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Back to May, 2002 Archive Index
Letters to the Editor ICC president clarifies position on Greenland hunting I would like to commend Nunatsiaq News for having expanded its coverage of circumpolar news over the past year. The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) has for some time urged Arctic television, radio, and print journalism to temper the south-north flow of information by increasing exposure of issues of importance in the Arctic regions of Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Nunatsiaq News has responded admirably. Last week’s coverage, however, of the Greenland debate on hunting regulations requires some clarification, especially comments wrongly attributed to me, which imply that ICC may be opposed to measures aimed at controlling hunting in Greenland. At no time have I, nor ICC, opposed measures controlling hunting in Greenland. Your source may have been a Greenland newspaper which recently published an erroneous quote, which I had already responded to. In fact, ICC’s Principles and Elements for a Comprehensive Arctic Policy (which can be found on ICC’s Web site, www.inuit.org), set out several principles supporting careful management and sustainable use of our living resources. I am deeply committed to conserving our precious resources for our future generations. ICC is of the opinion that the authorities should assist hunters who are no longer able to feed their families due to hunting restrictions. They have a strong argument for compensation for loss of income. Our society needs — today — to remedy the inevitable social consequences of tomorrow if hunters are told to stop their livelihoods. I have lately (and often) reacted to the Danish journalist’s recent campaign to discredit the Inuit way of life and using Greenlanders as hostages in the important debate on environmental issues. I have, and will continue to, stand by our hunters. I believe that they should be part of the dialogue leading to introduction of hunting regulations. Inuit are not perfect. We need rules that govern our important resources. And we need to obey them. But let us not give too loud a voice to journalists who use selective data that give credence to the anti-Inuit animal rights organizations. Keep up the good work of covering issues of interest and importance to Inuit from Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Aqqaluk Lynge May 3, 2002 Partner in translation service slams editorial Enoki Irqittuq was born on February 5, 1955, near the community of Igloolik. He was elected to the Nunavut Legislative Assembly on February 15, 1999, to represent the Amittuq riding of Hall Beach and Igloolik. On March 6, 2001, Enoki told this story of Inuit coerced into digging up the graves of their ancestors to make way for the "progress" of a foreign way of life: "These graves had to be moved because they were too close to houses that were being built as the population grew… It was only after the ground had thawed enough that they were able to dig out the graves. They did a good job of it. They used their own dog teams to transport the graves… and had to deal with things like corpses thawing out and flesh falling off and very putrid smells… some of the blood that melted off these corpses ended up on their mitts as well, not just their kamotiks but also on their mitts. After they had transported the corpses they couldn’t eat for days afterwards because the smell of death was so strong, and the sights had been so horrible. They couldn’t eat." Uriash Puqiqnak was born on March 15, 1946, in Ukkusiksalik, about 110 miles from Gjoa Haven. He was elected to the Nunavut Legislative Assembly on February 15, 1999, by the people of Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak, to represent the Nattilik Riding. On November 20, 2001, Uriash told this story about a 15-year-old boy from Taloyoak: "I rise today with a picture in my right hand to make a statement. At the end of my statement you will understand why I have this picture and what I am talking about… last May when we held a session in Cambridge Bay, a few young kids from Taloyoak came to be the pages for two days. Once the session was over, on the last day of our session they took pictures of the speaker, my community pages and myself. I have that picture with me and here it is… one of the pages, Jayco, on October 25 committed suicide in Taloyoak at the age of 15 years old. It was just 26 days prior to his 16th birthday when he committed suicide. He did not make it to his 16th birthday. He was our page, he worked with us and he would deliver our water during the session… but he cut his life short… " Manitok Thompson was born in Coral Harbour, Nunavut. On Feb. 21, 2002, Manitok reminded us why there is hope for the future. "...