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4TuesdayMarch32015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedatStarPressInc.WainwrightAB.Publisher.................................................................................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.caProductionManager......................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caGraphics........................................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALCOLUMNSAvoidterroristbreedinggroundinfadingoilpatchAlShababwarningslastweekofterror-istattacksonWestEdmontonMallandtheMallofAmericasouthofMinneapolisMin-nesotawasmoreofarecruitmentmessagethanathreatfromtheradicalMuslimgroupfromSomalia.ItisnocoincidencethattherearelargeSo-malipopulationsnearbothmalls.ManyofthemintheU.S.havesufferedeconomicallyduringtherecessionoverthelastveyearsbutMinnesotaisnowoneofthemostrobuststatesideeconomiesthankstothevisionandmeasurestakenbyitsgovernor.Edmontonhasthesecond-largestSomalipopulationinCanadaafterTorontoandFortMcMurrayhassome3000Somaliresidents.Thedown-turninAlbertasoil-basedeconomymeansmanywillfeelthepinchastheoilpatchcon-tinuestowaneandjobsarehardtocomeby.Familieswillbewithoutincomesandhard-shipwillturntopoverty.Somaliagainedareputationasalawlesssoci-etyintheHollywoodmovieBlackhawkDownin2001aboutafailedmilitarymission.SomalipiratesraidingandransomingmerchantshipsontheeastcoastofAfricahavemaintainedthatnotoriety.AlShababAl-Qaeda-linkedjihad-istshorriedtheworldin2013when60peoplewerebrutallykilledastheterroristsravagedashoppingmallinNairobiKenya.SincethenSomaliahasbecomemoresecurehoweverandAlShababhasbeendiminishedretreat-ingtoruralareaswheretheykillelephantsandpoachivoryasasourceofincome.AlShababisnowreachingouttopoten-tiallydisenchantedyouthinAlbertaandMin-nesota-primeareastheythinktorecruitradicaljihadists.ThosemallsaresymbolsofmaterialismandwealthasmuchatargettomakeastatementagainstWesterncultureasthetwintowersoftheWorldTradeCen-trewere.BoththeEdmontonandMinnesotamallsareownedbytheGhermezianfamilyofEdmontonwhoareIranian-Jewishwhichmayalsobeafactor.SomalicommunitiesinbothjurisdictionsaredynamicandcolourfulbutinAlbertaThosemallsaresymbolsofmaterialismandwealthasmuchatargettomakeastatementagainstWesterncultureasthetwintowersoftheWorldTradeCentrewere.theyhavehadproblemswithviolence.Doz-ensofyoungSomalimenhavebeenbeenmurderedoverthelast10yearsmostlyduetogang-relatedturfwarsmuchofittodowithdrugtrafcking.Drugsaremovednorthtobored-but-richoilsandscampdwellersbySomaligangscenteredinnorthEdmonton.ArrestsofyoungSomalimencaughtwithharddrugsandgunsaretoocommonchal-lengingtheall-too-busyFortMcMurraypo-liceaswellasSomalicivicleadersandpar-ents.Thenewspectreofterroristjihadistsisevenmoreforeboding.Largenumbersofimmigrantswereneededtoprovidealabourpoolfortherapidexpan-sionoftheoilsandsindustryspurredbyfed-eralandprovincialConservativegovernments.TheexistingCanadianlabourpoolwasnotenough.ThedoorswerethrownopenandnewcomerstoCanadaockedtoFortMc-Murraywherehigh-payingjobswereeasytocomeby.Anoverheatedoilsandseconomywasin-ducedbygeneroustaxincentivesandalackofaccountabilityforlargescalecostlyen-vironmentalimpacts.Shortcutsandabuseshavedevastatedthelandharmedthehealthoflocalpeopleandcreatedacostlyclean-uplegacyforfuturegenerationsinorderfortheoiltobeproducedmorecheaply.Anyresource-basedeconomywillhavehighsandlowsovertimebutthatwasignoredintheblindrushtocreatenewwealth.Withoilpricesnowlowtheoilsandsindustryisinreverse.Majorprojectshaveshutdowncampsareclosingandthedemandforwork-ershasdriedup.Manyoftheworkerswhowererollingincashafewmonthsagoarenowstuckinaveryexpensiveplacetolivewithnoprospectsforthefuture.Whatistobedonewithallthosenewciti-zensasthejobsdisappearWillimmigrantgroupsbecomelikeCanadasAboriginalpeo-plemarginalizedvulnerableandignoredbythegovernmentsresponsibleforthemWilltheyheadforthecitiescreatingghettosinEd-montonandCalgarythatroillikeWinnipegsNorthEndorVancouversEastsideWillthatbethelegacyoftheoilboomforAlbertansinsteadofarichheritagefundAlbertaandthefederalgovernmentsmustnowndnewworkforthosepeopleeitherinAlbertaorelsewheresotheycanhaveagoodlife.OtherwiseAlbertathelandofopportu-nitywillhaveturnedintoapovertytrap.ThefederalandAlbertagovernmentscreatedthisblindedbygreedandalustfordevelopment.Theymustxit.UnlesstheytakeeffectiveactionthatkeepstheSomalicommunitiesstrongAlShababmayndthejihadistbreed-inggrounditislookingfor.ByDENEZENAKEHKOTherealnamesofourpeopleweredestroyedduringslavery.ThelastnameofmyforefatherswastakenfromthemwhentheywerebroughttoAmericaandmadeslavesandthenthenameoftheslavemasterwasgivenwhichwerefusewerejectthatnametodayandrefuseit.Ineveracknowledgeitwhatsoever.-MalcolmXbornMalcolmLittleandalsoknownasEl-HajjMalikEl-ShabazzFebruary212015marks50yearssincetheassassinationofEl-HajjMalikEl-Sha-bazzalsoknownasMalcolmX.HewasbornMalcolmLittlebutlaterrejectedthatnameafterconvertingtoIslamandlearningmoreaboutthehistoryofcolonialoppressionandsubjugationinNorthAmerica.MalcolmXhadahugeinuenceonmeandmyidentityasDeneespeciallywhenitcomestonames.RefusingLittlethenameofhisfamilysslavemasterhadmecontemplatingmythenlastnameAntoine.ThisledmeonapathofIndig-enousself-discoveryandculturalreclamation.Ihadalsolearnedthatre-namingapersonorplaceisapowerfultoolinthecolonialsubjuga-tionofthepeopleandplacesofNorthAmerica.Itissomethingthatwehaveandcontinuetolivewithandknowinglyorunknowinglyhaveincorporatedintooureverydaylives.AntoinewasassignedtomyfamilyduringresidentialschoolsomethingthatwascommonpracticehereintheNorthandalloverCanada.MalcolmtooktheletterXashislastnamebecauseitrepresentedthemathematicalun-knowntheproblemyouaretryingsolve.Un-fortunatelybecauseofslaveryhewasnotableretracehisancestralrootsbacktoAfrica.UnlikeMalcolmIcouldretracemyownancestralrootstothelastpersoninmyfathersfamilywithatraditionalDenenameNakehko.SoIdisre-gardedmyresidentialschoolslavenameandchangedmynametosomethingthatIfeelbet-terreectswhoIamandwhereIcomefrom.Thisprocesshasledmetoalsothinkhardaboutthenamesoftheplacesthatareimpor-tanttomeFortSimpsonMackenzieRiverandsomethingthatsoundsmorelikeadirectionfromOttawathananactualnametheNorth-westTerritories.AndinlightofMalcolmXandthehistoryofslaveryinNorthAmericaIgetrealuncomfortablethinkingaboutsomeofthenamesofourgeologicalareasNorthSlaveSouthSlaveSlaveRiverandGreatSlaveLake.OneofmyfavoriteMalcolmquotesisIfwedontstandforsomethingwemayfallforanything.IhopewehaventfallentoofarandIhopewecanalllearntostandtogetherinformingwhoweareandwhatwevalue.MahsiMalcolm.DeneHoniMalcolmandmePhotoDaliCarmichaelTheJosephBurrTyrrellElementarySchoolchoirremindstheirpeerstobekindtoeachotherwithatuneaboutfriendshipforaPinkShirtDayassemblyonFeb.24.Everyyearstudentsaroundthecountryareencouragedtowearpinktoputanendtobullyinginschoolsontheplaygroundandonline.ThenationaltraditionwasstartedbystudentsinNovaScotiaseveralyearsagoafterastudentwasbulliedforwearingapinkshirttoschool.