greg and I were in a band called ‘Rough Touch’, we worked with another bass player to develop our song writing techniques. We would jam, record what we played, and I would take the best parts, write lyrics to them, and bring it to the band for them to say whether it’s great, or if it sucks. We almost had an album when that bass player left the band. I was really choked. When Blair came to be part of Priscilla’s Revenge, we automatically started writing songs, because we were already used to doing it,” said Norman.

“Writing is hard, sometimes we’re trying something over and over again until my fingers are raw, but you’ve to put the effort in. It doesn’t feel like work at all, we were having so much fun,” said Greg. “The band is creative and we are having a good time.” All members of the band have full time day jobs and families, but their love of music drives them on. Greg remembers being passionate about music at an early age.

being eleven, sitting in my room, there was a snowstorm outside and I was bored,” said greg. “I opened out the closet and there was my dad’s guitar, and I started plucking notes on it. My mum gave me a book of guitar chords, and ever since then, I’ve come home to sit and learn to play for many, many hours. Sometimes I’d come home after school and play till six in the morning. Even now, when my children are asleep, I’ll play till 2am. “

“I joined a band in Inuvik in the 1990s, but I knew I wasn’t going to make an honest living playing music, so I decided to go back to college to continue my education, while ‘noodling’ (playing) in the background.” Greg is now also manager of the Technology Service Center for the GNWT in Yellowknife.

“This band is also exactly half aboriginal, we’re like the perfect representation of the NWT, we’re like a consensus government,” Norm laughingly describes the band’s work ethic. “We’re already working on a second album. We’ve played some of the new songs to an audience, and they love the new tunes.” The band tries to appeal to audiences beyond the North by writing songs like ‘Waiting to be claimed,’ which Norm describes as a ‘world class’ song. “Blues music is deceptively simple,” he said. “It really takes the right mix of emotions, lyrics and music to achieve the song that will touch a wider audience.”

The band is down to earth when it comes to whether they will win at the award show. They are happy instead with the exposure and interest generated. “Are we going to win?” said Greg, “To be perfectly honest, I don’t think we are. But we’re going down to have a good time, hopefully we get to play and to meet all these musicians. There’s a number of great artists who have been nominated in these categories. For me, to be mentioned in the same sentence as the ‘Slidin’ Clyde Roulette Band’ is a great honor.”

“I think it’s a treat,” said Blair, “First album, two nominations, it just tells me we’re doing something right, no matter what the outcome.”

Priscilla’s Revenge: (L-R) Greg Nasogaluak, blair brezinski and Norman Glowach jamming in their studio.

The walk to raise consciousness against domestic violence was well attended by children.

MEN, CHILDREN AND WOMEN SPEAk OuT

Gerri Sharpe Staples had a sore throat, but that was not going to stop her from leading the Take Back the Night March. It was a cold and damp evening, but about thirty women, children, some youth and men marched down the main street of Inuvik, shouting “Hey hey, ho ho, date rape has got to go. Join together, free our lives, we will not be victimized. We have the power, we have the right, the streets are ours, take back the night!”

open house, with information kiosks about domestic violence. Aurora College also participated, as did Canadian North, First Air, and Aklak. North mart helps us every year, so you could see a lot of colorful hands with antiviolence messages displayed in public areas.”

G ERRI

TOLD THE PARTICIPANTS TO BE EXTRA LO u D WHEN PASSIN g B y A BAR , WHERE DRu N k EN PATRONS STANDIN g O u TSIDE HAVE NO CHOICE Bu T TO HEAR WHAT THE RALLy PARTICIPANTS HAD TO SAy. T HE TA k E BAC k THE N I g HT M ARCH HAPPENS INTERNATIONALLy. T HE RALLy ADVOCATES FOR THE RI g HT OF EVERyONE TO FEEL SAFE FROM VIOLENCE , AND HAS BEEN HELD ANN uALLy IN I N u VI k SINCE THE EARLy 90’ S .

“We had a lot of women out there, and we were loud, and we were proud, I think a lot of people heard us,” said Gerri. She is at this gathering every year. She is a survivor of domestic abuse growing up, and believes in helping others to become strong like her. “I try to give back, if there’s something I can do I’ll do it,” she said.

Beatrice Donavan attended the rally with her children Aurora and Patrick. “I think more people should have come out,” she said. “There’s not a lot of people that like to go out in the cold, but I still came.” Jennifer Omilgoituk also observed, “If this wasn’t a bingo night, more people would have come.” Despite the average turnout, the candlelight vigil and sharing circle was emotionally charged as survivors shared their stories and friends and family lost to abuse are remembered. By the end of the evening, participants have bonded and shared the relief of letting go.

The Inuvik Transition House organizes the main rally and the following week of anti-violence awareness, and this year, director Ann Kasook is happy to announce many more organizations coming on board to help.