(Terrance and Jordan Tootoo)...have been very successful… I would like to use them as examples of what youth in Nunavut can achieve… (they are) both on a successful road and reaching for their dreams…" The stories of past grievances, present tragedies and hopes for the future are being recorded in the Nunavut Hansard the moment they are spoken by the men and women chosen by the people of Nunavut as their voice to the world. Unlike your opinion in the editorial of April 26, I don’t believe these stories are "garbage." When I read these stories I don’t just see Enoki’s words in English or Inuktitut, I begin to understand the scars left by colonialism. Perfect grammar isn’t important because Uriash has helped me to feel the pride of a family in their 15-year-old participating in a dream made real by the efforts of the past, and the pain of that boy as his spirit was crushed by the realities of the present. I don’t need to remember the exact terminology used by Manitok because she is not sharing her words, she is sharing dreams, and by doing so she helps people find hope for the future. Not everyone can be present to share these stories when they are told, but we can record them and publish them and make sure these voices still speak long after we are gone and can no longer hear them ourselves. Donald Duck might like water, but we can’t use his translated comics to teach environmental studies. We can, however, use Sanikiluaq’s publication on the potential damages to the traditional food chain as a result of hydro and mining developments in northern Quebec. Superman might teach us how to beat up bad guys but he doesn’t show us how democratic decisions that affect the lives of all Nunavut residents are made in a consensus government. The Hansard can be used to teach civics. Uncle Scrooge may have a unique insight to business, but he doesn’t identify the structural problems facing the Nunavut economy the way the Conference Board of Canada did in Nunavut’s first Economic Outlook, an excellent tool for teaching relevant economic theory. You are correct in saying that a lot of time and effort is spent by very skilled and experienced interpreter/translators both creating documents in Inuktitut and translating English documents into Inuktitut. The problem is not with the creation of these documents, it is with the lack of follow-up. Comic books and stories are a great idea to help kids starting out in the school system, but we all know that in many cases the high schools can’t even provide text books in English, much less Inuktitut. Why aren’t these materials being used in the high schools to teach advanced concepts in both languages? There is no shortage of available materials for the high schools, just a shortage of innovative use of the materials that are available. I moved on from comic books and now I can actually read your paper. For a product that has to meet a quota of "stories" every week, I must admit that I don’t find all of it garbage. At least I have the choice to read what I find interesting or informative. Your editorial reminded me of a story I read when I was growing up and I decided it was my turn to yell: the Emperor-editor has no clothes! Peter Kattuk was born on June 2, 1950, in the southwest area of the Belcher Islands. On April 25, 2002 he said: "I rise today to talk about my constituency and some information that I’ve received from our community. There were geese seen and the geese are starting to come in close to the community. A lot of our hunters will be going out to catch some geese. I envy them for being able to do that." Thanks to Peter, now I can be there too. Chuck Gilhuly Editor’s note: Chuck Gilhuly is a partner in Innirvik Support Services Ltd., the firm contracted to produce and translate Nunavut’s Hansard. He need not fear that we will ever advocate that the production of Hansard should cease. For the record, our comments about Hansard were made in jest, and were not intended to be taken literally. May 3, 2002 Airport phone service only for U.S.-Canada calls I read with interest Mr. John Amagoalik’s letter of April 19 regarding problems he encountered while travelling to and from Nunavut. While I cannot address his concerns about Nunavut not being considered a part of Canada, I would like to address his concerns regarding his attempt to use 1-800-COLLECT. This service is operated out of the United States by MCI. Collect calls may be made to Canada from the U.S. or to the U.S. from Canada. Calls cannot be made from one location in Canada to another. Mr. Amagoalik was attempting to call from Ottawa to Iqaluit and 1-800-COLLECT does not offer that service. Collect calls charged to your NorthwesTel account may be made by dialing "0" for a NorthwesTel operator. Canada-to-Canada calls can also be made with any NorthwesTel Calling Card. NorthwesTel calling cards can be used to call almost everywhere in the world. There are some changes occurring in the calling-card service in Canada at this time. If you are a NorthwesTel calling-card holder you need to call 1-800-555-1111 to be sure that your call is connected. Calling 1-800-555-1111 will connect you to the NorthwesTel network and ensure that you qualify for savings on any long-distance saving plan on your account. New calling cards, with 800-555-1111 printed clearly on the front, have been mailed to all NorthwesTel card-holders. Advertising at airports is commencing in the next two weeks. Patricia Cunning Ex-DM defends record I wish to respond to Jim Bell’s editorial "Between now and the next election" (April 5, 2002), specifically his remarks on the department of sustainable development, which I had the privilege of being deputy minister of until August 2001. I accept that editors are entitled to their opinions, but I would think that at a minimum your readers would count on good research to back your opinions. It may therefore come as a surprise to readers of the editorial, in which you made an inferred reference to my competence, that during my time as deputy minister we never met. You never requested an interview with me or asked for background facts on any issue or, to my knowledge, attended any meeting in