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TuesdayNovember2520147POLITICSLANGUAGEFortResMtistocreateChipewyanlanguagecentreByMEAGANWOHLBERGWiththeChipewyanlanguagelikelytodis-appearfromtheLegislativeAssemblybytheendof2015andasteepdeclineinitsusageoverallMtisinFortResolutionarework-ingtoopenacentrethatbothpromotesthelanguagelocallyandadvocatesforitsexis-tencepolitically.TheFortResolutionMtisCouncilreceivedthebackingoftheNWTMtisNationlastweekinitsquesttoestablishaChipewyanlanguagecentreinthecommunityofcloseto500situatedonthesoutheasternshoreofGreatSlaveLake.ThelanguagelabwhichwouldprovideinstructionandmaterialsinChipewyanbothatthecentreandinland-basedim-mersionsettingshasalwaysbeenconsid-eredacomponentoftheongoingworktoestablishaMtisCulturalInstituteinFortResolutionaccordingtocouncilpresidentKaraKing.ButtherecentdecisionbyMLAstoamal-gamatetheChipewyan-speakingridingofTuNedhewiththelargerTlicho-speakingvot-ingdistrictofWeledeheffectivelyeliminat-ingtheguaranteedpresenceofthelanguageinthelegislaturehaspushedorganizerstolobbyhardernowforthecreationofthecen-treandthelanguagessurvival.Tousitsveryimportantthatgovern-mentmakeacommitmenttoprotecttheChipewyanlanguagebecausewevebeenamalgamatedwiththeYellowknivesanditsessentiallyeliminatingtheChipewyanTheNorthernJournalispleasedtoannouncethatwewereabletocollectover300lbs.offoodand140indonationsfortheFoodBankduringtheHayRiverSantaClausparadeinpartnershipwiththeHayRiverFireDepartment.ThankyoutoallHayRiverresidentswhogavesogenerously.Thecontributionsaregreatlyappreciated.TheHayRiverFoodBankisstillinneed.Pleasehelpthemputfoodonpeoplestableduringtheholidayseason.ContributionscanbedroppedoffattheSoupKitchenbehindtheCatholicChurchorbycallingHeatherattheNorthernJournal874-4106forpickup.THANKYOUHAYRIVERpresenceintheLegislativeAssemblyKingsaid.Notonlythatbutthefactthatthelanguageisindeclinereallyputstheneedoutthereevenmoreso.AresolutionthatpassedunanimouslyatlastweeksAGMcallsnotonlyforaChipewyantrainingfacilityinFortResolutionbutinstructstheMtisNationtolobbytheter-ritorialgovernmenttotakeproactivestepstoprotecttheChipewyanlanguagethroughlegislationandpolicy.The7.5-millionMtisculturalcentrewillatoncebeahubfornewtechnologiesandcenturies-oldtraditionsofferingaspaceforthedigitalpreservationofstoriesandwordsinChipewyanalongwithahomeforthear-tifactsthatshowcasethehistoryofFortResMtispeopleforlocalsandtouristsalike.Land-basedlanguagecampsarealsopartofthevision.ThoughacurrentChipewyanlanguagepro-gramisrunoutoftheAkaitchoFirstNationsKingsaiditlacksaspacethatcouldbepro-videdinpartnershipwiththeMtis.HavingafacilitywouldalsoofferofcespacefortheMtisgovernmentalongwithmeetingandmultipurposeroomsforcommunitygroupsandevents.Thephysicalfacilitywouldhavethingslikealanguagelabclassroomsmultipur-posespaceswherepeoplecancomeanddoculturalprogrammingandclassesaper-formancespaceanoutdoorspacebecausealotoftheactivitiesarefishfriesandtan-ningandskinningsaidRonYaworskylandadvisorfortheMtisNation.AnimportantaspectisalsoarchivalstoragetopreservetheMtisartifactsandalsoareastodis-playthembothforMtistolearnandtoattractvisitors.SomefundingwassecuredfromtheCa-nadiangovernmenttocompleteafeasibil-itystudyforthecentrebutfurtherfundingsourcesarestillunderconsideration.Federalandterritorialgovernmentdepartmentsandprivateindustryareallbeingapproachedforfunding.TheresalotmorefundingtogoYa-worskysaid.KaraKingpresidentoftheFortResolutionMtisCouncilhasplanstodevelopaChipewyanlanguagecentrealongsidetheMtisCulturalInstituteasawaytopromoteandpoliticallyadvocateforthedeclininglanguage.PhotoMeaganWohlbergAlbertaFirstNationsjoinlegalfightagainstSiteCdamByMEAGANWOHLBERGIfB.C.HydrobelievesimpactsfromitsproposedSiteCdamprojectwontbefeltasfardownstreamasFortChipewyanitlikelywontbeabletosaythesameabouttheresultingbacklashthathasFirstNa-tionsinthetinyAlbertacommunitypre-paringforcourt.TheMikisewCreeandAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationsACFNofFortChipewyanlaunchedalawsuitagainstthefederalandB.C.governmentsonNov.14seekingtoover-turnthejointapprovalofthe8-billionproj-ectthatwouldseeathirddamconstructedonthePeaceRiver.BothFirstNationssayadditionalowreg-ulationonthePeaceRiverwillfurtherdam-agethePeace-AthabascaDeltaofnortheast-ernAlberta-theheartoftheirtraditionalterritory-whichhasalreadybeencompro-misedbyexistinghydroandthatthereviewpaneldidnotfullytakethoseimpactsintoconsideration.ThereistoomuchatstakeinthedeltatoignorepotentialeffectsofyetanotherdamonthePeaceRiversaidMikisewChiefSteveCourtoreillewhosaystheW.A.C.Bennettdamconstructedinthe1950sdramaticallyreducedwaterlevelsinthedeltacompromis-ingwildlifepopulationsandFirstNationsharvestingrights.ThoughdozensofintervenorsfromAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriesexpressedconcernabouttheprojectsimpactsonthePeace-AthabascaDeltaandwatershedsfur-thernorththereviewpanelacceptedB.C.Hydrostestimonythatdownstreamim-pactswouldnotbefeltmorethan500kmfromthedam.ACFNChiefAllanAdamsaidtheapprovalofSiteCindicatesregulatorshavefailedtolearnfrompastmistakes.WhentheybuilttheBennettdamnoonethoughtabouthowthedeltamightbeaf-fected.NoonethoughtabouthowFirstNa-tionsmightbeaffectedhesaid.Oncethedamwasbuiltitwastoolatetoaddressourconcerns.Weareworriedthathistoryisre-peatingwithSiteC.Thelawsuitaddstoexistinglitigationagainsttherecentlyapprovedproject.FourFirstNationsinnorthernB.C.whoselandswouldbedirectlycompromisedbythehydroprojectlaunchedtheirownsuitclaimingtheenvironmentministerfailedtofullyconsidertheimpactsofthedamonFirstNationstreatyrights.ThePeaceValleyLandownersAssociationhasalsorequestedajudicialreviewintoSiteCsenvironmentalcerticate.BCHydrohassaidpubliclythatlawsuitsopposingregulatorydecisionsarenotuncom-monandwouldnotcommentonanydetailscurrentlybeforethecourts.Thereistoomuchatstakeinthedeltatoignorepoten-tialeffectsofyetanotherdamonthePeaceRiver.ChiefSteveCourtoreilleMikisewCreeFirstNationPOLITICSREGULATORY