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PoliticsNational2TuesdayJuly302013NEWSBRIEFSMandiesafteroff-roadcollisionOnemanhasdiedafteranoff-roadcollisiononatrailnearthewinterroadleadingtoFortChipewyanabout131kmnorthofFortMcMurray.Twomenwerereportedtohavebeeninvolvedinasinglevehiclecollisionintheirside-by-sideATV.RCMPmemberswereowntothesceneduetoitsremotelocationwithlimitedvehi-cleaccess.Thedriverwasconrmeddeadatthescenewhilethepassengersustainednonlife-threateninginju-riesandwasairliftedtotheNorthernLightsRegionalHealthCentreinFortMcMurray.Preliminaryreportsindicateneitherofthemenwerewearingahelmetorseatbelt.Nextofkinhavebeennotied.Outofrespectforthefamiliesnomoreinformationwillbereleasedatthistimepolicesaid.Detailsandcauseofthecolli-sionarepartofanongoinginvestigation.WrigleyFortMcPhersonelectionsnishChiefWilliamKoehasbeenre-electedinFortMcPher-sonthankstoathree-voteleadoverAbrahamWilson.Koetookthewinwith113votesalsobeatingoutJohnnyPetersonwhoobtained80votes.HewillleadtheTetlitGwichinCouncilforanotherthreeyears.In2010hewonthetitleofchiefbya35-votelead.ElectionsalsotookplaceinWrigleylastweek.SharonPellisseyisthenewchiefofthethePehdzehKiFirstNationafterwin-ningwithatotalof42votes.Runner-upLloydMosessecured15votesandDavidMosescameawaywith10votes.FormerchiefTimLennieresignedfromthepo-sitioninAprilcitinghealthreasons.RCMPdestroysuspiciouspackagePolicedestroyedasuspiciouspackageonJuly22inaresidentialneighbourhoodinYellowknife.Thepackagewasdiscoveredaround900a.m.neartheintersectionofMagrumCrescentandPiroCourt.ResidentsintheareawereevacuatedasaprecautionformuchofthedaywhiletheRCMPExplosivesDisposalUnit-KdivisiontravelledupfromEdmontontoassistwiththeinvestiga-tion.Policeareaskingforthepublicshelp.AnyonewithmoreinformationisaskedtocontactYellowknifeRCMPat867-669-1111orCrimeStoppersat1-800-222-8477.ByRENEFRANCOEURPremierscalledforactionlastweekduringtheirannualmeetingwhenitcametoAb-originalissues.AllattendingleadersthrewtheirsupportbehindanationalpublicinquiryintothecaseofmissingandmurderedAb-originalwomenurgingPrimeMinisterStephenHarpertogetonboard.Itsimportantandsome-thingweallagreedonNorth-westTerritoriesPremierBobMcLeodtoldTheJournallastThursday.ThemeetingwaschairedbyOntarioPremierKathleenWynneandshesettherightstagebysayingwewerenttherejusttotalkandthatshewantedtofocusonactionandresults.AlbertaPremierAlisonRedfordandNewfoundlandandLabradorPremierKathyDunderdalewereunabletomakethepremiersmeetingbutlaterissuedstatementssayingtheyalsosupportaninquiry.Nearly600Aboriginalwomenarebelievedtohavebeenkilledorgonemiss-ingsince1970accordingtoresearchbytheNativeWom-ensAssociationofCanada.Theseareonlythenumbersfromdocumentedcases.Thereare73missingorun-solvedhomicidecasesopenintheNWTwith63oftheseconsideredhistoricalmissingpersonscases.Ofthose6313arewomenandeightareAboriginal.Theissuewasbroughtbe-foretheLegislativeAssemblybyMcLeodlastNovember.StatisticsalsopointoutAb-originalwomenare3.5timesmorelikelythannon-Aborig-inalwomentobevictimsofviolenceandthosebetweentheagesof25and44arevetimesmorelikelythanallotherCanadianwomeninthesameagegrouptodieasaresultofviolence.AboriginalpeoplewerethefocusofWednesdaystalkswhichalsocenteredonedu-cationemploymentandsafecommunitiesMcLeodsaid.Ithinkthemostsigni-cantissue-andwhatallvenationalAboriginalleadersthatwemetwithtouchedon-wastalkaboutthelinkbe-tweensafecommunitiesandprovidingeconomicdevelop-mentwhichincludededuca-tionprogramssotheycanac-cessmorejobsMcLeodsaid.StatisticssayAboriginalchildrenaregraduatingatamuchlowerratethannon-Aboriginalchildren-abouta40percentratecomparedto80percentheadded.Climatechangeanditsimpactspecicallyonindig-enouspeoplesintheNorthwasanothertopicbroughtforwardbyAboriginallead-ersMcLeodsaidaswellasconcernsoverfundingcutstoAboriginalgovernments.SpeakingtoconcretewaystobringaboutchangeMcLeodsaidtheNWThasanumberofstrategiesinitsnewActionPlantoberolledoutthisfall.IneducationwehaveanAboriginalinitiativeun-derwayandweretakingareviewofourexistingpro-gramhesaidreferringtotheAboriginalStudentAchieve-mentInitiativethathasbeenengagingwithstakeholdersforthepastseveralyearstodeterminegapsandsuccessesinthesystem.AdditionallyEducationMinisterJacksonLaffertywasaskedbyministerialcol-leaguestoassumetheleadroleforimprovingAboriginaled-ucationinCanadaduringtheCouncilforMinistersofEdu-cationCMECmeetingheldinIqaluitearlierthismonth.ThisleisveryimportanttomeandtotheNorth.WehavealreadybrokennationalgroundwiththedevelopmentoftheResidentialSchoolscurriculuminpartnershipwiththeLegacyofHopeandtheTruthandReconciliationCommissionLaffertysaidinapressrelease.Iamcon-dentasagroupofstrongdedicatedministerswecanaccomplishmuchmoreforourpeoplestoensuretheirsuccessbothasAboriginalsandCanadians.OverthenextmonthLaf-fertywillworkwithhisCMECteamtosetgoalsandcreateaplantomakeimprove-mentstotheeducationalsuc-cessofAboriginalpeoplesacrossCanada.HewillalsoworkcloselywithnationalAboriginalorganizationsandeducationalstudentbodiestoensurethetaskisaccom-plishedinaninclusiveandcollaborativemanner.Wereputtinginplaceasafeschoolprogramtoim-provesuccessinschooltoo...OurrenewedearlychildhooddevelopmentprogramwillalsoberollingoutsoonMcLeodsaid.InresponsetodiscussionsontheoflackofadequatehousingonreservesacrossthecountryduringthemeetingMcLeodsaidtheterritorialgovernmenthasdevelopedananti-povertystrategytoalsobefullyre-vealedthisfall.TheAboriginalleadersalltalkedabouthowifachilddoesnthaveagoodroofover-headitsdifcultforthemtofocusongettinganeducation.OneofthethingsIalwaystalkaboutwheneverIgotothecommunitiesisweaskourchildrentostayinschoolandwehavetokeepourendofthebargainbymakingsuretherearejobsandbusinessopportu-nitiesavailabletothemwhentheygraduateMcLeodtoldTheJournal.OverallMcLeodsaidhewaspleasedwiththepremiersdiscussions.OneoftheAboriginallead-erssaidthisisaboutthe10thyearwherepremiershavemetwiththem.Theyindicatedithaschangedtheirperspectiveofpremiersandcreatedbetterunderstandingbetterdiscus-sion.Weallagreedtocontinuetocollaborateandcooperateonsolvingsomeoftheseverydifcultissueshesaid.Thepremiersalsodiscusseddisastermitigationenergyjobtrainingandinfrastruc-turethroughouttheweeksmeetings.Wegainmorethanwecon-tributetothesemeetingsbecauseweareasmalljurisdiction.Welearnaboutthebestpracticesinotherprovincesandterritoriesandwerenotscaredofsteal-ingtheirideasiftheyworkMcLeodsaid.Alsoitsagoodforumforustogetsupportforinitiativeswewanttotakefor-ward.Itgoesalongwaysforasuccessfulconclusiontoourinitiatives.Oneofthebestex-amplesofthisisdevolutionthepremiershavesupportedusinthatfromdayone.PremierscallfornationalinquiryintomissingAboriginalwomenPhotocourtesyoftheOfceofthePremierofOntarioCanadianpremiersdiscussaplethoraoftopicsduringtheirannualmeetingincludingAboriginalhousingandeducation.GNWThonouredfordiversitytrainingThegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieshasbeengivenanInnovationAwardbythebi-monthlymaga-zineProlesinDiversityJournalforpromotingAb-originalculturalawarenessopportunitiestoenhanceunderstandingknowledgeandawarenesswithinthepublicservice.AboriginalCulturalAwarenessTrain-ingwaslaunchedbytheGNWTasadiversityandin-clusioninitiative.InteractivetrainingmodulesweredevelopedwiththesupportandinvolvementofsevenAboriginalgovernmentsandwillbeavailabletoall4700GNWTPublicServiceemployees.