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62013THEYEARINREVIEWJANUARY15JANUARY22JANUARY29MikisewCreechallengefederalomnibusbillsFortChipewyansMikisewCreeFirstNationlaunchesalegalchallengeagainstthefederalomnibusBillsC-38andC-45allegingthegov-ernmentfailedtoconsultwithFirstNations.NWTtopcurlersghtforshotatnationalsThebestcurlersintheNWTcompeteinFortSmithwiththetopplacedcompeti-torsheadingstraighttothemensnationaltournamentinEdmontonandwomensnationalinKingston.WinterroadfromWrigleytoNormanWellsclosesAmassivesnowstormandheavyindustrialtraf-cforcestheclosureofthewinterroadfromWrigleytoNormanWellsforvedaysleavinghundredsstrandedandstallingthewinteroilandgasexploration.GNWTcallsfordismissalofcaseagainsttransgenderTheGNWTaskstheNWTHumanRightsCommissiontodismissadiscriminationcomplaintfromatransgenderwomenagainstnanceministerMichaelMiltenberger.ChiefrefusesconsenttoSurfaceRightsBoardKatlodeecheFirstNationChiefRoyFabianarguestheSurfaceRightsBoardActwillapplyafreeentrysystemtoun-settledclaimareaswhichhesaysshouldnotbeconsiderednondesignatedlandopentodevelopment.NorthernJournalsnewsmakeroftheyearOlympicswimmerteachesNWTstudentsThree-timeOlympianswimmerBrentHaydenholdsswimmingclinicsandschoolpresentationsforyouthinHayRiverandYellowknifetosharehisanti-bullyingmessageandaskstudentstofollowtheirdreams.RelentlessChiefAllanAdamandtheACFNByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheresreallyonlyonewordthatcanaccuratelyde-scribetheseeminglyendlesscapacityforstruggleembod-iedbyChiefAllanAdamoftheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationRelentless.Despitealargelyfruitless2012pursuingbattleafterbattleinthecourtsatne-gotiatingtablesandpublichearingstheleaderofthenorthernAlbertaFirstNa-tionpulledzeropunchesin2013inattemptingtodrawACFNsproclaimedlineinthesandinanattempttohaltoilsandsexpansionontheFirstNationstradi-tionalterritorynorthoftheFirebagRiver.NotoblivioustothepowerofthegiantindustrytheyareupagainstAdamandACFNscouncilhavenev-erthelessbecomethethorninthesideofnotonlyeverymajorindustryplayerintheoilsandsregion-mostnotablyShell-butalllev-elsofgovernmentwiththeirunceasingdemandforCrown-obligatedconsulta-tionandrespectforTreatyandAboriginalrights.TheDavid-vs.-Goliathepiccontinuedallthroughlastyearwithjustasmanyfrustrationsastheyearbe-fore.UnrelentingattemptstostopShellsnow-approvedJackpineMineexpansionwereblockedateveryjunc-tion.Exploratorydrillingwentaheadwithoutreview.AsuspectedoilspillandadisastrouscoaltailingsspillontheAthabascaRiverre-ceivedaninfuriatinglackofresponsebytheAlbertagov-ernmentthatignoredACFNsdemandsforconsultation.Butwhile2013sangsev-eraldefeatsfortheFirstNa-tiontherewerejustasmanysmallsuccessesnottheleastofwhichincludedariseinin-ternationalproleachievedbytheFortChipewyanFirstNationsincreasinglyvocal-izedstruggle.LegendaryrockerNeilYounglauncheshissold-outHonourtheTreatiestourthismonthgiving100percentofticketsalestoACFNslegalfundandperhapsmoreimportantlycallingattentiontowhatheseesasaninjus-ticebeingdonetoAlbertasindigenouspeoples.EveryblockedavenueseemstodrawastrongerstanceandmoreferventmessagefromACFNslead-ershipandthatresolveislikelytoonlybefurtherstrengthenedashigh-prolecelebritiesbuddyupwiththeFirstNationofferingtheirsupport.ThoughthestrugglesarejustasnumerousthestakesjustashighandGoliathjustasgigantictheNewYearforAdamiskickingoffnotwithacourtdefeatbutapartyin2014.Itcouldjustbeachangeinper-spectivebutasthechiefhasprovenattitudeiseverything.EveryblockedavenueseemstodrawastrongerstanceandmoreferventmessagefromACFNsleadershipandthatresolveislikelytoonlybefurtherstrengthenedashigh-prolecelebritiesbuddyupwiththeFirstNationofferingtheirsupport.PhotoJMPhotographyOnetowatchforin2014Kiera-DawnKolsonByMEAGANWOHLBERGDeneactivistandedu-catorKiera-DawnKolsonofYellowknifeprovedin2013thatsheisaforcetobereckonedwith.Luckilyfortherestoftheworldherpowerofchoiceisaninspiringandcontagiousformofpositivitydirectedatchangingthelivesofyouthandtheworldaroundher.KolsonofGwichinandTsoTineDenedescentlaunchedwithfullforceinto2013headingstraighttotheNorthPoleonatrektobringawarenesstoclimatechangeandthedangersofArcticoffshoredrillingwithahandfulofotheractivists.Oneofherrsttimesoncross-countryskisKol-sondidnotlettheextremechallengesofatrekintothecentreoftheArcticstopherassheewherDeneNationandGwichinTribalCouncilagshighattheNorthPole.Hardlyfatiguedbytheex-peditionKolsonsjourneyseemedtoonlystimulatehercapacitytostriveformorechange.Shetrav-eledaroundtheworldlastyearspreadinghermes-sageofprotectingthelandinScandinaviaandacrossthecontinentaswellasathomeintheNWT.KolsonscommitmenttotheNorthshonebrightlylastyearamidherworldlyad-venturesmostnotablywiththecreationofanewNGOfocusedonarts-centeredyouthengagement.Whilethefoundationisstillinitsbeginningstagesitsonetokeepaneyeonthisyear.Kolsonsmessagenotonlyencompassestheenvironmentbutdrawsconnectionstoim-pactsonindigenoushealthandsocietyasexhibitedinthepremiereofherrst-everdocumentaryonHIVpreven-tionintheNorthlastfall.AmoverandashakeronmanyfrontsKolsonhasprovedsheiscapableofany-thingwhensheputshermindtoitandisdenitelyonetowatchforin2014.PhotoJohnNovisKieraDawn-Kolsonkickedoff2013withacross-countryskiexpeditiontotheNorthPoleandhasntsloweddownsince.AthabascaChipewyanFirstNationChiefAllanAdamhasyettobackdowninhisghttodrawalineinthesandblockingoilsandsdevelopmentfrommovingnorthintohisterritory.2013THEYEARINREVIEW