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PoliticsArcticCouncil2TuesdayApril222014NEWSBRIEFSMtiswincourtappealobtainIndianrightsunderConstitutionMtispeoplehaveIndianrightsundertheCanadianConstitutionaccordingtotheFederalCourtofAppeal.ThecourtannounceditslandmarkdecisionThursdayupholdinganearliercourtdecisionin2013andtyingupacasethatbeganin1999whenHarryDanielsformerCongressofAboriginalPeoplesleadertookthefederalgovernmenttocourtovertherightsofMtisandnon-statusIndiansthoughthefederalcourtsdecisiondidnotgrantthesamerightstonon-statusIndians.Thefed-eralgovernmenthasspent9millionghtingtheHarryDanielscase.Fdrationfranco-tnoiseappointsnewdirectorJeandeDieuTuyishimehasbeenappointedthenewdirec-toroftheFdrationfranco-tnoiseFFT.PreviouslytheactingdirectorTuyishimesappointmentwasannouncedatthecommunityforuminYellowknifelastweekinfrontofrepresentativesfromallNWTfrancophoneagencies.TuyishimepreviouslyheldthepositionofFrenchNWTHealthNetworkcoordinatorbeforemovingtotheFFTwherehehasbeenworkingforthelast10years.FFTrep-resentativespraisedTuyishimefollowinghisappointmentsayingtheactingdirectorwasthebestcandidateforthepositionandbroughttheorganizationstabilityafteritre-centlysawtwoCEOsleaveonshortnotice.AlbertaputsGladueReportsinthehandsofNativeCounsellingServicesThegovernmentofAlbertahasannouncednewfundingandchangestoGladueReports-acriminalsentencingoptionforAboriginalscreatedbytheSupremeCourtofCanada-thatwillseetheresponsibilityforthere-portsinthehandsoftheNativeCounsellingServicesinsteadofagovernmentdepartment.Thegovernmenttoutedthe200000fundingandchangeofresponsibil-ityasaprogressivestepfortheAlbertajusticesystemthatwillseemoreculturalsupportforAboriginalpeopletohelpdecreasetheirchancesofre-offending.WHATTAKEAFREETEST-DRIVEANDFORDOFCANADAWILLDONATEUPTO6000TOYOURSCHOOL.Themorepeoplewhodrivethemoreyoullearnforyourschool.Youdothemath.WHEREWHENFortSmithRecreationandCommunityCentreMay32014GoFurtherNOPURCHASENECESSARY.Mustbe18yearsofageorolderwithavaliddriverslicense.Donationof20pervalidtestdriveupto300totaltestdrivesforamaximumtotaldonationsof6000perevent.Limitonedonationperhousehold.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGSkippingoutonmeetingssupposedtoaddressblackcarbonandmethaneemis-sionsinMoscowCanadadecidedtotakeaprincipledstandagainstRussiabyboy-cottingtheArcticCouncilgatheringlastweek.CanadaskipsArcticCouncilmeetingsinRussiaArcticCouncilchairandfederalEnvironmentMin-isterLeonaAglukkaqan-nouncedlastweekthatCan-adawouldnotbeattendingthethreedaysofworkinggroupmeetingsbecauseofRussiasmilitarypresenceinUkraine.AsaresultofRussiasil-legaloccupationofUkraineanditscontinuedprovoca-tiveactionsinCrimeaandelsewhereCanadadidnotattendworking-group-levelmeetingsinMoscowthisweek.CanadawillcontinuetosupporttheimportantworkoftheArcticCouncilAg-lukkaqsaidinastatement.Ottawasaidthedecisiontoavoidthemeetingsbuildsuponitstoughstanceagainsttheoccupationinclud-ingsanctionsandtravelbans.RepresentativesfromalleightArcticCouncilmem-berstatesincludingaRus-siandelegationattendedse-niorofcialmeetingsinYel-lowknifelastmonthwhereofcialswereadamantthatRussianmilitaryactioninCrimeawouldnotaffectcir-cumpolarcooperation.ThatseemstohavechangedwithCanadaslat-estmovewhichWesternArcticMPDennisBeving-tonbelievescouldmakethesituationinUkraineworseandthreatentheefcacyoftheArcticCouncil.WhatCanadasdoneisattheverybestprematurehesaid.Youcouldlookatitasengagingaregionintoaconictthatreallyisjustthewrongthingtodo.Thewholeemphasisistocontinuetoworkforinternationalco-operationintheArctic.Are-quirementofthatisRussianparticipationandwithoutthatthatsituationcanonlyescalatemilitarily.Canadaswideningtheconicthere.Hesaidtheissuesofblackcarbonandmethanearecriti-calonesforCanadatobein-volvedinaddressingconsid-eringtheyarelinkedtotheoilandgasindustryfromextractiontoaring.Theissueneedsthatparticipation.CanadasjustpickingabsolutelythewrongtargethereBevingtonsaid.WereengagedwithRussiainthisparticularareaitsanimportantareatobework-ingonandCanadaremov-ingitself-thechairmanoftheArcticCouncilremovingthemselves-frompartici-pationIthinkis...atworstcompletelywrongheaded.AglukkaqsannouncementcameadayafterPrimeMinisterStephenHarperblamedRussiafortheseparatistmovementinUkraineseasternprovincesfollowingweeksofimposedsanctionsandhaltedbilateralactivitiesbetweenCanadaandRussiasarmy.HarperisalsoseentobeleadinginternationaleffortstohaveRussiakickedoutoftheG8.BevingtonsaidlastweeksmovecallsintoquestionCan-adaschairmanshipasthedecisionwasmadewithouttheconsensusoftherestoftheArcticCouncil.Wouldntyouthinkthechairmanofanorganiza-tionwouldberesponsibletotestthewatersofthewholeorganizationIsthechairre-linquishingherdutiesherebynottakingapositionthatmatcheswiththerestoftheArcticCouncilBevingtonsaid.BybeingchairoftheArcticCouncilyourecom-mittingtoconsensusdevelop-mentinyouractions.ArcticcommitteelooksintocouncilsnubTheinternationalstandingcommitteeofArcticParlia-mentariansisfollowingupwiththeArcticCounciloverarecentrefusaltoletthecom-mitteepresenttoseniorcouncilofcialsattheirlatestmeetingsinYellowknife.BevingtonwhoservesasvicechairofthestandingcommitteeofelectedArcticofcialsattendedtheseniorArcticCouncilofcialmeet-ingsasanobserverbutforthersttimeinthehistoryofthecouncilwasunabletoaddressthemeeting.Weaskedforanoppor-tunitytogiveareportanditwasrefusedBevingtonsaid.ThestandingcommitteewhichpredatestheArc-ticCouncilsentalettertoAglukkaqoutliningitsconcerns.AglukkaqwasinvitedtothelastmeetingoftheArcticParliamentarianswhereshewasgivenanhourtoaddresstheelectedofcialsandan-swerquestions.PhotoDiegoCreimerThewholeemphasisistocontinuetoworkforinternationalcooperationintheArctic.ArequirementofthatisRussianpartici-pationandwithoutthatthatsituationcanonlyescalatemilitarily.WesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonAmemberofGreenpeaceprotestsArcticCouncilmeetingsinYellowknifeinMarchwhichwereclosedtothepublic.