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Nationalawardpraisesregionalboardonchoppingblock15TuesdayApril12014EnvironmentLandWaterBoardByMEAGANWOHLBERGYouthintheSahtuareexer-cisingtheirvoicesontheissuesofclimatechangehealththetraditionaleconomyandindus-trialdevelopmentthroughablossomingregionalyouthnet-workestablishedbytheSahtuRenewableResourcesBoardSRRBlocalresourcecoun-cilsandthePembinaInstitute.TeeLimapolicyanalystwithPembinaandleadontheprojectsaidtheideaforayouthnetworkwassparkedbyacross-communitylearn-ingforumheldlastNovemberinTulitawhichbroughtto-getheryoutheldersandotherknowledgeholdersfromalloftheSahtucommunitiesforaweek.Therewasareallyclearcallfromyouthinparticularforgreaternetworkingandgatheringsandcoordinationamongstthemselvescapacitybuildingandgeneralexposuretoalotoftheseissuesrang-ingfromclimatechangeandhealththroughtodevelopmentincludingtheshaleoildevel-opmentthatstakingplaceintheirregionLimsaid.Thatforumwastherststageinoneoftwomaininitiativesbeingundertakenbythebuddingyouthcoun-cil.FundedbyHealthCanadatheprojectislookingintotheimpactsofclimatechangeonpeopleshealthintheregiontakingintoaccountscienticinformationandthetraditionalknowledgeoflandusers.Limsaidtheprojectisgiv-ingyouthintheSahtusomeofthelatestWesternclimatesciencerst-handpairedwitheldersexperiencesofclimatechangeontheland.Whiletheprojectisinitsini-tialstageshavingjustrecentlyreceivedfundingLimsaidthereareplansunderwaytoholdanotherregionalgather-inglaterthisyearwhereeachcommunitycanpresentthere-sultsoftheirowncommunity-basedself-directedresearch.Theideaisthateachgroupofyouthpicksanidentiedcomponentofpotentialvul-nerabilitytoclimatechangeandtheypursuecertainques-tionstrytodigdownintoacertainenvironmentaldeter-minantofhealthandgooffandexplorethatintheirowncommunitycontextandthenbringthatbacktothenet-workLimsaid.Aswellthereareplansformoreon-the-landactivi-tieslikefallhunts.Oneofthehopesofthecommunityhealthandclimatechangeprojectfor2014-15...isgettinghighschoolgroupspossiblyoutontheircommu-nityfallhuntswhichwewereabletohelpfacilitateinTulitalastyearLimsaid.Theideawouldbetoexpandthathav-ingyouthfromeachcommu-nitygetoutontheirowncom-munityfallhunt.SupportingthetraditionaleconomyThesecondprojectinwhichtheyoutharecurrentlyin-volveddealswiththetradi-tionaleconomylinkingyoutheldersandprominentharvest-erstogethertotalkaboutwaysinwhichnewandtraditionalwaysofmakingalivingcanbebroughttogethertoimprovetheeconomiclivelihoodsofpeopleintheregion.Thebroadobjectiveofthatprojectistoexaminehowtomaintainandstrengthenthetraditionaleconomyinacon-textoffairlyrapidindustrialactivityandexpansionLimsaidagainwithareallystrongyouthfocusinthere.RepresentativesfromalltheSahtucommunitiesmetonthetraditionaleconomyprograminDelineinFebruary-theendoftherstyearofthetwo-yearproject-whereLimsaidtherewasareallystrongcallformoreon-the-landactivitiesandfur-therbridge-buildingbetweeneldersandyouthparticularlyaroundtraditionalskills.Whiletheresdenitelytalkabouttheincreasingim-plicationsofwageworkalotofthediscussionactuallyfocusedonthestrongdesireonthepartofyouthtolearnfromtheireldersandlearntraditionalactivitiesandba-sicallykeepthetraditionaleconomystronghesaid.Howdotheymutuallysupporteachotherinaposi-tivewayhowcanskillsin-herenttotraditionalactivitiesbetransferredintosuccessfulwageemploymentTheultimategoalistocomeoutwithanactionplanforamixedregionaleconomyattheendofyeartwo.Limsaiditsessentialtohaveyouthinvolvedintheimportantdiscussionsdealingwiththefutureoftheregionenvironmentallyculturallyandeconomically.Theresjustarealinterestintheseissueswhenyouen-gageyouththeresarealhun-gerformoreinformationandopportunitiestoengageandageneraldesiretohaveavoiceandsayoversomeofwhatsoccurringintheterritoriesthatnotonlytheseyouthbuttheirfamilieshavelivedonforgenerationshesaid.Thesearethefolksthataregoingtotakeoverthestewardshipandgovernanceoftheregion.NewyouthnetworkbuddinginSahturegionGrouptoexploreclimatechangehealthandtraditionaleconomyEducationYouthPhotoJeanPolfusByMARIACHURCHTheWekezhiLandandWaterBoardhasreceivedna-tionalrecognitionforitsef-fortstopromotewaterqualityintheTlichoregionlessthantwoweeksbeforefederalBillC-15willbegintheprocessoferadicatingallregionallandandwaterboardsintheNWT.PremierBobMcLeodan-nouncedtheTlichoboardasthe2014winneroftheCoun-ciloftheFederationsExcel-lenceinWaterStewardshipAwardwhichisgiveneachyearforoutstandingandin-novativewaterprotectionpro-gramsandstrategies.McLeodpraisedWekezhiscontributionstotheterritoryinapressreleasefollowingthean-nouncementjustdaysbeforeBillC-15wasgivenroyalassent.Thisisanexcellentex-ampleofhowinnovativelocally-focussedandaction-orientedprogramsdeliveredthrougharegionalboardcaneducatecommunitiesinwaterconservationandwaterqualityprotectionatthelocallevelhesaid.Oncedevolutiontakesef-fectonApr.1theGNWTwillstarttheprocessofcreatingasuperboardtoreplacetheterritoryscurrentregionallandandwaterboardsamovecondemnedbyFirstNationsacrosstheterritoryinclud-ingtheTlicho.InFebruarytheTlichogovernmentannounceditwouldbetakinglegalac-tionagainstthefederalgov-ernmentinpartbecauseofthedismantlingoftheWekezhiLandandWaterBoard.TlichoGrandChiefEddieErasmuscalledthebilldevastatingtotheTli-chosabilitytoprotecttheirwayoflife.TheWekezhiboardwhichowsoutoftheTlichosselfgovernmentagreementwasrecommendedbytheGNWTtoreceivethecoun-cilswaterawardMinisterofEnvironmentandNaturalRe-sourcesMichaelMiltenbergertoldTheJournallastweek.MiltenbergerconrmedtheWekezhiboardwillceasetoexistafterthesuperboardiscreatedthoughtheregionwillstillhaveaseatatthetable.ItsadecisionthatwasmadeitwasntadecisionthatwemadeMiltenbergersaid.Weareacceptingthefactthatthefederalgovern-mentisusingitsauthoritytomakethesechanges.TheyarecontroversialintheNorthwestTerritories.Theyarecontem-platedinthelandclaimagree-ments.Itscausedconsider-ableconsternation.MiltenbergersaidtheGNWTwillbespendingthenextseveralyearsimple-mentingdevolutionandcouldrevisittheideaofregionalboardsinthefuture.BoardstaffhappywithrecognitionDespiteWekezhisim-pendingamalgamationintothesuperboardwhichwilltakefulleffectonApr.12015boardstaffarebeyondpleasedtoreceivenationalrec-ognitionfortheireffortsthatgobeyondalandandwaterboardsintendedmandate.WekezhiwascreatednineyearsagotoregulatelandandwateruseinTlichocommuni-tiesbutoverthelastveyearshasbeenrunningprogramstobuildlocalcapacityforwaterqualitymonitoring.Itsalwaysreallynicetoberecognizedespeciallyforsomeoftheseextraprojectstheorganizationisinvolvedin.TheseprojectsworkingwiththecommunitiesandwiththeTlichogovernmentareout-sideofthecorebusinessandworkloadoftheWekezhiLandandWaterBoardBrettWhelerexecutivedirectoroftheboardtoldTheJournal.ProgramscouldcontinueinfutureWhelersaidtheboardiscurrentlyfocusedontheim-mediatechangesheadeditswayviadevolutiononApr.1includingalteredlicensingprocedurescreatedbythemirroringoffederalresourcemanagementlegislationandtheadditionofthenewGNWTLandsdepartment.OnceWekezhistaffgetahandleontheimmediatechangesitwillbelookingatlong-termchangesresult-ingfromBillC-15hesaid.WedoreallyvaluetheseprogramsandwereallywanttofocusonhowlandandwaterboardstaffaregoingtobeabletomaintaintheseprogramsgoingforwardWhelersaid.Wekezhistaffarenotexpectinganylayoffsorsig-nicantchangetotheregula-toryworkoftheboardonceitsamalgamatedunderasu-perboardheadded.ThatsnotgoingtochangebecausewedrawthelinesdifferentlyonthemapWhelersaid.Ithinkourstaffareprettycomfort-ablewiththatsituation.PhotocourtesyofWekezhiLandandWaterBoardYouthandeldersintheSahtumeetinTulitainNovembertolearnandshareinformationonclimatechangeandhealth.TheWekezhiLandandWaterBoardteamhasreceivednationalrecognitionforengag-ingthelocalcommunityinwaterstewardship.