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8TuesdayJanuary202015ENVIRONMENTTRADITIONALKNOWLEDGEPropertyownersareadvisedthatassessmentnoticesweremailedDecember152014.IfyouhavequestionsconcernsregardingyourassessmentacalltheTownofFortSmithOfceat867872-8400orbcalltheAssessmentOfceinYellowknifeat867-873-7583.Anypersonwhowishestolodgeacomplaintmustdosoinwritingby500p.m.onJanuary292015.Thecomplaintmustcontainthenameandaddressofthecomplainantthelocationofthepropertythecomplaintandtheremedybeingsought.AddressallcomplaintstoSecretaryMunicipalBoardofRevisionTownofFortSmithcoBox147FortSmithNTX0E0P0TheassessmentrollisavailableforpublicinspectionattheTownOfceduringregularofcehours.TownofFortSmithPublicNoticeofAssessmentTraditionalplacenamesprojectputsSahtuhistoryonmapByMEAGANWOHLBERGForMorrisNeyelletraditionalplacenamesarentjustpointsonmaps-theyreimportantmomentsinthehistoryofapeoplewhoselanguageandcultureisrootedintheland.ThecouncillorandhistorybufffromDelinehasspentthelastseveraldecadesadvocat-ingforarevivedunderstandingandusageofhistoricalDeneplacenamesbothonmapsandinpeopleseverydayconversationsintheSahturegionoftheNorthwestTerritories.Hesaidthenamesmeaningsholdimportantlessonsabouttheirhistoricalsignicancewhichshouldbepreservedforfuturegenerations.IalwayswantmykidstounderstandthehistoryandbeproudofwhotheyareNeyelletoldTheJournal.ThenamesgivenbyourancestorsshouldbeinplaceratherthantheEnglishonessothatmypeoplecanunder-standwheretheycomefrom.ThatfeatwhilecertainlychallengingiscreepingeverclosertorealitynowthanksinparttotheworkofanOblatepriestwhosediariesfrom1864areprovidinginformationontraditionalplacenamesforadigitalmap-pingprojectcurrentlyunderwayintheregion.LedbytheSahtuRenewableResourcesBoardSRRBinpartnershipwiththeAuroraResearchInstituteandtheAlaskaPlacenamesDocumentationProjectresearchersarelook-ingtothepersonallogsofFatherEmilePetitotwhotookupapostinFortGoodHopein1864attheageof26tollinthemissingpieces.Overhis15yearsintheSahtuPetitottrav-eledwidelythroughouttheNorthdocument-ingplacenamesandstoriesinmapsanddiaryentries.HiswritingwhichhasseenasurgeinpopularityinDelineisnowusedtoverifynu-merousoralhistoriespassedonbyeldersin-cludingfamilytreesandevenrecordedhistoriesofeldersfrombeforePetitotstime.Themapprojectissimplythelatestat-tempttorealizethedreamofdocumentingpeoplestraditionalknowledgeintheSahturegionaccordingtoSRRBexecutivedirec-torDeborahSimmons.PeoplehavebeentalkingaboutplacenamessinceIstartingworkingwiththeboardshesaid.Itsveryupsettingforpeoplewhentheylookatanofcialmapoftheregionandwanttotalkabouttravelandthehistoryandecologyofareasandinsteaditsidentiedbynamesbasedontheshallowexperienceofvisitorstotheregion.ShesaidPetitothasbeenabigcatalystincreatingacatalogueofspatialknowledgefortheregionthatwillincludemapsthatcanoverlayeverythingfromseismiclinesandoilleasestotraditionalcampsandspiritualsites.Simmonssaidthemaps-alongwithotherdocumentedtraditionalknowledge-willbeimportanttoolsforcommunitiestouseinmakingcriticaldecisionsonresourcedevel-opmentwildlifeharvestingenvironmentalmonitoringandmore.Thatsthemeaningofco-managementtrulycreatingspacesforSahtubeneciariestoprovidegoodinputsintodecisionsthatim-pacttheircommunitiesshesaid.AndbecausetheinformationwillbeownedbythecommunitiesthemselvesSimmonssaiditscrucialthatSahtubeneciarieshaveaneasy-to-usetooltoaccessthemapmateri-alswithouthavingtohireaGIStechniciantowalkthemthroughit.TheyrecentlypartneredwithateamfromCarletonUniversitywhowillbeinTulitathisweektotalkaboutcustomiz-ingamapframeworkthatworksfortheSahtu.WhilehelpfulinfillinginsomeofthegapscombingthroughPetitotsworkshasalsoprovedchallenging.ThepriestwroteinFrenchandmanyoftheDenewordsarewrittenashewouldhavepronouncedthemmakingthemdifculttoreadandsoundout.Someoftheseplacenameshavebeensavedbytranslatedmeaningsinbracketsthatthepriestwouldincludebutotherscontinuetoevadeidentication.Theworkiscomplicatedfurtherbythelossofmanyelderswholikelywouldhavehadim-portantcontributionstomaketotheproject.Backinthe1960sand70sIneverthoughtwewouldlosethestoriesfromtheeldersbuttodaymostoftheeldersaregoneandthesto-rieswentwiththemNeyellereected.Weneedtodowhateverittakestorevivethemtogetthemback.AlreadytheSahtuhasdonesometransition-ingbacktoitsoriginalplacenamesakeymile-stonebeingwhencommunitymemberssuc-ceededinreclaimingtheoriginalnameDelinefortheirtownthatwasfordecadesincorrectlyreferredtoasFortFranklinbasedonSirJohnFranklinsoutpostestablishedtherein1825.Neyellebelievesreturningtotheoriginalnameswillbecomemorekeyascommunitiessuccessfullynegotiateself-governmentagree-mentsasDelinedidlastyear.AscommunitiesintheSahturegaincontrolovertheirlandsandlivesplacenameswillbeintegraltohowtheyrepresentthemselvesassovereignDenepeople.NamesareimportantNeyellesaid.Whenself-governmentkicksinweshouldnameeverythinginourlanguage.Ialwayswantmykidstounderstandthehistoryandbeproudofwhotheyare.ThenamesgivenbyourancestorsshouldbeinplaceratherthantheEng-lishonessothatmypeo-plecanunderstandwheretheycomefrom.MorrisNeyellePhotoMorrisNeyelleThecommunityofDlneaNorthSlaveyDenewordmeaningwherethewatersowgetsitsnamefromitspositionatthemouthoftheGreatBearRiverorSahtd.