which I was involved. Even the articles dealing with the department under your byline, you never once contacted me for information. To my recollection, only one Nunatsiaq News reporter ever contacted me for commentary and background facts over a period of three years. I can only conclude therefore, that your research relies on second- and third-hand opinions, available either through unsolicited e-mails and letters, or on the political discussion forum. Apparently, you do not believe in soliciting opinions of those most affected by your critical opinions. Frankly, I am surprised your publishers approve of this approach to journalism. One would think that your comments on the current state of the department of sustainable development follow a long trail of coverage of troubled issues. A review of your paper over the past three years would reveal a scattering of articles referencing the department of sustainable development, some critical, some not, but certainly no more than the trials faced by all departments within the new government. One of the challenges of senior managers in the new government is to support and motivate the hard working employees who you refer to in your editorial as the "over-worked, over-stressed permanent northern workforce." Your poorly researched attacks on the department of sustainable development not only demoralizes this overworked, overstressed workforce, but it contributes nothing to the continued growth of our new government. Katherine Trumper May 10, 2002 Californian wants Nunavut T-shirt I am quite a distance from your territory. In fact, I’m sitting in a library in a little town called Lompoc, California, and wondering if someone reading this letter could send me an e-mail with information on how to purchase a Nunavut T-shirt. It’s a strange request, but, then, most people from California are a little weird. Also, being a permanent resident of McDonald’s, I need a size 2XXL, preferably a 50-50 blend of cotton and polyester. Now that you’ve all stopped laughing, is there anyone who could help me with my search? I’d even be willing to exchange a Nunavut shirt for a Lompoc shirt. Thanks. And I hope to visit your lovely land some day soon. Joseph L. Carlson May 10, 2002 Your voice made the difference Being a single parent of four children is a hard job, but it gets even more difficult when one of the children has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Every time I looked, there were challenges for me and my child. During the month of April, I attended a workshop on ADHD and met Amber McCluskey, who is a 26-year-old university student and mother of two young children. She struggled through school with ADHD. Her life was not easy, but because of family love and support, she is now studying to become a teacher. Hearing her stories about struggles and successes has given me courage. I think my child is not the only child with ADHD across Nunavut and I want to tell parents to keep on trying. Don’t give up hope. Help will eventually come by. I just wanted to thank the Rachel Arngnammaktiq Elementary School in Baker Lake for their support and patience. Thank you to Ann Meaney for your support and also to Susan T. Noah. You two have a lot of patience with my child. With God, all things are possible. My child learned how to spell her name, and she has learned to say "A, B, C." Nancy Angatajuak Cape Dorset will miss Cindy Parsons In the May 10 issue of your paper there was an article called "So long and thanks for the fish" about James Parsons, the principal at the Cape Dorset high school. In your article, you mention his wife, "Wendy." Her name is Cindy. She too has done many things of great benefit to the community of Cape Dorset, and I would like to take this time to mention just a few. Cindy is the director of social services in Cape Dorset. Since she took over this position in 1996, there have been many changes in this community. She opened a women’s shelter, a family resource center, started a prenatal program creating dozens of jobs, and in her spare time (which she has very little of) she started the Cape Dorset figure skating club. She arranged for her hometown skating club to sponsor ours, sending figure skates and costumes to the kids here. Two years ago, she helped raise enough money to send 10 kids and four adults to Newfoundland for a skating trip, not to forget the many sewing classes she has taught or the yearly fashion show she puts on for the community. She has also put in many hours working with lawyers helping the Ed Horne survivors in our community, as well as her regular duties as director. Cindy has been on maternity leave for the past year, which has not been easy in itself. Being the mother of a premature son has had its challenges, but, as always, she got through it with an amazing attitude and great patience. She is a women I greatly admire. Cindy will be greatly missed, I don’t think there is person in this community whose life she has not touched in some way, especially mine. She has been my best friend for five years. Cape Dorset will not be the same with out the Parsons. Donna Lee Westling (Sissy) May 17, 2002 Young Inuk gets no support for higher education My name is Moses Aupaluqtuq. I come from Baker Lake, and I am currently living in Ottawa. I have a seven-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son with my common-law wife. My partner is Oneida Iroquois from southwestern Ontario. I came south because my partner was expecting our