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LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR5TuesdayFebruary42013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms-16Cand-27CNorms-16Cand-27C-17Low-19Low-15High-12High-26Low-11High-17Low-23Low-21Low-18High-17High-26Low-11High-17Low-22High-22HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-23Cand-31CNorms-20Cand-29C-17Low-13Low-32Low-16Low-23Low-26Low-20High-16High-27Low-13High-16Low-24High-13High-17High-11High-26HighNorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKAhighlevelofcontaminantsdetectedinwildanimalsharvestedaroundFortChipewyanisonceagainlinkingtheupstreamoilsandsindustrytopotentialhealthimpactsifpeopleinthecommunityconsumetoomuchofcertainwildmeats.StudyndshighlevelsofcontaminantsinwildfoodsnearFortChipewyanRogerDerangerpropheciessaythatwillhappenitsjustthebeginningworstisyettocomeIntheJan.21storyNWTskiermakeshistoryitwasstatedthatJesseCockneywastherstAboriginalmaletoqualifyfortheOlympicsforcross-countryskiing.TheJournalwouldliketoclarifythatheisthefirstAboriginalonthisyearsOlympiccross-countryteamwhilenotingthattherehavebeennumerousAboriginalmalestorepresentCanadainOlympiccross-countryskiingovertheyears.TheJournalapologizesforthiserror.CORRECTIONAlbertacaresaboutTreatyrightsEditorThestoryFortMcKaychiefoptimisticafteroilconferenceJan.28mayhaveleftyourreaderswiththeimpressionthattheAl-bertagovernmentdidntpar-ticipateintherecentEn-ergyandtheOilsandsAb-originalPerspectivecon-ferenceinFortMcMurray.InfactasthenewMin-isterofAboriginalRela-tionsitwasmygreathon-ourtodeliverakeynoteaddressontherstdayoftheconferencewhichwashostedbytheFortMcKayFirstNationsandtheCana-dianCouncilforAborigi-nalBusiness.Iattendedalongwithdepartmentalstaffandappreciatedhav-ingtheopportunitytospeakwithmembersoftheFirstNationsgovernmentandindustry.AsaNorthernministerIapplaudthegreatpartner-shipsthatexistbetweenAboriginalownedcom-paniesandoilsandspro-ducers.TheseimportantpartnershipsdriveAlber-taseconomyforwardandcontributetoabetterqual-ityoflifeforallAlbertans.TheFortMcKayGroupofCompaniesisoneexampleofexcellenceinpartner-ingthathasresultedinincreasedcommunityjobsandathrivingFirstNationeconomy.ResidingintheNorthIamalsoawareofthestrongsenseofstewardshipthatmanyFirstNationsandMtispeoplefeeltowardtheland.Albertaalsorecognizesthatresponsi-bleresourcedevelopmentmeansensuringFirstNa-tionsTreatyrightsarere-spectedandthatweup-holdourlegaldutytocon-sultwhendevelopmentonCrownlandmayadverselyaffectthoserights.TheAlbertagovernmentknowsthatresourcedevel-opmentcannotcomeattheexpenseofthenaturalenvi-ronment.Oneofourpriori-tiesistomaintainthebal-ancebetweendevelopmentandpreservationsofland.Albertacontinuestobeagloballeaderinresponsibleenergydevelopmentwithsomeofthestrictestregu-lationsintheworld.FrankOberleMinisterofAboriginalRelationsProvinceofAlbertaEditorAtthetopofthenewsarethemanynaturalresourcedevelopmentsCanadawide.TherearetheEnbridgepipe-lineshydraulicfrackingandmostnotablytheAlbertatarsandsinnorthernAlberta.Undertheshiningspot-lightinJanuarywasCa-nadianmusicaliconNeilYoung.InsupportfortheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationheaddressedtheirconcernsbydoingabenetconcerttourcalledHonourtheTreatiesthatitselfwasapplaudedwithstandingovations.Youvegottostandtallandwalktall.PowertothePeople.Lastyearthenativebandscommunicationco-ordinatorinvitedcelebri-tiesNeilYoungandactressDarylHannahtoviewthemassiveindustrialoilsite.Imsurethatintheshorttimetheyspentupthereatgroundzerotheymusthavefelttheenergyeitherpos-itiveornegativethatmayhavemadeanimpressiononNeilandhisentourage.Furthermoretheben-etconcertwastoraiseawarenessoftheplightofAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationorcanIsaytheoppressednativegroup.Ireckonthisvisitmotivatedthemusiciantohelpmediateandgetthemessageacrossprimar-ilytothepoliticians.Intherecentpastorhistoryinfactthenativesandgovernmentforceshavehadmanypoliticalbattlesthataccomplishedverylit-tle.Mostinteractionsandmeetingshavebeeninef-fectiveandmostlyfailuresbecauseoffederalbureau-craciesandignorance.WhyTheconservativesystemicgovernanceistheruleoftheland.Forgenerationsthepa-triarchalgovernmentshavehaddominantcontroloverthenativesandhaveoftenclashedwiththevaluesoftheoriginalinhabitants.Itstimeforpositivechange.TheresastoryintheGoodBookcalledDavidandGoliathandguesswhatChiefAdamsometimesDavidwins.TotheChiefandCoun-cilhaveyourcontinuousdialogueattheroundtabledontforgetthepeacepipewiththeoilindustryandAlbertaspoliticalrepre-sentatives.Thinkstrategi-callytherearesignicantbureaucraticandlegislativebarrierstomoveforward.Perseveranceisthekeykeepwiththemomentum.Iknowyouallcanmakeadifferenceinsolidarityandremembertherespowerinnumbers.IamofDenede-scent.Youhavemysup-port.Ihopethisnotegivessomeinspiration.PowertotheFirstNationspeoplechangeisimminent.Inconclusionwhatisinthebackofthemindsofsomeistheaftermathofoilsandsextractions.Thisputsalittlefearaboutthefuturewhentherewillbeenvironmentalimpactsanddrasticconsequencesifnothappeningalready.Therearepublichealthconcernsforresidentswholivedownstreamfromthegiganticindustrialprojectwhichincludesnativesandnon-natives.Thegovernmentmightsaytheresnocauseforalarmbecausetheyhavesafetyregulationandad-vancedtechnologyset-upsuchasmonitoringagencieswhichmeasuretheeffectsofindustryonairandwaterquality.Tomorrowthereisnoguaranteethattherewillnotbeamajoraccidentorcatastropheinthenorthernregionandthatstheriskofitall.Moreoverenergyeconomistssaythatthereisnoindicationofaslowintheoilboom.Wordofnotethenorth-ernnativegroupsarenotagainstnaturalresourcedevelopmentalltheywantissocialjusticeequalop-portunityandinclusioninallareasofsociety.Every-onewantsthatgoodlife.ImsureallhaveaHeartofGoldinthiscolonialstorm.AlBenwellTheaftermathofNeilYoungItwasmypleasuretoat-tendtheconferenceanditsmessageisclearwhenAboriginalpeoplesucceedAlbertasucceeds.