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Cece Hodgson-McCauley
Guest comment
Monday, January 14, 2008
Chief Charlie Furlong made my day today! I heard him on CBC this morning. Boy, is he fed up with the GNWT. He saw the light. You listen to all their rhetoric, but nothing changes.
Anyhow, in our neck of the woods the pipeline office laid off some staff and now their office in Hay River is closed. So that means the pipeline is on the back burner for now I guess? We need to panic, they will come for our gas.
In the meantime, let's put all our energy into opening up and developing the other two-thirds of the territory. You know, the have-none region down the Mackenzie River Valley to the Beaufort Sea.
With global warming we now look north to the Northwest Passage, which will have a very interesting and serious piece in the Globe and Mail "Northwest Passage: A voyage Canada and U.S. can take together."
Stands to reason? Alaska is our neighbour. They can join us in protecting and managing the Arctic waterways. In the sad state Canada is in we cannot manage alone. They say the Russians are far ahead in developing the tools needed to open and regulate its northern passage. The country is building bigger ships.
The prime minister is having dinner at his home Friday night for all the premiers. Of course, Ontario and Quebec will dominate the meeting. The meeting is said to be on the economy and our prime minister is brilliant he spread $1 billion around the country to help the economy, to appease the provinces and have a smooth meeting. Not much can be accomplished in a few hours over dinner.
It's 2008, and the NWT is planning a huge celebration in the Delta. Inuvik is 50 years old! I hear the hotels are booked. People have been phoning. How many are going to be there?
I opened up the first business on Sept. 15, 1958, the recreation hall. Many of the youth who were going to school at that time must remember the hangouts in the Rec Hall. Many of you are grandparents now.
Those were the good old days and many stories and good memories.
Yes, 50 years since the government moved into the Territories. I now live in Norman Wells. The sad part is I have to paddle my way to Inuvik after 50 years if I want to join the party.
We have no roads and to fly costs an arm and a leg. Reality really slaps you in face, eh? We sure have not advanced much.
Pleased to see Frieda Martselos win her court case and is reinstated as chief of the Salt River First Nation. She is one very capable woman.
Year 2008 should be the year to do a survey on education right back to 1958 when the government moved into the NWT.
The survey should concentrate on the aboriginal population. It should be very interesting. It shouldn't be a tough job, with such a small population, to find out why there are so few professionals with degrees.
There is one aboriginal group in the south that encourages their students. Once they get a certificate or a diploma they encourage their students to go further.
Something must be done now, today, to find out why there are so many drop-outs. Young people are frustrated. Young people are not stupid, they are frustrated. Let's find out why.
- Cece Hodgson-McCauley is the founding chief of the Inuvik Dene band and will remain honourary chief for life. She can be reached at fax (867) 587-3003 or by phone (867) 587-3037.