second child, and she was going to attend post-secondary education. We have since moved to Ottawa to be with the Inuit community and to seek employment. I’ve been accepted into a civil engineering and construction engineering technical program with the School of Advanced Technology at Algonquin College, but have no funding to help pay for my education. I have written to all the Inuit organizations requesting assistance in paying for my schooling, but have not received any funding assistance or advice from anyone. I wrote to the Nunavut department of education, the Nunavut minister of education, the premier’s office, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, ITK, NTI and even to the New Credit First Nations of Mississauga to see where I may get help. All have told me I do not qualify or meet the criteria to meet the funding requirements, or they don’t have funding for Inuit in my position. No one does. All Inuit and Nunavut organizations and departments have said I don’t meet the requirements to benefit from Nunavut education. The criteria I don’t meet are: I have been away from home for more than a year, and I have not applied to a post-secondary institute from my hometown. It has been suggested that I go to the Ontario Scholarship Applications Program to get an education loan. I’m embarrassed to say, but I have weak credit right now to be applying for a loan. And the fact that it would be suggested I go and get a loan for my education is not right. I thought the Canadian government stated that all aboriginals are entitled to a free education. Especially Inuit, when we were brought together to form communities for the betterment of a sovereign Canada. I also thought Nunavut wanted Inuit to get educated to contribute and take on responsibility for us as a people. I have work skills, life skills, the will and desire to learn, I am not lazy and my ambitions are set to ensure I take care of my family and their needs. I speak well in Inuktitut and English. I have all the right tools to make something of myself and to give back to my community. But I am getting discouraged and my hopes are waning — because I am not getting any help or funding. I have already been accepted into a post-secondary institute for trades. Not just any trade but a civil engineering trade. Honestly and sincerely though, I am going to eventually have to accept that I am being limited to becoming a second-class citizen in Canada. Being on welfare is not my idea of making a living. I am of able mind and body to work. Last time I checked I was an Inuk. My mother is Inuk. My father is Inuk. My family members are Inuit. I was raised in Qamani’tuaq as an Inuk. Baker Lake is an Inuit community. But somebody, the same ones who cannot answer my inquiries, decided I as an Inuk, am not qualified to be granted the same rights as my fellow Nunavummiut. That somebody is nobody. No one organization or department is willing to step up for an Inuk willing to learn. I fall through the cracks of jurisdictions, policies, procedures, requirements and bureaucratic red tape. There is nothing. There is no one who can help me. I can’t go home to apply for funding as I don’t have any funds to pay for a ticket home. Even if I could get home, I am not willing to leave my family for a year, which is how long it would take to get the paperwork moved from place to place in order to get an education. I have the option of taking my family home with me so I can meet the criteria to get funding from the GN, but it’ll cost at least $6,000 in plane tickets for my family to get home, which we can’t afford. A question from a Inuk to my leaders: "How can an Inuk who has the will and desire to be educated, get educated?" Second question: "Do you have any need for an educated Inuk?" If anyone can suggest to me how I can obtain an education, please contact me at: Moses Aupaluktuq aputi@hotmail.com May 17, 2002 Dog control is a thankless task Because their jobs are all about dealing with complaints, and because they deserve so much better than that, I would like to send a public thank you to officers Suzanne Erkidjuk and Travis Dow. I do not know either of them personally, only through seeing them on the job, but I have seen enough to make me want to write this letter. Dog control is a thankless and demanding task. Whether rounding up loose dogs, responding to vicious dog complaints or following up on reports of abuse and neglect, this is not an easy job, nor a small one. It is necessary for public safety and health (controlling the spread of rabies) and for prevention of cruelty to animals. In a town this size, it probably could be done full-time by a team of two or three people, instead of two people squeezing it in as part of their many "regular" duties as by-law officers. Every day these two individuals risk getting bitten by vicious dogs and handle animals that have not been inoculated against rabies. Every week they have to destroy yet more animals whose owners did not care enough to keep them. Every month they have to put on gloves, cover their noses, and pry the starved corpse of a neglected dog from the ground where it froze (or rotted) and died — chain still wrapped around the porch and tight around the animal’s neck. And then there is the stress of dealing with people who are angry at them because of the loose dogs, or angry at them because their loose dog was picked up; people who are angry because they were bitten or people who are angry because they have been fined