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PoliticsFirstNations7TuesdayJuly92013THEUPCOMINGHEAVYEQUIPMENTOPERATORPROGRAMISYOURTICKETTOAWELL-PAIDNORTHERNCAREER.This15-weekprogramdeliveredbytheMineTrainingSocietyinpartnershipwithAuroraCollegegivesyouthefullrangeofskillsandcompetenciesyoullneedtobecomeaHeavyEquipmentOperatorintheNorthsboomingeconomy.TOAPPLYCONTACTTHEMINETRAININGSOCIETYAT867-765-0445ANDFINDOUTIFYOUAREQUALIFIEDOREMAILMTSMINETRAINING.CAOfferedatAuroraCollegesThebachacampusinFortSmiththecoursedeliverscorecompetenciesinallaspectsofheavyequipmentoperationalongwith175hoursoftrainingontwopiecesofheavyequipment.IFBIGPOWERFULMACHINERYISYOURPASSIONCHECKOUTACAREERASAHEAVYEQUIPMENTOPERATORLIKEHEAVYMETALSTUDENTFINANCIALASSISTANCEDEADLINEAPPLICATIONDEADLINEPROGRAMSTARTSEPT.32013JULY152013JULY182013LOCATIONFORTSMITHByMEAGANWOHLBERGSmithsLandingFirstNa-tionmemberselectedwhatcouldbeitsmostharmoniouschiefandcouncilinrecenthistoryonTuesdayevening.ChiefAndrewWander-ingSpiritwhowasre-electedJuly2followinghisfall2012by-electionwinsaidhecouldnotbemoreecstaticaboutthecouncilheissettoworkwith.Imsohappytheyretherehesaidofthefour-personcouncilvotedinwhichincludesformercouncillorThaidenePauletteGeronimoPauletteAgnesCheezieandDianneBenwell.Itsaverygoodcouncil.Thaidenereceivedthemostvotesforcouncilwith62fol-lowedbyGeronimowith59Cheeziewith56andBenwellwith43.FormercouncillorJohnTourangeauwhoranagainbutlostbyonevotetoBen-wellisexpectedtoappeal.WanderingSpiritbeatoutformerchiefandcouncillorFredDaniels51to33.ThethirdchiefcandidateformercouncillorLizStirrettreceived15votes.ChairoftheSmithsLand-ingEldersCommitteeFran-coisPaulettesaidhethinkstheresultssignifythatpeoplewanttomoveforwardfromtherecentissuesofcorruptionandtroublednancesfacedbytheFirstNation.PeoplewantchangePau-lettesaid.TheywanttodealwiththeEldersCommitteereporttheforensicauditchangestotheelectioncodethatkindofthing.A2011forensicauditcom-missionedbytheFirstNationfoundhundredsofthousandsofdollarswereunaccountedforandallegedlyembezzledbyformeremployeesandelectedrepresentativesoftheFirstNa-tionincludingDanielswhoismentionedintheauditashav-inghadsigningauthorityoverseveralaccountsinquestion.FollowingtheaudittheEldersCommitteewhichSmithsLandingmemberselectalignedchiefandcouncilincludedcouncillorCheezieHowardBenwellandStirrettwasestablishedtomakerec-ommendationstothechiefandcouncilonhowtomoveforward.Recommendationsincludedsettingupmeasuresformorenancialtransparencyandac-countabilityinternaljusticeprocessestodealwithanyoneconvictedoftheallegedembez-zlementandon-the-landheal-ingworkshopsforcouncilstaffmembersandthecommunity.FormerchiefCheyeannePaulettewhoresignedfromthepositionlastfallpartlyattributedanunwillingnessbycounciltodealwiththeEldersCommitteerecom-mendationsforhisdecisiontostepdown.WhilechiefPaulettesaidhetriedtoenactchangestotheelectioncodeandaddresstheforensicauditbutfacedbully-ingcorruptionandunethicaldecisionmakingonthepartofcertaincouncillors.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGLeadersandcommunitymembersfromacrossDenen-deharemeetinginInuvikthisweekforthe43rdannualDeneNationalAssemblyandac-cordingtoNationalChiefBillErasmusthefocusofthedis-cussionsisgoingtobeanall-pervasiveonewhenitcomestoissuesintheNorthland.Thisisthe40thyearsincethecourtcasewhereFrancoisPauletteandotherchiefstookCanadatocourtandwonthecasesowhyisitthat40yearslaterwerestillnotgoverningourselvesTheressomethingthatsterriblywronghesaid.CanadasdenyingthefactthattheserightsexistandareenshrinedintheCanadianConstitution.Sohowtodealwithwhatdowedototurnthataroundthatspartoftheissue.ThoughthespecicdetailsofeachregionandcommunitywillbelledinthroughoutthethreedaysofmeetingsErasmussaidbigissuesofhowtopro-tectthelandwillbebroughtup.WevegotpeoplecomingupandtalkingabouttheproposedCanada-Chinatradeagreement.WevealsogotpeopletalkingaboutthefrackinginnorthernBC.Thosearesomeofthebigissueshesaid.Waterlandsresources-thedevolutionagreementforexampleitsdesignedtogivepowerandauthoritytotheterritorialgovernmentandweresayinghowcanyoudothatwhenthelandsandtheresourcesdontbelongtothefederalgovernmentItsahugeissuethatweneedtotalkabout.ProtectionforNorthernlakesandriverswillalsobeontheagendaincludingaproposalfortheDeneNationtosupportfederalBillC-529whichmovestoreinstateprotectionoftheSlaveRiverundertheNavigableWatersProtectionAct.Itwasremovedfromthelistofprotectedriv-ersinDecember2012throughomnibusbudgetBillC-45.MovingonfromInuvikEras-muswhoisalsoregionalchieffortheAssemblyofFirstNationsAFNwillbeattendingtheAFNannualgeneralmeetinginWhitehorsetheweekafter.HesaidtherewillbeafullcontingentfromtheNWTfocusedonissuescurrentlyimportanttotheNorthsuchasfrackingbutsaidthemainagendaitemwillbeunica-tionofFirstNationsacrossthecountry.Thebigoneishowtokeepusalltogetheranddealwiththeissuesthatareaffectingus.TheNorthissomewhatdifferentbutreallyifyoureanIndianyoureanIndian.Therearespe-ciclegalobligationsthathavetobelledonthepartofCan-adaanditsimportantthatwehaveallofthatclearhesaid.AnnualDeneNationmeetingputsfocusonlandGatheringinInuvikmarks40yearssincePaulettecaveatPoliticsFirstNations