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COLUMNLETTERSTOTHEEDITOR5TuesdayMarch252014FortSmithHayRiverForecastYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh-15CLow-25CWeeklyNormsHigh-5CLow-17CWeeklyNormsHigh-1CLow-15CWeeklyNormsHigh-7CLow-20CDevolutionBillC-15opensNorthuptodestructionByDAWNKOSTELNIKYoucomplainthatyourlifeistoofast.Thatthereisnotenoughtimetodoallofthethingsthatyouhavetodotoseethepeopleyouhavetosee.Ifyoutrulywanttoslowyourlifedowngetridofyourcellphoneandyourcomputerforthatmatter.Therearefewphonesin1966inFortNorman.Ourphonenumberisthreeshortringstwolongringsanyonecanpickupthephoneregardlessoftheringasthisisacom-munityline.Thetelephoneiswallmountedandbuiltoutofwoodwithactualmetalbellsandthehandsetweighsaton.Icannotsaywhatitismadeofaheavycomposite.Itisnotbuiltforlongconversa-tionsasyourwristswouldEditorOurPremierBobMcLeodhasgonetoChinaandtoldthemwehaveeightgreatriversopenforbusinessHewantstosetuppowergridstosellpowertocorporationsandminingcampswhichwillbehugecampshousing1500to2000peoplefromallovertheworld.TheDevolutionActBillC-15willgiveGNWTmil-lionsupfrontandthatiswhyhepusheditthroughandwavedthemoneyinfrontofthechiefsandsotheysignedontoo.ButdotheytrulyunderstandwhattheysignedupforThatIdleNoMoremovementwasmeanttostopBillC-45frompass-ingbutalasBillC-45passedin2012liftingtheexistingprotectiononmillionsofCanadianlakesandriversincludingtheNWT.WhywouldStephenHarperwanttolifttheselakesandriversprotectionTosetupshopfordevelopment.Corpo-rationsallovertheworldarebeinginvitedtosetupminesuseourwatersetuppipelineshydrolinesandbasicallyrapeFACEBOOKFEEDBACKSchoolsintheSahtuareshyingawayfromhost-ingclassroompresenta-tionsonthecontrover-sialhydraulicfracturingactivitycurrentlytakingplaceintheirbackyards.SahtuSchoolsclosedoorstoFracktalkJohnTseleiethisisnotgood...Idontagreewithit...LauraAubreyCensorshipNorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedWhiteGirlVillageofWidowsPart1of3giveoutwiththeweightofthehandset.Whenyouhavesomethingtosayyouwalkoverandtalkdirectlytothatperson.Howcanyoupassinforma-tionalongwithoutseeingeachothersfacesWithouteyecontactandtheshrugofyourshouldershowcanyouexchangeyourtruefeelingsYourbodylanguageislostwithoutvisualssomeonecouldtakeyourconversationtotallyoutofcontext.Itisdif-culttohidebodylanguage.Peoplecansaywhatevertheywantwhenthereisnoeyecon-tact.Withoutstandingbesidethepersonyouaretalkingtoweareremovedfromthesituationandwebecomelessresponsibleforwhatrollsoffofourtongues.Aschildrentherewasnoth-ingthatwehadtosaythatwasimportantenoughtoen-ableustousethetelephonesowewerentallowed.Mostofourfriendsdidnothavephonesandiftheydidtheyalsowerentallowedtousethem.IfIwantedtotalktoSarahorEddieIwalkedovertoseethem.Therewerenofatkidswewalkedorrantogettoanywhere.Noonecalledortextedinthemeantimetodistractyousoyoustayoncourse.FromthetopofthehillIcanhearthemtwitteringinthedistancsoundtravelswellinthisquiettime.ThesoundsofmyfriendsplayingonFathersHillmakesthesunshinebrightertheirlaughterisadifferenttypeoftweet.PlaneshavebeenlandingbringingthekidsbackfromresidentialschoolselsewhereinthenorthandslightlysouthofFortNorman.TheyreturnfromGrollierHallinInuvikfromGrandinCollegeinFortSmithandAkaitchoHallinYellowknife.Olderbrothersandsistersreturnafterlivingawayfor10months.Theonlycommunicationhasbeenbymail.Everyoneisshytryingtoreconnect.Littlekidsgetsentouttoresidenceiftheirfamiliesaretoobigandthereisnotenoughfoodtogoaround.Theresidencekidscomehomewithfancyclothes.Theyhavet-shirtsandjeansthatlookwaydifferentthanourswehavewhatevertheHudsonBayCo.hasonitsshelvesorwhatMissionpeo-plehavesentupinboxes.Canyouimaginetheyweartheirunderweart-shirtsout-sideoftheirshirtsforalltheworldtoseeSomeofthemhavewordsonthefrontsomehavepeacesigns.Ourt-shirtsareStaneldgreyorMacken-ziemuddywhiteandwekeepthisprivatearticleofclothinghiddenunderourshirts.Theyhavebell-bottomstheoldla-diessayitsawasteofmate-rial.IcouldsewtwopairsofpantsoutofthatonewidelegSuchawastesuchawasteandgutourpreciouslandandpristinewaters.AndthegreenlightissetforApr.12014hereintheNWT.Mineswillbesetuptoex-tractmineralsandfrackingwillbeusedtoextractgas.Frack-ingusesmillionsofgallonsofwaterpumpedundergroundtoextractgasandthiswatercanneverbeusedagain.OurwaterwillbelostforeversoldforcorporateprotHarperandMcLeodwillallowde-velopmentupanddowntheMackenzieValley.TheMackenzieValleyasweknowitwillbelostfor-evertheNorthwillneverbethesameitwillbepolluteditwillbedamagedbeyondrepairwildlifewilldiesowillplantlifewewillnevereatshormooseagain.Therewillonlybebiggapingholestheywilldigtakeandthenleave.TheydontcareforusAboriginals.ThatwaswhytheQueensignedtreatieswithprovi-sionswritteninit.Ourtrea-tiesweredesignedtoprotectus.Theyarebindingandvalidnation-to-nationinternationalagreementsupheldbySupremeCourtandrecognizedinourConstitutionalAct.AccordingtoNationalChiefBillErasmasthereisawaytostopthisDevolutionBillC-15andthatisthroughtheorigi-naltreatyrightsgiventoAb-originalpeoplesignedwiththeQueenandnotOttawa.TheycouldtrytooverruletheserightsbyforcingthisActontousbuttheywouldbebreakingtreatiesandbeagainstthelaw.ErasmaswroteandrequestedtheQueenshelpinthismatterandshewrotebackandtoldhimtotalktotheGovernorGeneralasheisthelaststeptopassthislaw.HarperneedsthelaststampofapprovalfromtheGovernorGeneraltopassthisDevolu-tionActwiththedamagingBillC-15attachedintolaw.TheGovernorGeneralneedstobetoldbyallofusthatwesayNOthatboththeCon-servativeGovernmentandtheTerritorialGovernmentactedinBadFaithwhentheytoldusthattheyweregiv-ingusthecovetedDevolutionActbutdidnottellthechiefsthattheywerealsosigningtotheBillC-15whichgivestheprimeministercompletecontroloverourlandswaterandresourcesthroughtheSuperBoardBillC-15willdoawaywiththesafeguardssetuptopro-tecttheenvironmentfromdevastatingdamageshouldminingandfrackingcompa-niesbeallowedtodobusinesswithnoregardforourlandandwater.BillC-15willdis-solvetheMackenzieValleyResourceManagementActwhichwassetuptosatisfythelandclaimsandtreatyrightsinregardstolandandwater.InsteadHarperissayingtheyarenotneededanymoreitwillbereplacedwithamoreef-cientandlesstimeconsum-ingSuperBoard.TheonlythingthatmadethefourregionalboardssotimeconsumingwasOttawasfootdraggingonitsapprovalbecausenodevelopmentsre-questedwererefused.Theywereallowedtodevelopwithsafeguardsinplacetopro-tecttheenvironmenttoberesponsiblecorporationsasanyvisitorswouldexpectinsomeoneelseshome.HarperwiththisBillC-15isensuringthathehastheultimatepowertomaketheultimatedecisionsoneveryprojectthatappliestotheSuperBoardbyindicatingTheCommissionermustactinaccord-ancewithanywrit-teninstructionsgiventohimorherbytheGovernorinCouncilortheMinister.SoitdoesntmatterwhositsontheboardbeitvemembersfromAb-originalgroupsandsixfederalappointeestheymustactontheministersinstructionmeaningStephenHarperSodowere-allyhavetruedevolutionwiththisBillC-15WeweretoldbyMcLeodthatwehadtotakeitorleaveitbuthelaterhadtoretractthatstatementunderscrutinywhichtoldhimthatifAboriginalpeoplecanprovethatthisBillC-15breaksourTreatyandlandclaimsthenhemustgobackandamendthisAct.Ourtreatystatesthatanyonedoingbusinessornegotiatingwithusinregardstoourlandwaterandresourcesmustne-gotiateinGoodFaith.Neithergovernmenthasnegotiatedingoodfaithbothhavebrokenourtrustandourtreaties.TheDevolutionActitselfissome-thingthatweasaterritoryhavelongawaitedforthepowertomanageourownlandswaterandresources.Wewouldliketonallyget50percentoftheprotsfromcompaniesthatdogoodbusinessinourarea.Thisisgoodifitwasatruedevolutionact.Butalasthewoolisbeingpulledoveroureyesonceagain.ThisDevolu-tionActdoesnotstandalonetherearestringsattachedtoititonlylookslikewehavethepowerbutwedontonceagainwehavebeenliedtoandtheDevolutionActwillmerelybeanotheractofIndian-givingasbefore.WehavegoodgroundstoappealtotheGovernorGen-eralDavidJohnstonatRideauHall1SussexDriveOttawaOntarioK1A0A1orphone1800465-6890orfax1613-998-8760andtellhimyoudontwantthisdealNotthewayitstandsIbegyoutotake10minuteseverydaytophonesendemailsandfaxesofyouroppositiontothisDevolutionActBillC-15GodsavetheQueenGodsaveourChiefsGodSaveourLandShirleyBonnetrouge