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4TuesdayAugust52014FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh21CLow11CWeeklyNormsHigh20CLow12CWeeklyNormsHigh18CLow8CWeeklyNormsHigh22CLow9CEDITORIALTheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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..........................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising.................867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caThesurvivalofacultureatthebrinkThisisatruestoryItisautumncirca1980inFortSmithNorthwestTerri-tories.Thereisacelebrationwithacommunitybonfire.AloneDeneeldercomestothefirebringsoutatraditionaldrumandheatsittomakeittaut.Hebeginstobeatitwithashapedsticksingingsongshelearnedaroundfiresasayoungmandecadesago.ThosearoundhimmanyofthemAboriginalaresurprisedbywhatheisdoing.Itissomethingtheyhavenotheardorseeninthecommunity.Youngboysandgirlslaughathimmockinghimwithcatcalls.Afewthrowthings.Dis-couragedhedoesnotlastlong.Heputsthepreciousdruminaprotectivebagandtakesittoafriendshousefearingthatpeopledrinkingwillbreakintohishouseanddamageitsilenc-ingthevoiceofhisancestorsthatcallovertime.Fastforwardto2014Theelderhaslongsincepassedawaybutthesongofthedrumisaliveandwellinhiscommu-nity.DrummersfromfarandwidecametosharetheirsongsandrhythmssometimeagoandnowtheyouthofFortSmithhearthebeatingofthedrumfrequentlyabackdroptomanycommunityevents.Theyfeelfromitasenseofprideevenstrivetolearnthesongsthemselves.Handgameswithdrumssointrinsictothecutandthrustandfooleryofplayhavebecomepopularsportenthrallingandentertainingeveryone.Theculturethathaddieddowntoabarewhisperin1980hasreturnedinforce.AbeaconofAboriginallanguagesilencedTheshutdownofCKLBandthesilencingofitsAboriginallanguageprogrammingisalossforallNorth-ernersandifreportsthatasmanyasadozenAboriginallanguageradiostationsacrossthecountrymaysoonlosethefinancialmeanstocontinuetheirownprogrammingaretrueallCanadianswillsufferaloss.Inpar-ticulartheterminationofCKLBandotherradiostationslikeitisaseriousblowtotheongoingeffortstoreviveAboriginallanguageandculture.CKLBislistenedtoinmanyNorth-erncommunitieswhereAboriginallanguagesarestillusedroutinelybyeldersandthemiddle-agedgivingyouthachancetolearnandcarryontheirancestrallanguage.Takingthatawayisagreatsetback.NotsupportingthereturnofAboriginallanguageswhilesupplantingyouthcom-pletelywithinEnglishlanguageinstructioninschools-inordertofacilitateamoreef-cienteconomicmodel-isascolonialinitswayasresidentialschoolswere.TheculturesofCanadasrstpeopleshavebeenundersiegeforover200yearsincludingtargetedandsystematiceffortstokillitoffbutinthelast40yearslanguageandculturehavebeguntodrawbackfromthebrink.Therehasbeenapervasivere-kindlingofawarenessandprideinculturebyFirstNationacrossCanadainrecentyears.Youtharemoreengagedthecultureisbeingrevitalizedandthelanguagesarebeingused.Thedrumsarebeatingagain.GrantedAboriginallanguagesaresec-ondtoEnglishinmostFirstNationhomesandyouthstruggletolearntheirmothertonguebutatleastthelanguagesarestillalivetheiruseactuallygrowing.ThesymbolicapologytoAboriginalCanadiansbyPrimeMinisterStephenHarperinJune2008wasexpectedtobeaturningpointinhowFirstNationsarere-gardedandtreatedbythegovernmentofCanadabutthingshavestayedmuchthesamewithinthesystem.Thereisnorealefforttosupportandfur-therAboriginalcultureandlanguages.Thetreatiesareroutinelydisregardedespeciallywhenitcomestodevelopmenttheim-perativeforcorporationstocreatewealth.TheapproachbytheHarperConserva-tivesintheirdrivetoreducethesizeofgov-ernmenthasbeentofocusoninitiativestoencourageAboriginalentrepreneurism.Itisunfortunatethatthereisnotroomintheiragendaforboth.Intrinsictoitsapproachistheexpectationthatbusinessespar-ticularlylargecorporationswillstepinandllthevacuumbyhelpingAboriginalcom-munitiestoprosperthroughdevelopmentprojects.Thatseemstobeworkingonlyinisolatedcases.YetrebirthofcultureandlanguagehascomefromwithinFirstNationsinspiteoflittlesupport.Werecognizethattheonlyeffectivewayforapeopletohonourandstrengthencultureandlanguagessuc-cessfullyistodoitthemselves-theirwayontheirterms.Stillhelpinthespiritofrec-onciliationforourfaultedcolonialhistorywouldbewelcome.ItisunlikelythatanyothersourceoffundingwillemergeforAboriginallan-guageradioprogramminginthecur-rentclimate.Whatevercapacitythathasbeenbuiltupwillbelostwhichismostunfortunate.Itistimeforthefederalgovernmenttoactonitsapol-ogyandworktowardssustainingtheAboriginallanguageandcultureitoncestrivedtoeliminate.PhotocourtesyoftheGovernmentofAlbertaAsofJuly30trumpeterswanshavebeenremovedfromAlbertasthreatenedspecieslist.ThankstorecommendationsmadebyAlbertasEndangeredSpeciesConservationCommitteeitsscienticsubcommitteeandcollaborativeeffortsbetweengovernmentandcommunityinitiativestheswanshavebeendowngradedasaspeciesofspecialconcern.Whilestillvulnerablethepopulationisnotimmediatelyindanger.