Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
LETTERTOTHEEDITOR5FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms6Cand-1CNorms6Cand-2C0Low3Low7High6High-3Low9High0Low-2Low4Low6High7High-3Low6High-1Low4High4HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-2Cand-8CNorms3Cand-2C-5Low-1Low-4Low1Low0High-1High1High0HighTuesdayOctober82013ByDAWNKOSTELNIKBywayoftraditionandageandthestartlingfactthatIhavelivedthislongIamanElder.ThesearestoriesofmylifeandareasIremem-berthem.MyparentshaveresearchedFortNormanwhichislo-catedontheMightyMacken-zieRiverthelongestriverinCanadawindingandweavingforabout1118milesinthethenNorthWestTerritoriesofCanada.AccordingtooneencyclopediaanythingnorthoftheAlbertaborderisatree-lesswastelandthatremainsfrozensolidfor10monthsoftheyear.Peepingoutthesmallholethatwehavekepticefreeweseemilesandmilesofgreenblacktrees.Frozenwhitelinesandcirclesdeneriversandlakesandaddpat-ternsinthedarkofthetrees.Thisblackandwhitevistacontinuesonandovertheho-rizonintoinnity.Mymotherisonly27yearsold.Armedwiththisbitofmisinformationsheiesintoavastunknownwastelandwithmyfatherfoursmallchil-drenandSamtheSiamesecat.Speakingplainlymymotherhadguts.Roaringenginesinitiallydeafenmethenslowlybecomeabackgroundhum.OurrststopwillbeYel-lowknifeNWTAfterrefu-elingandloadingcargoandpassengerswewillcontinueontotheWellsNormanWells.ThisDC-6iesfur-thernorthtoservethecom-munityofInuvikaspartofascheduledservice.YellowknifeNWTwehavelanded.Itisduskordarkthesunisoffvisitingsome-onesomewhereelse.Intheswarmingsnoweverythingshiftsasshadows.Peoplearedarkshadowsthatmovethroughsoftergreyshadows.Wearehustledto-wardtheterminal.Eveninthefewminutesittakesforthistransferitsrealapparentthatmybeautifulcoatisnotevenclosetobeingwarmenough.Myfeetareblocksoficecreatedwhilesittingonthefour-hourightfromEdmon-tontoYellowknife.Clunk-clunkeightlittlefeetinfro-zenbootstrudgeacrossthesnowswepttarmactowardsthedimlightofthetermi-nal.Peopleaskwherewearegoingeyebrowsareraisedinsurpriseattheresponse.Weareananachronismeveninthisera.Whitekidsofschoolagewereseldomseenhead-ingintotheHighArcticandneveratthistimeofyear.IcanhearthewhispersTheycantbetakingthatlittlegirlintherereallyForcryingoutloudevenafterthenoiseoftheDC-6enginesIamnotdeafThesepeoplearescaringmeandIhavetopee.Isthereabath-roominthisdarkandnoiseIamafraidtoaskImighthavetogobackoutsideandsquatbesidetheplane.Some-oneontheplanesaidthatthetoiletwasbrokenandwewouldhavetopeeinajamcan.IthinkIwouldprefertosquatbytheplane.Suchteas-ingthereisaninsidebath-roomattheairportandtheoneontheplanedoeswork.ThesepeoplearedifferentIdontknowiftheyaremak-ingfunornot.IsurewishIhadknownthatthetoiletontheplaneworkedaboutanhourago.Staytunedforpart3ofthis5-partstoryintheNorthernJournal.www.thewhitegirl.caCOLUMNWhiteGirlPart2TheBeginningNewYearsEve1965EarlychildhoodeducationisthekeyNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKWhatsinanameItsamatterclosetotheheartforRubiHelenShir-ley-SakeskaniporiginallyofFortChipewyanwhowasonceknownasRubiHelenGibotbeforeshehaditlegallychanged.FortChipauthordiscoverstruenamefamilyandselfDesireeLoutittIn1990whenChucksGrandmothertookmeasideandaskedmetolookintoherhusbandspastasshewasnow90anddecidedshewantedtoknowthebig-gesthurdleIhadwasthelastname.ItwaslikeChucksMushum3generationsfromChiefBigBeardidntexistbeforeheenteredtheCana-dianArmy.WeluckedoutwhenwemovedtoBLodgeandlookingforanumberinthephonebookonedayInoticedaWabiscaandIhadChuckcall.ThatwaswherewelearnedaboutthePahpastayoreserveandthenameandawholelotmoreandIwasabletomakethecon-nectionthen.UnfortunatelyKookumpassedbeforesheeverlearnedthankgoodnessastherewerethingsshewouldnthavelikedLOLRe.AfailinggradeforeducationEditorialNorth-ernJournalOct.12013EditorIagreewiththethreepointsintheeditorialbuttoanswerthequestionaskedinpoint2...sowhattodoasaretiredEarlyChildhoodEducatorIsuggestthatthelong-termanswerliesinyourpoint1.Fortoolongwegovern-mentparentseducatorshavecontinuedtoignoreachildsearlyyears.Educa-tionalresourcescontinuetobeweightedinfavourofthelateryears.Qualityuniver-salaffordableandaccessibleEarlyChildhoodEducationcontinuesnottobeavailableformost.Dr.MariaMontes-soriwasthersttodiscovertheAbsorbentMindofchildrenunder6yearsold.Childrenunder6areabletolearnseveralnewlanguages-withouteffortYoungchil-drenofdiplomatsandotherswholiveinareasthatspeakdifferentlanguagespickuptheselanguages-withouteffort.Theycanalsolearnotherthingssuchassciencemathematicsmusicetc.alsowithouteffort-iftheyareprovidedintheirenviron-mentatanearlyageThisisnowawellacceptedfact.Despitethatwecontinuetocloisterouryoungchildrenincareenvironmentswithuntrainedpeopleandinmanycasesinunsupervisedhomedaycares.Thenwewonderwhyourchildrendonotdowellwhentheygetolder.ThereisnoreasonforAb-originallanguagestodieout.IftheveryyoungAboriginalchildrenareinanenviron-mentwherethelanguageisspokentheywilllearnitnaturally.TheycanalsolearnEnglishFrenchandotherlanguagesatthesametime-withouteffortontheirpart.TheAbsorbentMindoftheyoungchildwillabsorbthelanguagesiftheyaresur-roundedbythem.ThetrickistohaveEarlyChildhoodEducatorswhoknowwhattheyaredoing.ManyhomedaycaresandotherdaycaresaredoingtheirbestbutIcontinuetohearofsituationswherechildreninregisteredandunregisteredhomedaycaresaremovedtootherunregisteredunsuper-visedlocationsduringthedaywhilethecareoperatordoespersonalbusiness.Parentsdoyoualwaysknowwhereyourchildrenarewhenyouleavethematahomeday-careSomedaycaresarerunbynursesbutwhileanursemaybeabletocareforachildsheisnotaneducator.WhydonursesfeeltheycanbeearlychildhoodeducatorsbutIasanearlychildhoodeducatordonotfeelthatIamqualiedtodonursingBe-causeIamnotIhavealsoworkedatdaycaresrunbyformerbartendersandotherunqualiedpeople.Whenwerelegateourchildrentocareenvironmentswedenythemthebesteducationaloppor-tunitytheywilleverhaveintheirlifetime-theimmenselearningthatcanhappenintheearlyyears.Ifwearewillingtogoupagainsttheentrenchedvestedinterestsintraditionaleducationandre-prioritiseoureducationalresourcestothe1-6yearsgraduallywewillbringupagenerationofAboriginalchildrenspeak-ingtheirownlanguagesaswellasEnglishandFrench.Traditionaleducationalbod-ieswillghtthislikehellbutifwemakeMontessoriandotherkindsofscienticEarlyChildhoodEducationalprogramsavailablepar-entswillberelievedoftheenormouscostofdaycareandourchildrenwillhavetheeducationalfoundationthattheyneedtodobetterintheirlateryears.RaymondD.GrantYellowknife1Low4Low-4Low0Low6High4High6High1High