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4TuesdayMarch312015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.EDITORIALCOLUMNPhotoDonJaqueDeneHoniAbdicatingAbnormalitiesIabhorthewordaboriginal.Itbasicallymeansnotoriginal.TheLatinprexabmeansfromorawayfrom.Forinstancenormalandabnormal.Ibelieveitisaconstructacon-certedefforttopaintallIndigenouspeopleswiththesamewhitebrush.Aculturalho-mogenizationanothersteptoblenddiverseelementsintoauniformmixturebasicallyanotherstepintoassimilation.EversinceColumbusgotlostandlandedonthePuertoRicanislandshereferredtotheTainoArawakpeoplesasIndians.Itsbeenalonggruelingprocesstoberecognizedbyourowndenitionsofwhoweare.Itstakenover500yearstogofromIndiantoNativetoAboriginal.DictatingtheuseofwordsandtermsinthevernacularofEnglishspeakinglanguageisapowerfultoolincontrollingthenarrativeofhistoryandhowinformationisreceivedandinterpreted.Bycarefullychoosingwordsandtermstodeneordescribepeopleplacesorthingsyoueventuallybegintogetpeopletoseethingsacertainway.TherehasalwaysbeenthisunderlyingnotionthattheIndi-ansareunttocapitalizeontheabundanceofthenewworld.Nativesneedguidancetobeshowntheerroroftheirheathenways.OrAboriginalpeoplehavetogetwiththeprogramorgetoutoftheway.WhenIhearthatwordAboriginalIgri-macebecauseIthinkofallthat.Thewordalsodoesagreatdisserviceinrecognizingandrespectingthegreatdiversityofthenationsofthisland.JusthereinDenen-dehwehavetheGwichinSahtuDehchoTlichoandAkaitchoregions.Withineachregionthereismorediversitybasedonwherepeopleliveandhowtheylive.ForexampleintheSahtuyouhavetheShitaGotineKahshoGotineandSahtuGotine.FormethatiswaymoreinterestingandamazingthantheNorthSlaveywehaveacceptedtouse.Itissoimportanttotakethetimetolearnandrecognizethepeoplefromthelandyouliveon.WhenIlivedintheUnitedStatesIresidednearthetradi-tionalterritoryofthePotawatomipeoplewhonamedtheareaafterwherethewildoniongrowsnowcommonlyknownasChicago.OutofrespectImadeanefforttofindoutandrecognizethelandofthepeopleIwaslivingon.ItisdifculttorecognizeallthenationsorregionaldesignationsbytheirtraditionalnamesbutifIdontknoworhavetouseablankettermIuseIndigenous.AstowhyIllsavethatforanothercolumn.DnezeNakehkoisDenesulineandDehchoDenefromDenendehAlbertastransformationheadedontherightpathAlbertawithanausteritybudgetOnlysixmonthsagosuchaconceptwasinconceivable.Howquicklythingscanchange.ThebudgetpresentedlastThursdayonbehalfofnovicePremierJimPrenticeandhisConserva-tivegovernmentwasnotaspainfulasexpected.Feeswereboostedonmanyserviceswhichisnotthathardtotakewhensomanywererela-tivelycheap.TaxeswereincreasedbyaddingtwonewcategoriesbutonlywealthyAlbertanswillbeimpacted.Undertheold10percentattaxforalltheyhadbeengettingapassfartoolong.OppositionMLAsareupinarmsaboutthelackoffundingforteachersandschoolsbutthelossofjobsresultingfromtheoilindustryslow-downwillhalttheinuxofnewcitizens.Theremayevenbeanoutwardmigration.Ameasuredapproachtore-balancingoverseveralyearsiswise.UnpopularcuttingandslashingbypastAlbertagovernmentscausedproblemsthattookdecadestox.Bettertoletthedustsettlebeforeredeployingresourcestoeducationandhealth.Thisisapre-electionbudgetsounpopularimpactsonthepopulationwereminimized.Ifthereisnobadreactiontothebudgettheelectioncallwillcomesoon.Prenticehasnosignicantoppositionandheknowsit.Hewillbere-electedwithamajority.Theimplementationphaseofausteritythatfollowswillbetelling.Particularlychallengingwillbedownsizinggovernmentandlessgenerouscontractsforthepublicservice.GovernmentsacrossCanadawillbewatchingthatattemptatbelt-tighteningcloselyandtheoutcomewillin-uencecontractnegotiationswithgovernmentemployeeunionsacrosstheland.PrenticehasbeenmovingquicklyonallfrontssincebecomingpremierlastOctober.LessthanayearagoAlbertaConservativeswentthroughtumultoustingshamedpremierAlisonRedford.TheprovincewasamessthepeopleangrytheConservativesunpopular.AfteronlysixmonthsaspremierPrenticeistransformingtheprov-ince.ItissurprisinghowmuchandhowfastAlbertaisimproving.Thewayheisdoingitstandsout.AftertwotermsinStephenHarpersfederalcabinetitwasassumedPrenticewouldrunAlbertasimilarly-calculatingsecretivemanipulative.Infactthetwoaredramaticallydifferentinstyleandsubstance.PrenticeswayisliketheProgressiveConservativeapproachofold.InsteadofstagedandscriptedeventslikethosedirectedbythePrimeMinistersOfcePrenticeregularlyad-dressesthepublicandoftenschedulesmeetingswiththemediawhereheisopentoquestions.Atsunamiofpressreleaseshasowedan-nouncingchangessincehetookofce.Intherstfewmonthstheywereaboutcutsandbelt-tighteninggettingridofsomeofthewasteandbloatofpastAlbertaTorygovernments.TheyadaptedquicklytorespondtothecrashinoilrevenuesinJanuary.Mixedinhasbeenanabun-danceofpolicychangesandnewlegislation.NotonlywasthisalldoneopenlybutPren-ticeseemstowanttoengagethepublicinthetransformation.Tothatendheinitiatedcon-sultationswithimportantgroupsincludingaseriesofworkingmeetingswithFirstNationsleadersindifferentpartsoftheprovinceandmeetingswithlabourleaders.Lostoilrev-enuesdemandrestraintwhileheismakinglong-neededchangesandheknowsheneedsthepeopleonsideforthattohappensmoothly.PremierPrenticeseemstobeheadingdowntherightroadtobedoingthingsfortherightreasons.Hehasasolidplanandisaskilledeffectiveleader.WehopeheisgenuineandoncehegetshisnewmandatewillcontinuetoworkcloselywithAlbertanstoimplementmeaningfulprogressivechange.SomeadviceforPremierPrentice1.ItwassensibletocloseAlbertastradeofcesinOttawaChicagoandMunichandkillplanstoopenofcesinCaliforniaandBrazilbutthatisnotenough.ItisridiculousthatAlbertawillcontinuemaintainingofcesinBeijingHongKongNewDelhiJapanKoreaMexicoShanghaiSingaporeTai-wantheUnitedKingdomandWashingtonD.C.Mostofthosecostlyofcesareunwar-ranted.Albertaisaprovincenotacountry.2.Increasingtaxesonthewealthywasagoodrststep.NewcorporatetaxesareneededaswelltoprovideAlbertansanan-ciallegacyfromresourceextraction.3.Wecommendtheprotectionofthecul-turallysignicantMooseLakeareanearFortMcKay.PleasealsotakeactiononthehealthandculturalimpactsonallFirstNationresi-dentsintheoilsandsregionandtheneedtorespecttheirconstitutionalrights.4.WecommendtheinitiativetoimprovetheeducationaloutcomesandeconomicprosperityofAboriginalwomen.Thatworkmustmoveforwardrapidly.Hopefullyitwillbenoticedandemulatedacrossthecountryespeciallybyourfederalgovernment.GovernmentsacrossCanadawillbewatchingthatattemptatbelt-tighteningcloselyandtheoutcomewillinfluencecontractnegotiationswithgovernmentemployeeunionsacrosstheland.InternationallyrenownedCanadian-bornoperasingerRebeccaCainecharmedanddelightedaudiencesonatourthroughHayRiverFortSmithInuvikandYellowknifelastweekpartoftheNorthernArtsandCulturalCentreswinterprogram.OnthedrivefromHayRivertoSmiththeymissedtheturnresultinginatourofFortResolutionarrivinginSmithjustintimeforherperformance.ShealsohadasnowmobileaccidentinInuvikpluswasdelightedtoseetheAuroraexperiencesthatcombinedtomakehertouroftheNorthextra-unforgettable.