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8TuesdayMay272014Gwichinprepareyouthtoleadself-governmentByNATHALIEHEIBERG-HARRISONTheGwichinTribalCoun-cilGTCisinvestingheav-ilyinwhatitsleadersbelieveisitsmostvaluableassetGwichinyouth.Wedonthavetowaitforaself-governmentagreementtobeestablishedtodevelopcapacitysaidGTCvicepresidentNormanSnowshoe.Itssoimportantthattheyoutharebroughtuptospeedbecausewehavethisbigtran-sitionperiodgoingoninourorganizationandournation.In2012theGTCsetoutthreeself-governmentgoalssignanAgreement-in-Prin-cipleinthreeyearsanalagreementinsevenyearsandhaveaneffectivedatein10years.Bythetimeanalself-governmentagreementis-nalizedSnowshoesaidtheywantGwichinyouthpreparedtostepinandlead.Itsagoodinvestment.Itsagreatinvestmenttrainingouryouthtoparticipateinen-hancingournationhesaid.Youllhaveaworkforcethatscapabletrainededu-catedsittingtherereadytotakeonthesejobsiftheyrenotintherealready.InSeptember2012theGTChostedaNationalConferencePoliticsSelf-GovernmentonIndigenousSelf-Govern-mentthatgaveyouthanoppor-tunitytoseewhatjobswouldbecomeavailablefollowingaself-governmentagreement.Snowshoesaidtheywereamazedtohearapproximately50jobswerecreatedwiththeTlichoAgreementandsaidhewantsasmanypositionsaspossibletobelledwithGwichinmembers.TheGTChasstartedor-ganizinganannualGwichinEducationForumforyoutheveryspringandforthersttimethisJulywillbehostingaweek-longleadershipcampinFortMcPherson.JordanPetersonanintergov-ernmentalofcerwiththeGTCwhoishelpingorganizethecampsaiditwouldgiveyouthanopportunitytolearnabouttraditionalGwichinvaluesaswellasWesternteachings.TheGwichinLeader-shipCampisoneofhope-fullymanyinthefuturethatsgoingtotryandbuildupthepotentialoftheGwichinyouthinthecommunityhesaid.Itsgoingtobebasedonteachingthemourtraditionalvaluesandourlessonsandteachingthemalittlemoreaboutourhistorybutwerealsobringinginauniversityprofessortotalkaboutphilos-ophyandWesterneducation.Theresafootinbothworlds.InadditionparticipantswilltraintobecomecertiedinrstaidCPRanddebrillatorsAEDandwilltakepartindailyworkshopsfocusingonlifeskillsandleadership.Theywilllearnaboutbotanytra-ditionalGwichinmedicinesandtakepartinon-the-landactivitieslikeshing.Snowshoesaidtheyaretargetingemergingleadersandgivingthemthetoolstosucceed.Numberoneyouneedahealthynation.Youneedahealthyvibrantnationtomoveforwardhesaid.Weneedtomakesuretheyrenotlimitedthattheyrealizetheyarenotlimited.Anotherlong-termproj-ectoftheGTCisthenewlyformedGwichinRegionalYouthCouncilwhichwascreatedearlierthisyear.ThecouncilismadeupofyouthfromacrosstheGwichinSettlementAreaandmeetsmonthlytodiscussissuesimportanttoGwichinyouth.Thecouncilwhichistemporaryuntilofciallyap-provedattheGwichinAnnualGeneralAssemblyinAugusthasbeenmeetingforthepastfourmonths.JessiPascal17ofAk-lavikjoinedthecouncilinFebruary.Youtharethefuturelead-ersandthatswhattheleadersneedtodo.Theyneedtogetaholdofusyouthandleadustopositivesituationsshesaid.StevenGruben19ofAk-lavikjoinedthecouncilinMarch.Youthneedtohaveavoiceandwehaveavoicethatneedstobeheardhesaid.BothPascalandGrubensaidthereneedstobemoreyouthinvolvementinchampioningGwichinissueslikeself-gov-ernmentlanguageandculturerevitalizationandeducation.WehavealltheserealnicegoalsandobjectivesforthesekidsSnowshoesaidbutIthinkthemessagehastobeputoutthatinordertoachievethesegoalsyouhavetogetinvolved.InadditiontotheeducationforumleadershipcampandyouthcouncilSnowshoesaidtheGTCisplanningamentor-shipprogramforpost-second-arystudents.TheGwichinLeadershipCampisopentoallyouthaged15to30.PrioritywillbegiventoGwichinmembersbutallInuvialuitFirstNationsandnon-Aboriginalyouthareen-couragedtoapply.OnlytravelcostsfromtheGwichinSet-tlementAreacommunitiesofFortMcPhersonAklavikInuvikandTsiigehtchicwillbecovered.ThedeadlinetoapplyisMay30.FirsteducationrenewalmeetingheldinFortSmithEducationTerritorialByMARIACHURCHTheGNWTisreachingouttothepublicforthenextstepinits10-yearplantoreno-vatetheterritoryseducationsystemfromthegroundup.TheterritorialgovernmenttooktherststepinNovemberwiththetablingoftheEduca-tionRenewalandInnovationframeworkthatoutlineskeyareastodirectafutureac-tionplan.Whiletheoriginaltimelineslatedanactionplantobein-troducedthisspringMinis-terofEducationCultureandEmploymentECEJacksonLaffertytoldTheJournalinearlyMaythedocumentwouldbedelayedforseveralmoremonthsinordertofac-torincommunityengagementsessions.Itwillbetheirdocument.Itwillbetheirvoicehesaid.SophieCallandAndreaGiesbrechtbothdirectorsinchargeofeducationrenewalandinnovationforECEhittheroadlastweektobringinformationabouttheplansforrenewaltocommunitiesacrosstheNWT.TheirrststopwasinFortSmithwherearound25peoplemanyofwhomwereeducatorsandparentscameoutfortheinformationalmeetingheldattherecreationcentreThursday.Themeetingservedtogatherpublicfeedbackandtoallaygrowingconcernsthattheeducationrenewalandinnova-tionplanisgoingtodrasticallyandsuddenlychangethesys-temforteachersandparents.Educationrenewalisnotaprogram.ItsnotagiantwhitebinderthatisgoingtoshowuponteachersdesksinthefallwithgiantscarytitleEduca-tionRenewalandInnovation.ItsreallyaboutrethinkinghowwedothingsanditsaboutgentlechangeCalltoldtheFortSmithaudience.Thecurrenteducationsys-temacrosstheworldisbasedonamodelthathasforthemostpartremainedthesamesinceitwasdevelopedinthe1800sshesaid.Researchintothebrainandthewaywelearnhasbeenrais-ingredagsabouttheeduca-tionsystemoverthelast20yearsandisenoughofanin-centiveforchangeCallsaid.Anotherincentiveisthealarmingstatisticsforstu-dentsuccessintheNWT.Accordingtoearlyfind-ingsfromECEgraduationratesintheterritoryarehov-eringaround50percent-wellbelowthenationalaverageofjustbelow80percent.IntheterritoryssmallermainlyAboriginalcommunitiesthatnumberdropstolessthan40percent.Withskilledworkersinhighdemandacrosstheterritorythelowgraduationratescre-ateadisconnectbetweentheamountofpeopleunemployedandtheamountofjobsthatneedemployeesCallsaid.Thereareallkindsofdriv-ersforchangefromsomeveryconcerningstatisticstosomeveryexcitingresearchshesaid.Itsnotonesimplex.Thedesireistogoatthissystematicallyanddeeplynotjusttoscratchthesurface.Factorsbeingdiscussedinsome20educationrenewalworkinggroupsincludethere-lationshipbetweentheschoolandcommunitystudentandteacherwellnessandstylesoflearning.AbigconcernformanyAb-originalcommunitiesisthein-clusionofon-the-landlearningCallsaidreferencingastoryofastudentbeingtakenoutofschoolforaweektogoonamoosehuntwiththeirfamily.Theressomecrazylearn-ingthathappensonthatmoosehuntsohowdowevaluethatHowdoesthatbecomevaluedintheeducationsys-temCallaskedthecrowd.Wearelearningthisaswego.WedonthavealltheanswersandwehavetoworkthroughthesethingstogetherGiesbrechtadded.AccordingtoCallthecom-pletedframeworkmeanstheeasypartisnowoverandthehardpartbeginstoiden-tifyhowtobringaboutthatchange.Muchofthatistiedtofunding.Onceanactionplanisin-troducedinthelegislatureECEwillbeginworkonacostanalysisoftheeducationrenewalwhichisexpectedsometimenextyear.GiesbrechtandCallarescheduledtovisitandhearfrom15to20communitiesbeforetheendoftheschoolyear.FormoreinformationaboutERIandtosubmitfeedbackgotowww.nwtedrenewal.wikispaces.comMembersofthenewlyformedGwichinRegionalYouthCouncilstandoutsidetheGwichinTribalCouncilsmainofceinInuvik.ParticipantsfromleftStevenGrubenJessiPascalRobertMacleodKatherineSittichinliNaomiPetersonAidenKunnizziShaylaSnowshoeMariyahSnowshoeDeborahPetersonandBobbiRoseKoe.PhotoNathalieHeiberg-HarrisonSophieCallsharesthelatestontheGNWTseducationrenewalandinnovationplanatapublicmeetinginFortSmithlastweek.PhotoMariaChurch