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3TuesdayApril12014ArcticCouncilmeetingsclosedtopublicmediaDelegatesmakesoloappearanceforSnowcastlefurshowByJACKDANYLCHUKWithoutahandfulofGreen-peacedemonstratorsandtheirsky-bluebannertodrawpublicattentionathree-daymeetingoftheArcticCouncilmighthavepassedbeneaththeradarofmostYellowknifers.NomorehidingbehindcloseddoorstheGreenpeacebanneradmonishedtonoavailascouncillorshuddledbehindcloseddoorsinthelegislativeassemblylastweek.Thesecretiveintergov-ernmentalforumcom-prisedofRussiaCanadaNorwayFinlandIcelandSwedenDenmarkandtheUnitedStatesdidnotmakeitsagendapublicandallmeetingswereclosedtothepublicandmedia.ThesecrecyisdisturbingsaidKiera-DawnKolsonaDenewomanwhohasbecomethepublicfaceofGreenpeaceintheNWT.Thereisalackoftranspar-encypeoplearenotbeingen-gaged.IdeallytheArcticCoun-cilmeetingwouldmeanprotec-tionofourcultureandenviron-mentandputtingeffortsintorenewablealternativessothatwehaveenvironmentalandjobsecurityforfuturegenerations.InsteadKolsonsaidtheArc-ticCouncilanditsmemberstatesappeartobefocusedonopeningtheArctictoincreasedminingandoilandgasdevelopment.Whenourcommunitiesheardevelopmenttherstthingsthatcometomindaremoneyandopportunities-thatsthebigpushKolsonsaid.Buttheseareboom-bustsituationsandIdontthinkthecommunitiestrulyunderstandthebustside.HistoricallyunwelcomeintheNorthbecauseofitspastoppositiontothefurharvestGreenpeacehasturnedoveranewleafKolsonsaidandisreachingouttoindigenouscommunitieswithnewtradi-tion-friendlypolicies.Oneofthepartsofthecam-paignthatwereproudofisthatweveimplementedindigenouspeoplespolicythatsupportsnotonlytreatyrightsandsteward-shipresponsibilitiesbutalsotherighttosubsistencehuntintheircommunities.Thisisahugestepthatwillshowthatthisgenerationisnotthegen-erationofbeforeKolsonsaid.ForthatreasonGreenpeacepassedontheopportunitytodemonstrateatthecitysSnow-castlewhereArcticCouncilmemberstookabreakfromtheirdeliberationsforachillysocialeveningofstewandban-nockandanexhibitionoffurgarmentsonWednesday.Thefurshowwasaproudmo-mentforDaveRamsayminis-terofIndustryTourismandIn-vestmentwhowasswathedfortheoccasioninaluxuriouscoatcraftedfromshersharvestedintheNorthwestTerritories.TheGenuineMackenzieValleyFurprogramandTakeaKidTrappingprogramhavebeenagreatsuccessRam-saysaid.Wevebeensellingfuratrecordpricesthatmoneygoesbackintosmallcommunitieswherethereisntalotofin-dustryoropportunityforem-ployment.Threethousandkidsacrosstheterritorytookpartinthetrappingprogram.Itsimportanttogetkidsoutonthelandwheretheycanun-derstandtheimportanceoftrappingandfurharvesting.Weseeabrightfuture.Therewasspeculationbe-foretheArcticCouncilses-sionbeganthatRussiasin-vasionoftheCrimeamightupsettheagendabutRam-saysawnoevidenceofthatataformaldinnerhostedbythefederalgovernmentandthemoodattheSnowkingscastlewasrelaxed.ThereisnopoliticsatthesemeetingssaidRamsaywhoseesthecouncilasanoppor-tunitytodevelopsynergiestechnologyresearchandeco-nomicdevelopment.ThereisalotofinterestintheNorthanditsresourcesandwerelookingathowwecon-nectbusinessopportunitiestothosewhoneedthem.Wecouldbenetfromrelationshipswithothercountriesaroundthecir-cumpolarworldthathavehadexperiencebuildinginfrastruc-tureintheArcticandgrowinganeconomyhesaid.Wehaveresourcesthatneedtogetdeveloped.Othercountrieshavedoneit.Rus-siansareveryprominentintheArctictheyhaveseaportsmilitaryinstallations.Wevejustscratchedthesurface.Wehavealongwaytogo.FoodinsecurityinNorthrequiresactionreportCanadarankedworstforindigenousfoodsecurityindevelopedworldByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnewreportiscallingforimmediateactioninvolvingNorthernersonaddressingthefoodsecuritycrisisfacedbypeoplelivinginCanadasNorthernandremoteAborig-inalcommunities.AccordingtothestudybyanexpertpaneloftheCoun-cilofCanadianAcademiesabout12percentofCana-dianswakeupeachmorn-ingunsureofwhetherornottheyaregoingtobeabletogetenoughtoeatthatday.ForAboriginalhouseholdsthatnumberismorethandouble.InNunavutalonethesameistrueof72percentofInuithouseholds-thehighestdocumentedrateoffoodinsecurityforanyindigenouspopulationinadevelopedcountry.Thereportshowsthatnumbersareworseforhouseholdswithchildren.A2007-08surveyindi-catedthatnearly70percentofInuitpreschoolersbetweentheagesof3and5livedinfoodinsecurehouseholdsand56percentlivedwithchild-specicfoodinsecurity.Preliminaryevidencealsoshowswomenaremoreaf-fectedthanmen.Itsaproblemthatisreach-ingcrisislevelsandre-quiresnotonlytheworkofpolicy-makersbutpeoplelivingintheNorthsaythestudysauthors.Tofullyunderstandtheissueoffoodsecuritycon-siderationmustbegiventothemanyfactorsthatinu-encelifeintheNorthsuchasenvironmentalchangecul-turegovernanceandecono-miesDr.HarrietKuhnleinchairoftheexpertpanelsaiduponreleasingthere-portlastThursday.AmongtheimplicationsoffoodinsecurityarenumeroushealthimpactswhichlinktothedisproportionateratesofchildmortalityobesitychronicdiseaseandmentalhealthproblemsfacedbyAb-originalpeopleinCanada.Thereportnamesrapidsocialenvironmentalandeconomictransitionsascon-tributingfactors.Thenutritiontransitionaresultofmovingawayfromnutrientrichtraditionalandcountryfood-baseddietsto-wardsonesbasedonmarketfoodmayincreasetheriskfordiet-sensitivechronicdis-easesandmicronutrientde-cienciesinNorthernAborigi-nalcommunitiesitstates.Evidenceindicatesthatpeoplewhoarefoodinse-curearemoresusceptibletomalnutritionandinfectionaswellaschronichealthprob-lemssuchasobesityane-miacardiovasculardiseasediabetesstressandchildde-velopmentalissues.Mentalhealtheffectsoffoodinse-curityincludereducedabil-itytolearndepressionandsocialexclusion.Thecombinationofim-pactsonpublichealthiscontributingtoaneconomiccrisissaidthepanelwhoaddedthatlocalcommunitiesbusinessesandgovernmentsneedtocooperateonndinglastingsolutions.Specicallyprogramsandpoliciesmustberesponsivetolocally-identiedneedsandenabledbytraditionalknowl-edgeandtheinnovationsofNortherncommunities.ThereisnosinglewaytosolvefoodsecurityissuesintheNorth.Arangeofholisticapproachesincludingpov-ertyreductionstrategiesisrequiredstatesthereport.Amongpromisingprac-ticeslistedbythereportareemergingstrategieslikefoodbanksandchildrensmealprogramsalongwithcommunitygardensandcooperativebuyingclubsandgrassrootsfoodpolicynetworks.Theevidence-basedreportwascreatedbyamultidisci-plinarypanelofAboriginalandnon-Aboriginalscholarsover15monthswaspeer-reviewedby11expertsandincludesadditionalevidencecollectedfromnationalAb-originalorganizations.Whilethepaneldoesnotprovidepolicyprescriptionsitdoeshopethefindingswillcontributetobetterevi-dence-basedpoliciesandpro-gramsfeaturingincreasedparticipationbyNortherncommunities.Canadahasthecapacitytoaddressthecriticalissueoffoodinsecurityasexpe-rienceddisproportionatelybyNorthernAboriginalpeo-plesthereportconcludes.Thereareclearopportuni-tiestowardsachievementoffoodsecurityandfoodsovereigntybyusingexist-inglocalregionalnationalandinternationalknowledgeexperiencesandpoliciesaswellasinexpandingtheevi-dencebasesothatAboriginalcommunitiesresearcherspolicy-makersandNorth-ernerscancreatesustain-ableanddigniedsolutionstothelong-standingcomplexchallengeoffoodinsecurityamongAboriginalpeoplesintheNorth.Publichealthisacollec-tiveresponsibility.PhotoJackDanylchukPhotoDiegoCreimerPoliticsArcticCouncilHealthWellnessFoodSecurityDenedrummerLawrenceNayallyandautistWilliamGreenlandentertainArcticCouncildelegatesatashowofGenuineMackenzieValleyFursattheSnowkingscastleonWednesday.MembersofGreenpeaceprotesttheclosedArcticCouncilmeetingsinYellowknifelastweekdemandingpublicparticipationandbetterregulationsonArcticoffshoredrilling.