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6TuesdaySeptember22014POLITICSFEDERALCaringforOurPeopleCaringforOurPeopleResearchgroupcallsforcommunity-centeredviewofArcticsovereigntyByDALICARMICHAELAsPrimeMinisterStephenHarperroundeduphisninthannualtourofthere-gionlastweekonegroupwantedtoremindtheworldthatthereismoretosecurityintheNorththanresourcedevelopmentandmilitarization.InapressreleasesentoutjustbeforetheprimeministersvisitwrappeduptheConferenceBoardofCanadacalledforaholisticconceptofNorthernsecuritythatplacessustainablecommunitiesandpeo-pleswell-beingatthecentreratherthanthemilitary.Certainlyatraditionalgovernmentviewalotofithastodowithtraditionalstatede-nitionsofsovereigntyprotectingyourbor-dersprotectingyourpeoplethosesortsofissuessaidSatyamoorthyKabilandirec-torofnationalsecurityandstrategicfore-sightfortheboard.Butwhatweresayinghereunderpin-ningallofthatisthefactthatyouneedvibrantsustainablecommunitiesinthoseregionstoholdontoandjustifythatsover-eigntyandifthatisthecasethenallofthethingsthatunderpinthesecurityofthosecommunitiesbecomeskeytoNorthernandArcticsovereignty.ForthepastveyearstheboardsCen-trefortheNorthhascollectedinformationonthesocio-economicneedsofcommu-nitiesabovethe60thParallel.FromtheinformationgatheredtheorganizationsaysinordertodeveloptheNortheconomicallyexistingpopulationshavetobehealthyinmindandbody.Itseemsthatthoseannouncementswereinlinewiththeneedsforeconomicdevelop-mentandcertainlyeconomicsecuritywhichcertainlylinesupwithwhatwesaidKabilannotedinreferencetoinvestmentsrecentlyannouncedbythefederalgovernmentintheNortherneconomy.ButthenuanceinallofthisistomakesurethatthosedevelopmentsworkwithalloftheotherpracticesthatareimportanttotheNorth.ForexampleanydevelopmentshouldbesensitivetoculturalrequirementsandtraditionalrequirementsofthepeoplewhoactuallyliveintheNorthaswellsomeofwhichincludeenvironmentalsecurityKabi-lancontinued.Aslongasallofthesean-nouncementsandtheinitiativesthatcomebehindthemactuallytakeintoaccountalloftheseotherfactorsthenitwouldalignwithwhatweresuggesting.FollowingupintheNWTInordertobetterconsultthefederalgov-ernmentondevelopmentpracticesintheNorthwestTerritoriesspecicallytheCon-ferenceBoardofCanadawillhostaninvite-onlyinformationgatheringsessioninYellow-knifeattheendofSeptember.Wewillbecoveringarangeofcommuni-tiesgovernmentsandbusinesslookingatthebroaderissueofArcticsecurityKabilansaid.WhenwetalkaboutArcticsecurityitisalloftheseplayerscomingtogethertobringallofthedifferentviewpointsallthewayfromgovernmentandthemilitaryrightdowntothecommunity.Businessalsohasaroletoplayandthisispartoftheeconomicengineaswell.Kabilansaidthereasonforthecloseddoortalksistoensurethatinvitedmemberscanspeakfreelyandopenlyaboutissuesaffect-ingthem.Hewouldnotsaywhowouldbeinvitedtoparticipate.TheConferenceBoardhopestopublishitsndingsfollowingthemeeting.ViolenceagainstAboriginalwomenneedssystem-wideresponseNWTpremierByMEAGANWOHLBERGContrarytoremarksmadebyPrimeMinis-terStephenHarperlastmonthcallingviolenceagainstAboriginalwomenandgirlsastringofcrimesratherthanasociologicalphenomenonNWTPremierBobMcLeodsaidnumerousso-cialdeterminantsneedtobeaddressedinordertobringanendtothemurdersanddisappear-ancesdisproportionatelyimpactingCanadasindigenouspopulation.Thepremierrecentlyreturnedfromthe55thannualPremiersConferenceheldinCharlotte-townPEIlastweekwhereprovincialandterri-torialleadersmadeauniedcallforanationalinquiryonmissingandmurderedAboriginalwomeninCanada.Iminfullsupportofitasalltheotherpre-miersofalltheprovincesandterritoriesare.IsupportthecallforanationalinquiryandIalsosupportaround-tableinvolvingfederalminis-terswithresponsibilitiesforAboriginalpeopleMcLeodtoldTheJournallastFriday.McLeodwhoistheincomingchairofthena-tionalAboriginalAffairsWorkingGroupsaidtheorganizationsnumberonepriorityisto-nalizeanationalframeworkofactiononviolenceagainstAboriginalwomenandgirls.Alargepartofwhatweneedtoaddressisafocusoneducationdoingthingsonanti-pov-ertyandhousingandsoonsothatwecanbegintodevelopthisnationalframeworkofactionMcLeodsaid.Theworkinggroupiscomposedofallthepro-vincialandterritorialAboriginalAffairsminis-tersfromacrossCanadaalongwiththemajorAboriginalorganizations.Asocio-economicactionplanexpectedtocomeoutofanupcomingAboriginalwomenssummitwillalsocontributetoongoingworkonviolencepreventionMcLeodsaid.Hesaidpushingforafederalinquirywouldremainhighonhislistofpriorities.DuringhisninthannualNortherntourHarperdownplayedtheneedforaninquirystatingthatpolicecouldadequatelyaddresstheissueofmissingandmurderedAboriginalwomeninCanada.McLeodsaidthepremiersdisagree.Obviouslythefactthatwereundertakingthisnationalframeworkofactionsuggeststhatweagreethattheressocietalissuesthatcontributetotheproblemhesaid.Statisticsshowindigenouswomenaccountfor16percentoffemalehomicidesand11.3percentofmissingwomeninCanadadespitemak-inguponly4.3percentofthepopulation.Theyarealsovetimesmorelikelytosufferaviolentdeaththannon-AboriginalwomeninCanada.Nearly1200Aboriginalwomenhavebeenmurderedorgonemissingsince1982with47ofthosebeingfromtheNWT.Thefactthatwereundertakingthisnationalframeworkofactionsuggeststhatweagreethattheressocietalissuesthatcontributetotheproblem.NWTPremierBobMcLeodPOLITICSABORIGINALPhotocourtesyofPrimeMinistersOfcePrimeMinisterStephenHarpermeetswithCanadianRangersinCambridgeBayNunavutonAug.23duringhisninthannualtouroftheNorth.