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5TuesdayJune17201415YearsAgo...Eightyear-oldboycaughtshootingguninpublicAn8-year-oldFortSmithboyhasbeentakenbyHealthandSocialServicesundertheChildWelfareActfollowinganincidentwherethechildwasspot-tedbyalocalresidentringashotguninpubliconThursday.Nochargeshavebeenlaidintheeventasitisstillunderinvestigation.IssueJune15199920YearsAgo...PremiershufescabinetTheGNWThastakenonaslightlydifferentfaceafteranumberofchangestothecabinetwerean-nouncedearlierthisweek.ThedepartmentofHealthandSocialServicesscheduledforamalgamationwillbecometheresponsibilityofPremierNellieCournoyea.ShewillalsoretainresponsibilityfortheNWTPowerCorp.IssueJune15199430YearsAgo...NorthtoparlerinFrenchThefederalandterritorialgovernmentshavereachedathree-yearagreementonprovidingFrenchlanguageeducationintheNorth.TheagreementwasannouncedjointlylastweekbyEducationMinisterDennisPattersonCommissionerJohnParkerandSergeJoyalfederalSecretaryofStateforCanada.IssueJune141984ARCHIVESCOLUMNSTheNWTLegislativeAssemblysrecentvotetomergetheTuNedherid-ingwithDettahandNdilohaspromptedmuchtalkoflawsuits.Yellowkniferssaythemovedoesntgofarenoughandarethreaten-ingtosueformoreridingsandgreatervoterparity.TuNedheresidentsmean-whilearethreateningtosuetoretaintheirculturallydis-tinctvoiceintheassembly.AndmanyNWTresidentsarescratchingtheirheadswonderingwhatallthefussisabout.Itsaboutalot.Howrep-resentationisdivvieduphasbeenthethorniestissueintheNWTsconstitutionalhistory.TheproblemisthisUnlikeanyotherprov-inceorterritorytheNWTiscomposedoftwoequal-sizedverydistinctpeoplesAboriginalsandnon-Ab-originals.Eachisworriedaboutbeingdemocraticallydominatedbytheother.Moreovereachhasaverygoodlegalcaseforgreaterrepresentation.Fornon-AboriginalsmostlyconcentratedinYel-lowknifethatcaseisbasedonindividualequality.Thisisacoredemocraticvalueholdingthateveryciti-zendeservesrelativelyequalweightintheirassembly.ThusYellowknifersfeelthatthecapitalwithclosetohalftheNWTspopula-tiondeservesclosetohalftheseats.ForAboriginalshow-everindividualequalityisaredherringormorelikeaTrojanhorse.Theyknowthatbydemandingvoterparitynon-Aborigi-nalsmayquicklyoutnum-berandoutvotethemintheirhomelandastealthyandtotallylegalmethodofcolonization.Hencefor40yearsNWTAboriginalshavecalledforoverrepre-sentationevenguaranteedmajorityrepresentation.Ifthisseemsanti-dem-ocraticthinkaboutitthiswayHowwouldCanadi-ansfeelifwewereswampedby35millionimmigrantswhodidntspeakEnglishorFrenchdidntshareourcultureandlikelydidnthavealong-termstakeinourfuturebutwhoseizedthedemocraticreinsofourlegislaturesWewouldntstandforitofcourse.NorthernAboriginalsdontwanttostandforiteither.Butunlikeinplacesthatprotectindig-enousmajorityrepresen-tationsuchasFinlandFijiandvariousregionsofRussiathehandsofNWTaboriginalshavebeentied.Theyrefrustratedbycourtrulingsthatconstraintheiroverrepresentationespe-ciallythe1999FriendsofDemocracyrulingthatin-creasedYellowknifesshareofassemblyseatsfromfourtoseven.Theyfeelfunda-mentallythattheindividualrightsofsettlersshouldnotbeperverselyutilizedtotakeovertheirAborigi-nalhomeland.Theresadecentlegalchancetheyreright.WhiletheNWTisaradicallydis-tinctivejurisdictiontheFriendsrulinglargelyim-portedsouthernlegalprinci-plesandploppedthemintoanill-ttingcontext.Otherjurisdictionshaveactedwithmorenuance.InYukontheculturallyuniquevillageofOldCrowisguaranteedanassemblyseatdespiteitsminisculepopulation.SamewithSan-ikiluaqinNunavutandtheMagdalenIslandsinQue-bec.AndinnearlyeveryprovinceremoteAborig-inal-majorityridingsarepermitteddramaticover-representationduetowhatthelawdeemsexceptionalcircumstances.IndeedtheremoteAboriginalridingsoftheNWTareamongthefewwheretheexceptionalcircumstancesclausehasratherinexplicablynotbeenapplied.Thustheresgoodrea-sontothinkthatTuNedhehasanexcellentlegalcase.Theresalsotherealques-tionofwhetherFriendsofDemocracywasproperlydecided.ThoseYellowknif-erscallingforgreatervoterparityshouldbewary.Theresultsofthenextlawsuitcouldsetaverydifferentprecedent.AaronSpitzerYellowknifeByDAWNKOSTELNIKShebatheDouglassblue-eyedSiberianfemalehuskyisaverylovingdog.Thedifferenceisthatsheout-weighedRomeothefou-foubyatleast80pounds.Shewaschainedjustofftothesideofthefrontdoortesta-menttothefactthatotherthanherlibidoshewasakid-friendlydoginakidinfestedhouse.Ourchallengetodayistorunthroughherchainlineandnothavehercatchus.TohaveShebaasanat-tachmenttoyourlegmeantshewasattachedtotherestofyourbodyaswellassheoutweighedmostofus.IfyouwerecaughtintheclutchesofShebaslovesomeonehadtohelpyougetoutfromunderhernobodywasinahurrytoWhiteGirlPuppyLovePart3of3volunteer.ItfeltlikehoursbeforeyoucouldescapetheloveofSheba.Thebigkidsagedeightandninetrytoescapetheconfinesofbabysittingbutnottoday.Todaywearestuckwithoneofthe4year-olds-youknowthekind.Ifwedontdowhathewantshelltellonus.Ifwedontgivehimthegiantshareofourrunnyicecreamhewilltellonus.Weareheldhostagebythislittlemiscreant.Sometimesrevengeissoverysweet.DoesanyonewanttoplaysthatgamewithShebaweinnocentlyask.IdoIdoheyells.ButyoucantitsagameforthebigkidsyouaretoolittleIwilltellmymomonyouishischallenge.Wel-l-lOKbutyouhadbetterbesureitcanbedangerous.Itsway-y-ytoodangerousforalittlekid.Youhavetoletmehedemands.FINEWeexplainthathejusthastorunthroughShebaschainlineandgettotheothersidewithouthercatchinghimitsprettyeasyafterall.Shebaisjumpingattheendofherchainandgrabbingairinexcitement.Idontknowifshesensedavictimorwasjustfeedingofftheenergythatthisgameisgenerating.AreyoureadySetLethimgoHedoesntmakeittwofeetandshesontopofhiminafrenzyofdoglove.NowwhatHesbawlingliketheworldisending.GodmaybeshesbithiminherexcitementorsomethingheshouldntbecryingthathardQuickGethimoutofthereifoneoftheadultshearshimweregoingtogetthewillowManthatkidcanscreamTwoofusdecidethatto-getherwecandistractShebaandgetthiskidoutfromunderher.WeareafraidthatheishurtforrealhewontstopcryingandscreamingWehavehimheissafe.Wesearchhisarmsandfaceforbites-nothing.Welookev-erywhereforthebloodandgorethatwillsupporthisscreaming-nothing.Hismotherwillkillusheisherfavourite.Wehavelostpatience.ShutupandtelluswhatswrongHehiccupsandcoughsandnallybawlsoutIDONTWANTTOHAVEPUPPIESWehowlTedepartmentoEduca-tionCultureandEmploy-mentECEisdeendingitscontroversialrolloutojuniorkindergartenthisallaferbeinghitwithcriticismoverlackoundingandoverlapwiththeederalAboriginalHeadStartprogram.GNWTdefendsterritory-widejr.kindergardenCarolCollinsThisisagoodlearningexperienceforkidsandtheylearnlotsatayoungage.Whytakethisawayfromourkidsitsbadenoughourkidsarebe-lowaverageinthesmallcommunities.Itsbecausetheyarenotofferedthesamebenetsasthecity.Idontwantthisformydaughter...NorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKTuNedheandthethornyissueofrepresentation