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FortSmithHayRiverFORECASTYellowknifeInuvik4TuesdayApril12014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.20adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.26designnorj.caWeeklyNormsHigh-1CLow-13CWeeklyNormsHigh-4CLow-16CWeeklyNormsHigh-12CLow-23CWeeklyNormsHigh1CLow-12CEDITORIALDysfunctionandthenewcolonialismThewayJoeOliverwasswornintothenanceministerportfoliotwoweeksagoalmostclandestinelyshroudedfromthepublicStephenHarperssignaturewaywhenthingsarenotrightsuggeststhattherewereundercurrentsofsomethingotherthanproblemswithJimFlahertyshealththatledtohisresignation.DidtheeryIrishMPfromWhitby-OshawaridinghaveaseriousfallingoutwithhisbossOliveranotherTorontoMPtheunabashedpitchmanfortheexpansionofAlbertasoil-sandsindustryandpromoteroftheKey-stoneXLpipelineprojectisnostrangertocontroversy.Withhissubstantialinvest-mentbankerresumehehappilysteppedintothecriticalnancerole.JusttheweekbeforeinhisformerroleasNaturalResourcesministerOliverinsultedFirstNationcommunitiesacrossthecoun-trywhenhesaidataVancouverBoardofTradeaddressthatmanyofthemareso-ciallydysfunctional.HewasspeakingtothereceptiveaudienceabouttheneedtofurtheramendCanadasregulatoryprocesstoensureminingandotherresource-devel-opmentprojectscanproceedexpeditiously.Oliveralludedtoupcomingamendmentstothecurrentenvironmentalassessmentprocess-tobeintroducedwithinthenextfewmonths-thatwouldensureresourcedevelopmentprojectsaresafeforCana-diansandsafefortheenvironment.Theplanistoincreasethespeedandvolumeofindustrialdevelopmentwhiletweakingregulationstoensuretheenvironmentissafe-counter-intuitiveatbest.WhileitistruethatmanyAboriginalcom-munitiesacrossthecountrystrugglewithpoorhousingalackofcleanwaterinad-equateeducationandconictedwithin-ghtingitshouldbenotedthatallthoseproblemsaretheresponsibilityofthefed-eraldepartmentofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentAANDCwhichhasabudgetthisyearof9.1billion.Onewouldthinkthatwithsomuchwronggoneonforsolongthatblatantfailureonthepartofthatdepartmentmustbeindicativeofadysfunctionaladministration.HowaboutthatgetsxedrstItwouldbeaccuratetosaythatTorontoMayorRobFordFlahertysgoodbuddyandaconservativebrightlightistheepit-omeofwhatissociallydysfunctionalbuthisfoiblesareoverlookedbytheconser-vativeleadership.Oneoftheircroniesheiscelebratedforhiscommitmenttoconservativevalues-exceptforpossiblythecracksmoking.Fordhoweverdoesnothave200yearsofcolonialruleandsustainedattemptsatculturalgenocideasanexcuse.TheapologyforresidentialschoolstoFirstNationsinCanadabyPrimeMinisterHarperin2008wasnobleandappropri-ate.TheTruthandReconciliationCommis-sionwasaseriouseffortinhealingbutitisover.WhatnowtosolvethosesociallydysfunctionalsituationsWithlittleinthewayofsuccesscomingfromAANDCtheplanechoedbyOliver-minimizingregu-lationsandstreamliningenvironmentalprotectiontospeedupresourcedevelop-mentinturncreatingmorejobopportuni-tiesforFirstNations-seemstobetheironlysolutiongoingforward.Jobsindistantminesthatrequiredaysorweeksawayfromfamilyandcommunityarenotforeveryone.Resourcedevelop-mentthatravagesthelandandcausesharmtotheenvironmentiscontrarytowhatisatthecoreoftraditionalAboriginalculturalvalues-thatwearehereonearthtorespectandtakecareoftheland.Thepremisethatnearbymassiveresourcedevelopmentprojectswillxstrugglingcommunitiesandthenblamethemasdysfunctionaliftheydontbuyinisanewformofcolonialism.Anycommunitywillstrugglewithoutgoodleadership.Everybitasimportantasonepersononevotethecomplexprocessofselectingtheverybestcandidatesfortheroleofleadertomakeavailablethebestpos-siblechoiceisessentialtothedemocraticprocess.Thatprocessdoesnotensurethateveryleaderwillbeagoodonehowever.Infactmanywillnotbesogood.TheoldadagethatineverypopulationthereareGoodleaderspleasestepupsomanydoctorssomanylawyersandsomanyIndianchiefs-goodoneses-pecially-haswisdomtoit.IfallCanadaslargestcitycancomeupwithforaleaderisRobFordhowaretownsandcitiesinparticulartinyFirstNationcommunitiesthatareburdenedwithsomuchfromthepastsupposedtodobetterOnceinawhileagoodleadercomesalong.Itisenoughthatthepersonwillbecaringandseetotheneedsofthepeo-pleunitingthemincommongoals.Ifthatleaderhasvisioncandevelopandexecuteaplanthatleadstogrowthandprosperitythatwillsurelybecelebrated.Iftheycandoallthatwhileretainingtheinvolvementandloyaltyofthepeopleinanhonestandtransparentwaywellthatisveryspecial.Thatisthekindofleaderweallhopefornomatterwhatcommunitywelivein.PhotoStephanFolkersModelsshowcasethevibrantandwarmpiecesdesignedbyDeneFurCloudsattheWildFurFashionShowlastWednesdayeveningattheSnow-castleinYellowknife.TheeventsponsoredbyIndustryTourismandInvestmentcelebratedthesuccessofthelocaltrappingandcraftindustries.