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4TuesdayDecember22014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedatStarPressInc.WainwrightAB.PublisherManagingEditor........................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising..............................HeatherFoubertHayRiver867-874-4106adsnorj.caAdministration............................................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics...................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caProductionGraphics..................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALCOLUMNLastspringinareporttotheNWTLegislaturethedepartmentofHealthandSocialServiceswashammeredbytheAuditorGeneralforhowpoorlyitlooksafterthewelfareofchildren.Thereportlists83pointsofcontention.Monitoringsystemsassessmentmethodologyapproachestotrainingandstafngdeliverysystemsandsoonwerescrutinizedandcriticizedandthede-partmentisnowbusytryingtoxthem.BasedontheGNWTstrackrecorditslikelythatmostofthose83problemswillremainand10orsoyearsdowntheroadyetanotherscathingreportwillbeforthcoming.Themostdamningaspectofthedenuncia-tionbytheAuditorGeneralisthatitisnottherstsuchextremecriticism.Fordecadesdif-ferentsuperintendentsofchildwelfarehavestoodbeforecommitteesofthelegislatureBrokenfamiliesresult.ChildrenarevictimsalmostallfromAboriginalfamilies.Thecurrentapproachistoofferupwomensshelterswheremotherscantakechildrentobetemporarilyfreefromfearorifbothpar-entsaretheproblemthechildrenareappre-hendintocaretobecomewardsofthegov-ernmentlivingouttheirchildhoodinfosterhomesgrouphomesorinstitutions.Endingpovertyandalcoholabusehastobepartofasolutionbutunfortunatelytherewillalwaysbeneglectedchildren.Theothersideofitthenishowbesttodealwiththosekids.Tak-ingthemawayfromtheirbiologicalfamiliescuttingthemofffromextendedkinshipandcommunityconnectionsandatthesametimeisolatingthemfromtheircultureiswrong.Itisinterestingthatnopastreportsonhowchildneglectishandledhaveinvolvedcasestudiesofadultswhobecamewardsofthegovernmentaschildreninterviewingthemtondoutwhattheirlivesareliketoday.Thatneedstobedone.Thendingswouldbetellingifnotheartbreak-ing.Frustrationandresentmentoverwhathap-penedtotheirshatteredlivesnevergoesaway.NomatterhowmuchthegovernmentsystemistweakedandrenedevenifeveryoneoftheAuditorGeneralsrecommendationswerefol-loweditwouldstillfailifthestrategyistotakekidsfromtheirfamilies.Thatwillalwaysbeaforeignsolutionrootedinthesouthevolvedfromasimilarmentalityasresidentialschools.Ifyouhaventalreadypleasereadtheinter-viewinlastweeksNorthernJournalwithfor-merNWTsocialworkerArleneHache.SimilarpointsweremadebyPaulineRochepresidentoftheNWTNativeWomensAssociationlastspringafterthereleaseoftheAuditorGeneralsreport.Theybothsaygenerallythatextendedfamiliesandcommunitiesmustbeinchargeofchildandfamilyservicesifthatsystemistobetrulyeffectiveatsupportingfamilies.Acommunity-basedsolutionthatinvolvesFirstNationgovernmentsandcommunitiesandengagesextendedfamiliesiskey.Theyneedtobeinvolvedandempoweredinanef-forttoxthosebrokenhomes.Thereisnogoodwaytotweakandimprovethewaythingsaredonenow.Ourleadersmustbecourageousintheiroverhaul.Throwoutthemanualandwriteanewonethatisholisticcommunity-basedandprotectschil-drenwithoutdestroyingtheirall-importantconnectionstofamilyandculture.Involvinglocalgovernmentscommunitiesandextendedfamiliesasintervenorsinbro-kenhomeswillbetheonlywaytosucceedatendingthecyclesofpovertyandalcoholabuse-workingwiththeproblematitssourceinaconstructiveconnectedwaywherenogovernmentprogramcouldeversucceed.AchildsrighttoagoodlifeviolatedDNAdietingYourbetterbodyisinyourgenesByJEFFCRILLEYResearchershavefoundthatpersonalizeddietaryadvicebasedonanindividualsge-neticmake-upimproveseatinghabitscom-paredtocurrentone-size-ts-alldietaryrecommendations.DoctorAhmedEl-SohemyanAssociateProfessorinNutritionalSciencesatTorontoUniversityinCanadasaidWeconductedtherstrandomizedcontrolledtrialtode-terminetheimpactofdisclosingDNA-baseddietaryadviceoneatinghabits.WefoundthatpeoplewhoreceiveDNA-basedadviceimprovetheirdiettoagreaterextentthanthosewhoreceivethestandarddietaryadvice.Theyrealsotheoneswhoneedtochangeitthemost.Nutrigenomicsisaeldofresearchthataimstounderstandwhysomepeopleresponddifferentlythanotherstothesamefoods.Personalizednutritionisanapplicationofnutrigenomicsthathelpstailordietaryrec-ommendationstoapersonsDNA.Theresearcherswhosendingswerepub-lishedonlinebythejournalPLoSOnecollecteddataontheintakeofcaffeinesodiumvitaminCandsugarfrom138healthyyoungadults.Theywerethensplitintotwodifferentstudygroups-onewasgivenDNA-baseddietaryad-viceforeachofthefourdietarycomponentsofinterestandtheothergroupwasgivencur-rentstandarddietaryadviceforthesamedi-etarycomponentswithnogeneticinformation.Changesintheirdietaryhabitswereas-sessedafterthreeand12months.TheresearchersfoundthatsubjectswhoreceivedDNA-baseddietaryadvicestartedtoshowimprovementstotheirdietsafterthreemonthsandthechangesbecameevenmoreapparentafter12months.Specicallythosewhowereinformedthattheycarriedaversionofagenelinkedtosaltintakeandhighbloodpressuresignicantlyreducedtheirsodiumintakeinaccordancewiththerecommendationcomparedtothegroupthatreceivedthestandardadviceforsodiumintake.judgesofthecourtsandauditorsabashedandashamedadmittingtoinadequateperfor-mance.Eachtimepromisesweremadethatissueswouldbeaddressedandshortcomingsxed.Buttheyneveradequatelyare.TheOctober2010ReportontheReviewoftheChildandFamilyServicesActnotedmanyoftheissuesinthisyearsAuditorGeneralsrant.Thesameproblemswereidentiedandsolutionsofferedyetherewearefouryearslaterwithsomuchstillwrong.Itisatravestyyetatthesametimebafingforconcertedeffortsweremade.Manyofthepeopleinvolvedinthecreationofthat2010reportarethesameonesdealingwiththematternowincludingGlenAbernethythecurrentministerofHealthandSocialServicesandmostoftheMLAswhoaremembersofthecurrentNWTLegislatureStandingCommitteeonSocialPrograms.WhythenhastherebeensolittletangiblesuccessTheministeranddeputyministerofthedepartmentarelong-termNorthernerswhoknowandunderstandthepeoplecultureandneeds.TheyaswellasalltheMLAsandotherleadersinvolvedarecaringcompetentpeoplededicatedtomak-ingthingsrightforNWTchildren.Inspiteofthatsolutionsevade.Thecausalfactorsofchildneglectaremanybutcanmostlybeboileddowntopovertyandalcoholabuseoftenbothatthesametime.Frustrationandresentmentoverwhathappenedtotheirshatteredlivesnevergoesaway.YellowknifeseniorEstherBradenwasrecognizedlastweekforher20yearsofhelpingthehardofhearingintheNWTwithacitationfromthePresidentoftheCanadianHardofHearingAssociationCHHA.GaelHannanaboardmemberofCHHAwhowasinYellowknifelastweektospeaktoschoolsabouthearinglosspresentedtheawardtoBradenatherhomeinYellowknifelastFriday.TheNWTCHHAchapterhashelpedmanyindividualsandpurchasedhearingassistsfor27communityhealthstationsintheNWT.PhotoBillBraden