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4 Tuesday May 5 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.........................................................................Meagan Wohlberg 867-872-3000 ext.24 newsnorj.ca Reporter....................................................................... Dali Carmichael 867-872-3000 ext.25 reporternorj.ca Comptroller ..................................................... Dixie Penner 867-872-3000 ext.23 dixnorj.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 The racial inequality tearing Baltimore apart thrives in Canada ThelawlesstumultplaguingBaltimorereveals once again the desperate situation in racially troubled America. The Civil Rights movement that gained momentum in the U.S. in the 50s and 60s culminated in the infamous Bloody Sunday during the march in Selma Alabama on Mar. 7 1965. The assassination of Dr. Mar- tinLutherKinginMemphisTennesseeinApril 1968wasatragicendtoallthat.Thewholeworld andmostAmericanshopedevenexpectedthat would have been the turning point. It wasnt. In each decade since race riots have rocked major American cities. Racial strife sparked the Watts Los Angeles riots in the 60s Au- gusta Georgia blazed in the 70s Miami in the 80s then St. Petersberg Florida and L.A. again in the 90s. Racism is illegal in America and many African-Americans are doing well but the white versus black divide still exists. By LONE SORENSEN Think of gardening as entering into a re- lationship that is about equal amounts of give and take. For your garden to give you an abundant harvest you must give rst. In most places in the Northwest Territories the soil health fertility needs to be helped. Or- ganic fertilizers such as compost work best. Before planting your garden make sure your soil is healthy. Learning about soil fer- tility and the pH level of your soil is key to growing vegetables that will really feed you and your family. Learning about soil fer- tility takes time. There are lots of ways to learn about soil fertility such as learning from a long-term gardener in your own area watching videos online or reading. Learning the basics soil needs feeding compost and other organics is the rst most important step. Even committed long term gardeners are continuously learning about soil fertil- ity year by year. If at all possible buy a home gardeners soil testing kit and test your soil. You will know a fewkeythingsaboutwhatyoursoilmightneed. Remove any weeds including roots before digging and turning the soil. If your soil is already healthy and uffy there is no need to dig. Work compost bone meal and kelp meal evenly into the top two to three inches. Your soil test will tell you where nutrients are low and you can adjust the amount of organic fer- tilizers accordingly. Your garden will now be ready for seed- ing. In the Northwest Territories the four top food plants that grow and produce well from direct seeding are potatoes carrots beets and peas. Other plants such as cabbage cauliower and tomatoes need to be started inside to give them a head start. Get out there as soon as the snow is gone the soil is thawed about one to two feet and the weather has warmed up and you can get going The earlier the better and your gar- den will feed you for many weeks. Lone Sorensen is the founder of Northern Roots and has lived and grown food in Yel- lowknife for 27 years. Gardening in the North and loving it Give to your garden and it will give back hope and dignity a marginalized racial group so mistreated they have nothing to lose. You may think Canada is not like that that we are polite do not espouse even tolerate racist attitudes or practices but you would be wrong. First Nation Canadians are mar- ginalized the same way African-Americans suffer. Racism against Canadas indigenous people is similarly pervasive throughout our society a rot eating away at our national core. Unless it is dealt with it too will explode into costly traumatic situations. In Baltimore poverty among inner city blacks is double the national average high school graduation rates for young black males are around 35 per cent unemployment among young black males runs at 30 per cent the city has one of the highest crime rates in the country and like similar ghettos in cities throughout America there is a lack of hous- ing and jobs. On June 11 2008 an apology was offered up by the Canadian Prime Minister to all for- mer students of residential schools. There was a spirit of optimism in Canada that this leader had a vision to x things that it was a turn- ing point. Unfortunately nothing changed. The call for an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women is being ignored by the Canadian government. An inordinate number of First Nation Canadians occupy prison cells. Poverty poor housing the lack of economy and jobs are a crisis on many re- serves across the country. The dropout rates in schools and low graduation rates are ap- palling. The water is not t to drink on 112 of the 633 reserves across the country. MissingandmurderedAboriginalwomenare indeed a police matter but more importantly thecrisistheyareexperiencingisadirectmani- festationoftheracismthatdegradesCanadian society.Aninquirywouldbeastartingpointin solving that problem rooted in negative social attitudes combined with economic disparity. Those attitudes must change along with the economics. We need to understand that better toxit.Weneedthatnationalinquiryinorder to gain insight and foster awareness. It is all part of the same problem. Too many indigenous youth move from their traditional homestocitiesbecausethereisnohopeandno future on the reservation. Too often because it is the only place to go they end up poor in urban ghettos. A marginalized people strug- gling with poverty lacking education with no jobs and no hope it is Canadas shame. Canada must learn from Baltimore and the ongoing struggles against racial inequality in America and act decisively to get rid of the racism and economic inequality in our own country. Could it get any worse Indeed it has. Amer- ica is driven by right wing economics that es- pouse opportunities for the rich in order to stimulate the economy and create jobs. That is not working. As the rich get richer the poor continue to lose ground. A disproportionate number of them are African-American. The shooting death of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin by vigilante George Zimmerman and hissubsequentacquittalinFloridainJuly2013 spawnedbothriotsandtheBlackLivesMatter movement marking the latest chapter in the battle against systemic racism in the United States.In2014nofewerthan14unarmedblack men were tragically shot by police. Ironically of the six ofcers charged in the death of 25 year-old Freddy Gray that sparked the riots in Baltimore last week three of the ofcers are African-American one of them a woman. Police cruelty and violence against African-Americansaresymptomsofadisease thatpermeatesAmericansociety.Whatdrives theconictstearingapartitscitiesiseconomic inequality and the poverty that results. Crime nds fertile ground and so the police react someofthemignoringthelawstheyaresworn touphold.Theriotsarerootedinalackofjobs Racism against Canadas indigenous people is simi- larly pervasive throughout our society a rot eating away at our national core. Unless it is dealt with it too will explode into costly traumatic situations. With the recent warm weather in the South Slave the red-sided garter snakes of Wood Buffalo National Park have begun slithering out of their hibernaculum a sure-re sign that spring has arrived. This nest of snakes is believed to be the most northern-living group of reptiles in the hemisphere. Soon they will start to pile into mating balls creating a new generation of neonates. PhotoDaliCarmichael