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FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvik4TuesdayMay202014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverKakisaLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheManningMorinvillePeaceRiverRainbowLakeRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.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.................867-872-3000ext.26Administration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caWeeklyNormsHigh13CLow2CWeeklyNormsHigh13CLow3CWeeklyNormsHigh8CLow-1CWeeklyNormsHigh17CLow3CEDITORIALTheJournalhasbeenreportingonincidentsofmurderedormissingAb-originalwomensince2009aswellascallstoactiontodealwiththetragedy.Thefederalgovernmenthasconsis-tentlyrefusedtotakeactionthrough-outthattime.JusticeMinisterPeterMacKayistheoneincabinetwhoshouldbealeaderinthematter.NotethatMacKaywasremarkablysilentduringtherecentfurorovertheappointmentofaSu-premeCourtjusticewhichisobviouslywithinthemandateofhisoffice.Thatcontroversywashandledbytheprimeminister.Itissafetoassumethatbothissuesareactivefilesforcabinet.Ste-phenHarperwhorarelygivesuptheleadonanythingmajorseemstohavedirectedMacKaytohandlethisone.MacKayspositionhasbeenthatmissingpersonsandmurdersaretheresponsibilityofthepolicethattheyaloneshouldhandlesuchcases.Healsosaysthematterhasbeenstud-iedenoughandanotherhearingonitwillnotaccomplishanything.Thereareseveralcriticalfactsthatwarrantreconsiderationofthatassessment1.Theproblemhasgoneonmuchtoolong.Ithasbeennearlyadecadesinceitbecameaprominentissue.Iftherewasasolutionavailabletopo-licetheywouldhavefounditbynow.Theproblemvariesinnatureindif-ferentpartsofthecountryandistoobigtoogeneralandtoocomplexforpolicealonetohandle2.Itisasocialissuenationwideandpervasivesteepedinracismpovertyandhistoricabuselastingoveracenturyassuchresolutionisbeyondthecapa-bilitiesofthecriminaljusticesystem.Aboriginalorganizationsatalllevelshavebeencallingforactionintheformofanationalinquiryforalongtimeandmoreandmoreagenciesandgroupshavejoinedthem.BoththeNDPandLiberalpartieshavelongbeenstrongadvocatesoftheneed.Thematterisappallingandobviouslyneedstobead-dressedinanewdifferentway.Thefed-eralgovernmentstillrefusestobudge.InOctober2012TheJournalranastorythattheCanadianBarAssocia-tionhadjoinedthevoicescallingforanationalinquiry.InourinterviewtheCBAspokespersondescribedAborigi-nalwomenasatargetedpopulation.Youwouldthinkacallfromanasso-ciationrepresentingallthelawyersinthecountrywouldfostersomemove-mentfromthegovernment.Itdidnt.AsignicantmajorityofCanadianssup-portsomenewformofaction.Theneedisobviousandcompelling.WhywontthefederalgovernmentcomearoundNationalinquiresareexpensive.Iftheydragonandtheyalwaysdothetallycanmounttotensofmillionsofdollars.Thecostwontstopthere.Therecommendationsofaninquirywillal-mostcertainlyrequiremuchmoreaspecialnationaltaskforcewithintheRCMPperhapssomeformofspecialtransportationinareasliketheHigh-wayofTearsinnorthernBCwherewomenfrompoorFirstNationreserveshavetotravelaloneoftenhitchhikingonlonelystretchesofhighwayvulner-ableandexposedtopredatorsintheworstway.Isitthepotentialofesca-latingcoststhatcausesthefederalgovernmenttocontinuetoavoidtheissueWhatpricedoyouputonlivesonmoralityonjusticeDigdeeper.ToomanyFirstNationsInuitandMtisCanadiansliveinpov-ertybadlyneedbetterhousingevendonothavecleanwatertodrink.Allthatistheresponsibilityofthefederalgovernment.Thoseshamefulsitua-tionsandtherearemanywillbeex-posedbyaninquiryinthemostpublicwaythenpainfullyandextensivelyde-tailedbythemedia.Itwoulddominatethegovernmentsagenda.Itwouldbecontroversialanddamaging.Thenextelectionisnotfaroff.AboriginalCanadiansaregenerallyamarginalizedpeople.Itisarealitythatisignoredbutweallknowitistrue.ExposingtheproblemsindetailhowAboriginalwomeninparticularpaythepriceforitisthegreatestreasonofallforanationalinquiry.AnationalshamehangsoverCanadalikeapall.Thesituationmustchange.Tomakethathappenwilltakeleadershipandcourage.ThatisexactlywhatCanadi-answantfromtheirgovernment.WecallonJusticeMinisterPeterMacKaytoalterhispositionandsupportanationalinquiryintomurderedandmissingAboriginalCanadianwomenasquicklyaspossible.Itistherightthingtodo.CanadaneedsinquiryonmissingwomenAhostofeducatorsprincipalsandsupportstafffromNorthlandSchoolDivisionwerehonouredatthedivisionsannualLongServiceandRecognitionAwardsheldthisyearinPeaceRiverinearlyMay.Staffwerecelebratedfortheir202530and35-yearcommitmenttoservingschoolsinthedistrict.ThisyearsNorthlandnomineesformultipleprovincialteachingawardswerealsoannounced.PhotoNorthlandSchoolDivision