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ArtsCultureLanguage18TuesdayJuly22013EducationCulturalTrainingWESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Fluffyisaveryfriendlycreature.Shemakesforgreatcompanyinwonderfultopet.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.ByRENEFRANCOEURNanaaihKadhisthenewBushmanLake.DeepLakehasbecomeTeedaghao.TheformerSheepCreekisnowChiiEzhahNjik.Thelistgoeson.Over400traditionalGwichinplacenamesre-ectingtheirlanduseacrosstheGwichinSettlementAreaarebeingrecognizedbythegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesasofJune21.Manyofthetraditionalgeographicalnameswerelostduringthe19thand20thcenturieswhentheywerereplacedbycolonialnamessuchasRatLakePointedHillandMartinHouse.TheGwichinSocialandCulturalInstituteGSCIhasworkedsince1992withGwichinelderstorestorethetraditionalnames.Manyofourstafftrav-elledoutonthelandwiththeeldersandcollectedthestoriesSharonSnowshoeGSCIsexecutivedirectortoldTheJournal.Wearesothankfulforallthetimetheeldersgaveustopreservethispartofourhistory.Astheycollectedinfor-mationaboutplacenamesthestoriesabouthowfarGwichinpeoplewalkedpor-tagedanddogsledamazedSnowshoe.Childrenhadtowalktooandononeareatheyhadtobuildmooseskinboatstocomedowntheriver.Theytravelledsuchlongdistances.Thereslotsofstorieslikethatandlotsabouthuntingshesaid.Thenamesspeaktotheimportanceofourpeoplesknowledgeofmarkingplacesoursustenancewayoflivingthehuntingtrap-ping.Theplacenamesarearecordofalltheactivitiesthathappenedthereandawaytokeepourlanguagealivesincewedontuseitdaily.AccordingtothePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentreswebsitetraditionalgeographicalnamesaresig-nicanttotheNorthbecausetheymarkourlonghis-toricalconnectionwiththeculturallandscape.Theypreserveancientaspectsoflanguagenolongerusedindailyspeechtheyteachusaboutpeopleandeventsthathavemarkedourculturalde-velopmentandtheyrecordourknowledgeaboutthelandbymarkingplaceswhereim-portantsubsistenceresourcescanbefound.Thenewnameswillap-pearonofcialtopographi-calmapswhicharecreatedbythefederaldepartmentofNaturalResourcesaseachmapcomesupforrenewalwithinthefederalsystemaprocessthatcantakemanymonths.ThesenewlyrecognizednameswillalsoeventuallyappearononlinemappingservicessuchasGoogleMapsGoogleEarthMap-QuestandBingMapsastheyalsousethenationaldatabase.WeareverypleasedtoseethesenamesrecognizedinourofcialrecordsMin-isterofEducationCultureandEmploymentJacksonLaffertysaidinarecentpressrelease.OureffortsinlanguagerevitalizationandpreservationprovidingopportunitiesforculturalprojectsandartisansacrosstheNorthandeducatingouryouthontheimportanceoftheirheritageareallpartofouridentityasNortherners.TheGwichinlanguageisoneofthemostendangeredAboriginallanguagesinallofCanadasoeveryinitiativepromotingitsuseisofpara-mountimportance.GSCIhasopenedanex-hibitatthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentresmuseumfeaturingthenewplacenamesandmapswhichdetailtheirculturalandhis-toricalsignicance.ThisisnotthersttimenameshaverevertedtotheirmothertonguetitlesintheNWT.OvertheyearsFortFranklinbecameDelineFortNormanbecameTulitaandSnareLakebecameWe-kweetiamongothers.Additionally306Inuin-naqtunandInuvialuktunplacenameswerechangedin2003intheUlukhak-tokarea.TraditionalGwichinplacenamesrecognizedPhotoAlestineAndreIngridKritschoftheGwichinSocialandCulturalInstituteandWalterAlexieworkontheTeetlitGwichinPlaceNamesProjectinFortMcPhersonin2008.ByRENEFRANCOEURAnewonlinetrainingpro-gramforemployeeswiththegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesaimstoincreaseunderstandingandawarenessofAboriginalculture.DiversityinthepublicserviceisoneoftheGNWTsgreatstrengthsGlenAber-nethyMinisterofHumanResourcessaidinarecentpressrelease.ThetraininggivesallofouremployeesmoreunderstandingofAb-originalculturesandpro-motesaspiritofinclusionintheworkplace.Itwasdevel-opedwithAboriginalgovern-mentsthroughouttheNWTandreafrmsthatAboriginalvaluesandpartnershipsarekeyforourgovernment.Inmanywaysourstaffarethepublicfaceofourgovern-mentandtheycarryouttheirworkguidedbyaphilosophyofrespectrecognitionandresponsibility.ThetrainingisspecictotheDeneMtisandInuvi-aluitintheNWTLorraineTordiffdirectorofAborig-inalEmploymentwiththeGNWTsaidinanemail.IttiesintheworkthatGNWTemployeesdowiththecommunitiestheyliveinandtheAboriginalgroupswholiveinthosecommunitiesregions.ThemodulescontainspecicinformationonAboriginalin-dividualsgroupsandorgani-zationsintheNWTshesaid.TheprogramconsistsofanintroductionandfourmodulesCultureandCulturalAwarenessAboriginalPeopleoftheNorthwestTerritoriesHistoryoftheNorthwestTerritoriesfromanAb-originalPerspectiveunderstandingBobMcLeodMinisterofAboriginalAffairsandIntergovernmentalRela-tionssaidintherelease.OurstaffneedtobeawareofthewaysAboriginalvaluesandtraditionsinspireourprogramsandservices.Newresidentsneedinformationandcon-textfortheregionstheynowmakehomeandtheresidentswhoaretheirnewneighboursandclients.FacilitatedtrainingsessionsareslatedtobeginforGNWTemployeesthisfall.Whilethetrainingisnotreq-uisiteTordiffexplainedthatmanydepartmentswillchoosetomakeitmandatoryandthatthedepartmentofHumanRe-sourceshasalreadydoneso.Todownloadthevideoswhicharealsoopentothegen-eralpublicvisitwww.hr.gov.nt.caacat.TheGNWTwasoneofCan-adasBestDiversityEmployersandmadethelistforCanadasTop100Employersfor2013.OnlinetrainingprogramsupportsculturalawarenessPhotoGNWTThenewtrainingisalsoavailabletothepubliconlineintheformofvideomodules.Wearecommittedtoimprovingworkingrelationshipswithinourgovernmentandinourcommunitiesthroughbroadenedculturalunderstanding.BobMcLeodMinisterofAboriginalAffairsandIntergovernmentalRelationsPresentandFutureIssuesforAboriginalpeopleintheNorthwestTerritories.EachofthesessionsincludesNorthern-speciccontentinvideosphotosartworksto-riesaudiorecordingsandinteractiveactivitiessuchasquizzesdesignedtoprovokediscussionandpromoteaninclusiveworkenvironmentthroughbroadenedculturalunderstanding.AccordingtoTordifftherewasnospecicculturalaware-nesstrainingforGNWTem-ployeesinplacepreviouslybuttherewereseveralmech-anismstoensurethatGNWTemployeesareawareofandsensitivetothisissuesuchastheGNWTsAboriginalEn-gagementStrategyRespectRecognitionandResponsibil-ityandtraditionalknowledge.Wearecommittedtoim-provingworkingrelation-shipswithinourgovern-mentandinourcommunitiesthroughbroadenedcultural