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4 Tuesday September 29 2015 The Northern Journal is an independent newspaper covering news and events in the western Arctic and northern Alberta. 2013 CCNA BLUE RIBBON CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013 C M C A AUDITED The Northern Journal is published weekly by Cascade Publishing Ltd. Printed at Star Press Inc. Wainwright AB. Publisher................................................................................. Don Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.21 donnorj.ca Editor..................................................................................... Craig Gilbert 867-872-3000 ext.24 newsnorj.ca Reporter....................................................................... Dali Carmichael 867-872-3000 ext.25 reporternorj.ca Comptroller .......................................................Jessica Dell 867-872-3000 ext.23 webnorj.ca Advertising.............................. Heather Foubert Hay River 867-874-4106 adsnorj.ca Administration............................................Jeremy Turcotte 867-872-3000 ext.26 adminnorj.ca Production Manager ......................................Sandra Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.22 sandranorj.ca Graphics........................................................Paul Bannister 867-872-3000 ext.27 graphicsnorj.ca Letters to the Editor Policy The Northern Journal welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and include a phone number so the author can be veried. Names will be withheld on request in special circumstances where the reasons are determined to be valid. The Journal reserves the right to edit letters for length libel clarity and taste. Opinions expressed in letters and columns are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. Advertising Deadlines Display ad deadline is Thursday at 400 p.m. Classied ad deadline is Thursday at 500 p.m. Email adsnorj.ca Subscription Rates Prices include GST. 47.25 in Fort Smith 52.50 elsewhere in Canada 105 in the USA overseas 164.30. EDITORIAL COLUMN Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day of the Serpent River First Nation says the state of health for First Nations people in Canada is deplorable. Regional Chief Day has convened the re- sponsibilities for the Assembly of First Na- tions AFN National Health portfolio and will make a determined effort to raise the awareness on the state of First Nation health in Canada. Earlier this week Regional Chief Day provided opening remarks at the Uni- versity of Toronto Faculty of Public Healths Building Partnerships Celebration and re- minded everyone that the state of health in First Nation communities is not only an In- digenous issue but a Canadian issue. We are dealing with a very serious health issues in our communities. Violence suicide and children living in third-world conditions exist in this country yet we turn a blind eye to it. This impacts the whole health care system in Canada. We want what all people want - to raise happy healthy children who will contribute to their families their communities and their country. Health matters to all of us. As the lead for the AFN Executive Com- mittee on Health I am going to make this a top priority. Next week we will be making an Ontario-specific statement on health. At that time it will be important for both the Canadian public and federal election parties and candidates to take note. Ac- tion is needed. Enough is enough. Regional Chief Day is chair of the Political Confederacy for the Chiefs of Ontario and a member of the National Executive of the As- sembly of First Nations. Aboriginal health system not adequate Take back the night and the terror In the news this week is the large number of small communities in Northern Canada that have no resources to support women vulnerable to abuse from their mates no womens shelters where they can seek ref- uge with their children or victims counsel- lor services to advise them of their rights or attend to them after they are beat on. Sadly domestic violence is common in our culture. Too many men often under the in- uence of alcohol threaten coerce or physi- cally abuse the women in their lives. It is in- conceivable that this phenomenon thrives in our midst is so apparent yet so little is done about it. ThislastweekhasfeaturedtheannualTake Back the Night marches. Groups of socially active women and a few sympathetic men gather once annually and march with plac- ards declaring such things as Women have the Right to Feel Safe. After years of effort are things changing for the better enough to turn that situation around Not at all. We say to all those women who march who try to spread the word who coura- geously show they care that it is time to up the ante. Marches are not enough. The slogans have been seen so many times they are ignored. Get more people involved. Get men engaged en masse. Force the issue. Make change happen. The threat of terrorism stopping anyone who wants to inltrate Canada and bring their ght to us is a current priority of our government and dedicated even fervent po- litical will is focused on it. As a result con- siderable money and resources are focused on nding solutions. Half the citizens of our country meanwhile routinely face the potential of violence throughout their lives - essentially terrorism. Women must con- stantly fear for their personal safety. The statistics on violence against women - from all walks of life in all locations - are appall- ing. That is only part of it. What happens in some homes when a woman suffers at the hands of an abusive mate who holds power over her is a whole other layer. In spite of that violence against women is not a gov- ernment priority. Note that Canadas federal leaders have not had a debate on womens issues since 1984. The situation will never change if there is no dialogue at the highest level of politics. It is all about misogyny in one form or an- other - ingrained prejudice against women that manifests in ugly ways - the norm in our society. It is about one person having power over another human being. Because such be- haviour is so common it is acceptable. There is a sickness in our society at the base of this. It is in our schools and playgrounds in music and literature and movies inuenc- ing youth as they grow up. Yet while it is per- vasive and obvious it is generally accepted and all but ignored. There is an effort in some schools to turn the situation around. New programs are of- fered where students are shown at an early age to respect one another to be caring in- dividuals and never to harm others. That is a good messageanytime.Ourworld-allaspects of it - will be a better place if that messag- ing is ingrained. In the NWT there is FOXY Fostering Open eXpression among Youth a home-grown organization that empowers young women to embrace their individual- ity and sexuality in a safe manner. A simi- lar program for boys will soon be introduced and the programming is set to expand into Nunavut and the Yukon in the near future. Initiatives like those are important for change through education. They are not enough. There has to be stron- ger political will plus a broad social effort that is compelling and all encompassing if there is to be a serious and lasting change. No one human is better than another nor should anyone hold sway over anothers life threaten them or do them harm. Those basic tenets should be true for everyone - and yes that includes women too. That should be ob- vious but it is not. What is needed is a campaign like the one against smoking compelling as that has been complete with images of black poisoned lungs and dire warnings or con- sequences on cigarette packs. Smoking has not been completely eradicated but it was dramatically pushed back. That amazing success is a demonstration of what can be done for a just or worthwhile cause if there is sufcient commitment and serious long- term action. There are many ways the system could be improved to protect women against vi- olence in their homes and on the streets. The rst step as in all challenges is to g- ure out why it happens. What is the cause of violence against women What are the origins of negative attitudes how are they learned at what age do they start and what type of people are susceptible Then the counter campaign must be mounted and it must be formidable. We say to all those women whomarchwhotrytospread the word who courageously show they care that it is time to up the ante. PhotoBillDeluneyFacebook A Buffalo Airways Curtiss C-46 Commando airplane made a hard landing in Deline on Sept. 25. Four crew members were aboard the plane when it experienced engine failure and went down all reportedly uninjured. The aircraft was loaded with cargo en route from Yellowknife to Norman Wells when it made the emergency landing with its landing gear still up around 1230 p.m. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada TSB is looking into the incident.