“We’ve had more support from the community this year. Ingamo Friendship Center, Victim Services, IRC, ICC and IDC had a combined lunch and an

Jennifer Omilgoituk said she goes to the rally every year. “I’ve seen how my parent’s generation lived in the past, when they didn’t have a woman’s shelter. I think they should have had one. Women like us who’ve been through abuse need this more than those that haven’t. I feel safe at the woman’s shelter and my kids are well protected. This gathering strengthens us to feel the power of being united. Come and enjoy yourself at the next TBTN walk, you might keep coming back after that.” She also observes, “It’s good that there are boys here to see what women go through.”

Nolan and Vanessa Kasook are two of the youth that participated in the anti-violence rally. “I’ve seen abuse before. It’s scary,” said Vanessa. “It’s out of my life now. We walk every year to support Marlo, to show everybody that the violence has to stop.”

Marlo Allen and Ann Kasook work together at the woman’s shelter with the aid of part-time staff. The Transition House has had a full house of clients in the past few months, and things are hectic, but Marlo and Ann are glad to help creating change in attitudes toward domestic violence.

“It took about ten years for people to grasp that alcoholism was an illness. Nobody wants to be called an alcoholic and people used to avoid talking about it. It’s the same with abuse, nobody wants to say that they are abusers or victims. To me, people and organizations are finally talking about it more openly, after about fifteen years, and people are saying bullying and elder abuse has to stop. It’s been worthwhile to keep going with the promotion of awareness. It’s great, I see that Ingamo Hall has been emphasizing awareness of Elder Abuse, and IRC has a program that’s trying to provide solutions.”

Victor Stewart, one of the men who proudly took part in the rally said, “I’ve always supported this cause. I think it’s important for families, especially children, to know that violence against women and children is not part of our culture.”

Curfew By-Law Passed in Inuvik

in their home.” Rebecca Baxter and Molly McLeod, Samuel Hearn student added, “Some kids like to get into trouble to get attention. They might turn this into a game and brag about running away from the bylaw officers. Instead of a curfew, I personally think their parents are playing bingo and drinking and not letting them know their responsibilities.”

Molly McLeod and Rebecca Baxter also feared that this by-law will end up punishing youth who are involved in healthy activities, such as sports, which often have practices until past 10pm. “If you’re on your way home from hockey practice, there is no reason to worry,” responded mayor Derek Lindsay, who said that the by-law is not a dragnet and would be exercised with common sense.

Mayor of Inuvik Derek Lindsay reiterates that this by-law is intended as a tool that will help by-law officers and RCMP to get youth who are committing crime off the streets. “We are targeting the hooliganism, criminalism and vandalism.” Town councilor Terry Halifax added, “Government has to discipline the kids if their parents don’t. This is also intended to keep people protected, and to let businesses feel safe.”

Inuvik resident Donald Ross agrees with the by-law. He said at a public forum, “I think it’s time for this curfew to be put in place. A lot of kids are waiting for ‘bar close’ on the street at two in the morning, and some of them are only seven to eight years old. It’s time parents accepted some responsibility.”

Bobbie Jo Greenland and Steven Baryluk, both longtime volunteers who work with youth, suggested finding creative solutions together as a community. “It only takes a couple of hours per week to volunteer,” said Steven, who coaches sports. “I challenge the community to get involved with some of these programs.”

Residents also wondered if the town has enough resources to execute this by-law effectively. The town of Inuvik said that they will work closely with RCMP and Social Services in the implementation of this by-law. Brian MacDonald, town council member said he hopes the by-law can be implemented for six months as a pilot project.

CuRFEWS IN OTHER ISR COMMuNITIES

Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk and Paulatuk are communities that already have curfews in place. In general, residents are reporting that having a curfew is positive for their communities. Glen Gordon, by-law officer for the hamlet of Aklavik said, “It works well in Aklavik, because every youth and parent are aware of it, and know that it’s for their own benefit.” He makes presentations in school, and goes on radio to create awareness of the curfew. “School councilors have told me that the youth go to school the next morning, and they are more alert,” he said. When it comes to situations when he had to escort a youth back to a home where there is potential danger, Glen has enlisted the help of RCMP and Social Services. “It’s on a rare occasion that this happens, and I can always draw on these resources,” Glen said. Annie Thrasher from Paulatuk agrees that it helps to promote school attendance in Paulatuk. “It’s pretty well accepted,” she said.

Rebecca Baxter and Molly McLeod

spoke about their worries that the curfew would be unfair to

“good” kids.

Words by JOANNA LEHRER

Photos by ALICEE JOAMIE

Embracing Life

COMMITTING TO SUICIDE PREVENTION

“Whoknows some one who has passed on because of suicide?” asked Adrian Hill, President of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Standing at the front of a full auditorium, Adrian is one of the speakers at this October’s Conference for the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP.) Only a few audience members kept their hands in their laps. The conference brought together over four hundred people who are deeply affected by suicide and committed to its prevention. “Embracing Life: Choosing your Future” is the theme this year.

