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HistoryBergerInquiry13TuesdayNovember52013ChiefssayBergerInquiryinspiredfutureleadershipByMEAGANWOHLBERGFourchiefsfromfourcom-munitiesallconnectedbytheirtimetogetherinhighschoolatGrollierHallinInuviksaytheBergerIn-quiryhadaprofoundinu-enceontheirfuturepursuitofleadershiprolesintheircommunities35yearslater.LeonardKennyofDelineAlvinOrliasofColvilleLakeErnestBetsinaofNDiloandPhillipBlakeofTsiigehtchichadachancetoreunitelastweekinFortSimpsonattheDeneNationleadershipmeet-ingswheretheyreectedontheirhighschoolmemoriesofmischiefandinspiration.Wehadagoodinuencebecausein75theyhadtheBergerInquiryOrliassaid.Icanstillrememberthat.Alotofbigleaderspow-erfulspeakerselders-welistenedtothem.Youcouldhearwhattheyweresayingitwaspowerful.Welearnedfromthat.Thefourchiefswenttoschooltogetherbetweentheyearsof79and84.KennyreflectedonmanyotherleadershesawcomeoutofthesamehighschooleralikeDannyGaudetnowchiefnegotiatorforDelineTulitaLandCorp.presidentClarenceCamp-bellandPaulatukMayorRayRuben.ThepreviousleaderslikeNellieCournoyeaSteveKak-fwi-allthosetheywereleadersbackthen.NowitsourturntobecomeleadersBetsinasaid.GoingbasicallyfromGrollierHallwewouldnevereverhavethoughtaboutbecomingchiefswaybackthen.Lookatusnowwerechiefsnow.Allfourofthemlaughedatwhattheirprioritieswerebackinhighschoolwheretheyplayedbasketballvol-leyballandstoleeachothersgirlfriends.WewereyoungwedidntthinkaboutbecomingchiefsOrliassaid.WewerebusywithgirlsaddedKennywhonotedhemethiswifeof30yearsatGrollierin81.Betsinasaidthereunionwithhisoldfriendsmadehimreectontheimpor-tanceofeducation.Iwanttosaytotheyouthtostayinschoolandnishtheirschool.Theycandoanythingtheywanttheycanbecomeprofessionalintheireldsandevenbecomechiefshesaid.Kennyagreed.Wehavetochallengeouryouththatitdoesntstopthereinhighschool.Itsalifelongprocesseducation.ChiefsErnestBetsinaNDiloLeonardKennyDelinePhillipBlakeTsiigehtchicandAlvinOrliasColvilleLakecelebratealittlehighschoolreunionattheDeneNationmeetingsinFortSimpsonlastweek.ThefourattendedGrollierHalltogetherinInuvikinthelate70swheretheywereinspiredbytheirleadersduringtheBergerInquiry.PhotoMeaganWohlbergWeareghtingforoursurvivalasafreepeoplePersonalreectionsontheBergerInquiry35yearslaterByJIMGREENWhitFrasersaidifIval-uedmyfamilyjewelsIbet-ternottestifyattheBergerInquiryintotheMackenzieValleyPipeline.WeweresittinginmylivingroominWhatistillcalledLacLaMartreinthosedaysinAugust1977.WhittoldmethegovernmentoftheNorth-westTerritorieswouldhavemyknackersforbookendsifIspokeout.HesaidthepoophadhitthefanwhenheaCBCemployeehadtestiedatNormanWellsoneyearearlier.MyhousebesidethelakewaslikeanoverrunrefugeecentreintheaftermathofadevastatingtyphoonorthetrainstationinCalcuttaonFridaynight.Itwastheop-houseforthemediacrewWhitFraserAbeOkpikJoeTobeyJimSittichinliLouisBlondinJoachimBonnetrougeandabunchofotherfolksIdnevermetbefore.Peoplelazinginalltheroomsdrapedoverthefurnituresprawledoutonanyavailablestretchofoor.Talkingscribblingnotestypingeatingdrinkingplayingcardsreading.TheBergerInquirywasaBigDeal.IdbeenlisteningtotheCBCcoveragefromalldownthevalleyYukonandpointssouthacrossthecountryforwelloverayear.ListeningtoCharlieFur-longTommyRossFreddyGreenlandWilfBeanPhilipBlakeFrankTSeleieClaireBarnabyEarlDeanReneLamotheGerryCheezieSamRaddiRoyGooseLesCarpenterPeterGreenPaulAndrewRaymondYake-leyaSteveKakfwiGeorgeBlondinPhoebeNahanniGinaBlondinandRichardMcNeely.ListeningtoRichardNer-ysoodefinewhatwasatstakeWearefightingforoursurvivalasafreepeoplehesaid.ListeningtoJamesWah-sheeclarifyhistorybysayingThetreatywassignedwhenitwasdiscoveredthatourlandwasmorevaluablethanourfriendship.ListeningtoJimAntoinesaythathewaswillingtolaydownhislifetostopthepipe-line.ToBillLaffertywhocameoutinfavourofthepipeline.Hewasntmuchworriedabouttheadversespin-offsIdontthinkanIndiandrunkisanystupiderthatawhitedrunkhesaid.FrancoisPauletteques-tionedthebigrushtogetthepipelineowing.Theearthisgoingtobehereallthetime.Itsnotgoingtobetakenaway.WhyaretheyrushingAndGeorgesErasmuspres-identoftheDeneNationOurstruggleGeorgessaidisforself-determination.Wewanttobeinchargeofourlivesandourfuture.Wewanttobeourownboss.Wewanttodecidewhatisgoingtohappenonourland.Ourpositionisthattherecanbenopipelineuntilafterourlandclaimsaresettled.For17monthsIdbeenlis-teningtotheBergerInquiryonCBCradio.IthadnallyarrivedinLacLaMartreandWhitFrasertoldmehedidnttellmenottospeakIdbetterthinkcarefullyaboutit.IaskedWhitifheremem-beredwhyhespokeinNor-manWellstheyearbefore.Sureherememberedhesaid.Hespokeoutbecauseitwassomethinghehadtodo.MetooItoldhim.WellthengoforitWhitsaidbutdontsayIdidntwarnyou.SoIdid.AndwhatIsaidtoJudgeBergerwasntanythingsubversiveorevenearth-shat-tering.IsimplyaskedhimtolistenwelltotheDenepeoplethatspoketohimbecausetheywerespeakingaboutourfuturetoothefutureofourcountryandthefutureofourchildrenandourgrandchildren.Thegovernmentdidntreme.Theyprobablydidntevenknowaboutit.ButCanadaknewaboutTomBergersreportwhenitcameout.Andtherewasnopipeline.JimGreenwasattheopen-ingoftheBergerInquiryEx-hibitatthecollegelastweek.Ittriggeredhundredsofmem-oriesforhimbecausehead-dressedtheInquiryhimselfinWhatiinAugust1977.WhatIsaidtoJudgeBergerwasntanythingsubversiveorevenearth-shattering.IsimplyaskedhimtolistenwelltotheDenepeoplethatspoketohimbecausetheywerespeakingaboutourfuturetoothefutureofourcountry.JimGreenHistoryBergerInquiryFormerFortGoodHopeChiefFrankTSeleietoldMackenzieValleypipelineproponentRobertBlairin1975Youarethe20thcenturyGeneralCuster.Youarecomingwithyourtroopstoslaughterusandsteallandthatisrightfullyours.NowanelderTSeleiecontinuestospeakoutforDenerightsandcultureatmeetingsthroughouttheNWT.PhotoMeaganWohlberg