This conference was held in the North because there are higher rates of suicide in the North. This is a point that Qajaak, a member of Inuusiqatsianiq (a subgroup of the National Inuit Youth Council [NIYC]), prefers not to dwell on. Instead, Qajaak focuses on affirming his culture. Resiliency is the ability to confront a difficult situation while remaining strong. Keeping your culture strong will give you the confidence of knowing where you are from, and help you know where you are going. It is the purpose and self-identity stemming from a robust culture that Qajaak is intent on developing.

Sitting beside his grandmother, Qajaak explains how the Inuvialuit, particularly youth, have a “vital role in teaching the rest of the world how to live a balanced and peaceful existence with all of creation.” Qajaak beams while he gives the advice “learn about who you are from original teachings from your Elders.... reclaim [original knowledge] with the recognition and understanding that it’s most important for our own health and well being and future survival... but we also need to understand ... our vital role in teaching the rest of the world how to live a balanced and peaceful existence with all of creation.” The NIYC has initiated media projects throughout the North, which celebrate life and bridge communication between Inuit communities.

Helen Gruben was one of the conference volunteer organizers. She spoke briefly on the reasons for suicide and how we can prevent it. “Sometimes people don’t think that they are cared for. Everyone feels like that sometimes. It is important that they know there is always someone they can talk to, someone that loves them. I tell youth in my community to call me if they want to talk to someone. They can call me at any time.” Madeleine Dion Stuart, from the Kehewin First Nations echoed this sentiment in her keynote speech. “Poverty can mean many things. If we take it from our language [Cree] it means more than not having a strong income. It is very important. Being deprived of affection also makes us poor.”

Fortunately, throughout our communities many people are already stepping in to create a wealth of support. In Inuvik, Sara Smith has organized crisis intervention training through Inuvik Victim Services, to help address potential suicides. In Fort McPherson, Hazel

Nerysoo has initiated two projects aimed at preventing suicide. The first program grew out of her questioning why suicide existed in Fort McPherson, when her Elders strove for survival.

Nerysoo became concerned with the system of assessing suicidal community members. To her, it overlooked a huge resource of information – family members. She explained, “We have transient people who can assess someone and put them on their way without consulting family, but we know our people best.” Hazel Nerysoo rallied with other community members to become trained as peer assessors. These peer assessors function as voluntary frontline workers who can be called upon when someone is concerned that a friend or family member may commit suicide. The group works with other service providers, such as the RCMP, to hold, assess and if possible, reintegrate each person into the community.

McPherson has seen a decrease in suicides over the past ten years. Consistent follow up and a sincere commitment is key to this success. More recently Nerysoo started working with Sue Oliver, a religious minister, to form a youth peer-counselling program, through which youth go out on the land and learn how to support one another. The Inuvik Youth Centre is considering beginning a similar project in Inuvik; and already a group of girls have joined together to organize a peer-led traveling workshop on suicide prevention, drugs and alcohol.

The 2007 Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention Conference was a powerful experience, underlining the immense impact suicide has for individuals and communities. Leaving the conference, however, my overwhelming feeling was of gratitude - to the local leaders, who were not only essential to organizing the event, but who also consistently work with strength and resolve to make our communities more vibrant and alive.

To learn more about suicide prevention, please visit http://www.suicideinfo.ca/ or http://www.niyc.ca/ e107_plugins/custompages/Inuusiqatsiarniq.php.

Paulatuk Drummers and Dancers performed at the convention.

Christmas greetings........

Warm wishes going to the Ipana, Hendrick & Harley families.

Love Shelly & Family

To Turpin and girls, Rosalie, Rudy, James, Esther and my family in Inuvik-hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a fun and safe New year.

We send our love.....Rosa, gerry and family, esp. from the most excited ones: Noah and Haili

Congratulations to these newlyweds: Sheldon and Johanne kaglik!

Best Wishes, Cheryl kaglik

I would like to send Christmas greetings to my family and friends, especially my grandchildren. I would also like to thank all the elders in the six regions for always being there for Tamapta. Merry Christmas and hope you all have a very good year.

My family and I would like to sent greetings to all our family and friends who are spread far and wide. Wishing you all the best for the Holiday Season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Ruben and Lilyann green Merry Christmas to all our family and friends near and far. Special Christmas greetings to Mom and family in Taloyoak, to Joanne, Jenna and Peter in Cambridge Bay, John in Edmonton, to Jan, Janelle, Jordan, kali-Ann and especially to Ingutaq kya from her Ittuq and Baby and to Mona in kugluktuk Happy New year and Best Wishes for 2008 from our house to yours, quviasugitsi quviasugvingmi

Tamapsi from Samson, Brenda, kyle and Paulou.

Seasons greetings going out to Renie & David kalinek, Vince Sharpe & Lena Allen, Vince, Donna & The girls, Cheryl, Joe, Daniel & Jared Melanson, Auntie Clara & Family, Auntie Mary & Family, uncle Roy & Family, Paul, Amy & Zoey, kevin J, Donna, Rose, kayla and Alison Joy. Have a Joyful Christmas and a Happy New year.

Love always Jennifer kalinek & Daniel Parkes

Renie Arey