after their dog bit someone; people who are angry when they see kids throwing rocks at dogs, people who are angry because their kid was told not to throw rocks at dogs... . These officers must sometimes ask themselves why they stick with it, and we should only express gratitude that they do. For people who love animals and have kind hearts, as these two people clearly do, it must be painful to have to deal with animals that are nothing but skin, bones and a pair of sad eyes, animals that have around their neck a ring of ragged, bloody and infected flesh from a collar that was never loosened when a puppy turned into a dog, animals that have lived their whole lives on four feet of rope, unable to defend themselves from teasing and rock-throwing, and crazy and dangerous as a result. And it must be painful to end the life of a healthy young animal, knowing that for every dog you put down, another litter will be born and let loose and uncontrolled, and you will have to catch and destroy these too. The problems we have in town with loose, neglected and vicious dogs are not the fault of bylaw officers, they are the fault of the cruel and thoughtless people who want a puppy but not a dog, or who want a dog but not the responsibility of caring for a living being that is dependent on them. And yet it is too often the officers who get the complaints and the abuse from the public. Instead, they deserve some thanks and recognition for doing a difficult but necessary job with such dedication, professionalism and humanity. (Name withheld by request) Do BCC inmates get professional help? Although I have not lived in Iqaluit for a while, I feel there is really something wrong about how the Inuit aren’t getting total benefits from the so-called authorities. The judge said that the Baffin Correctional Centre has a psychiatry ward. (Nunatsiaq News, May 17, 2002) The distinction between psychoanalyst, psychiatrist and psychologist needs to be clarified, because it is not a simple one. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine and as such, psychiatrists are concerned largely with the treatment of mental illness and psychological problems. Psychiatrists, like physicians (or general practitioners), may use drugs in the treatment of mental illness, or they may use other methods such as behaviour therapy — a technique also used by psychologists. Psychologists train by taking a degree course in psychology in which all aspects of behavior and its underlying causes — in humans or other animals — are studied. One distinction between psychologists, psychiatrists and psychoanalysts is that the former are concerned with all people, while latter two are concerned solely with those who cannot cope, and who are unwell. Clinical psychologists, however, also make the patient the main focus of their work, but the treatment methods used by them involve therapies that do not rely on the prescription of drugs. Psychoanalysts have their own training, which is quite separate from that of both psychologists and psychiatrists. This training usually involves the would-be analyst first undergoing psychoanalysis themselves in order to gain increased insight. Psychologists and psychiatrists sometimes undergo further training to become psychoanalysts, and so it is perhaps not surprising that there is sometimes confusion, in the minds of the public, about these three professions. Questions: Are these people at BCC getting the medicine they need to help them with their mental illnesses? Are they getting help with their behavior problems? Do they have qualified professionals working at BCC? I will share my own experience with my own behaviour problems that I had growing up in Iqaluit. I tried to commit suicide more than once when I was between 17 and 19 years of age. For me, (I really didn’t want to die), I never really succeeded in killing myself. All I wanted was some attention, attention that I wasn’t getting as a child. It all boils down to childhood trauma. Like I said again, I was in a mental state of being unwell. I had to get real professional help about my past. I went to sexual abuse counselling for three years, and I also went to a psychiatrist for at least six months. I had to get lots of help from counsellors. Are these people at BCC getting help that way? We already know that going hunting won’t solve your mental illnesses, although it might for a little bit. But you need lots of help with the wreckage of your past. As of today, I’m still healing. It’s a life-long therapy, but it works. How does it work? By working with another person. It cannot be done on your own, all it takes is talking to someone and getting honest with your feelings, feelings you have never shared. Stop living in the dark. There is a solution. I have a friend who spent half his life in prison because he was a schizophrenic. But, he got well. It can be done. If this guy can recover, I know it can help others. But like I said, it almost seems like they don’t have the right like of treatment up north. Dr. Sam Law sees people only on short-term basis? Hello… You probably know it takes more than just short-term visits to get well. Kunnuk Takpannie May 24, 2002 Expired food should be moved off the shelves The other day I noticed a can of soup I purchased just last week. The expiry date was Dec. 31, 1999. The date today is May 2002. The department of health should really inspect stores that sell expired food, and get it off the shelves. Food has an expiry date for a reason — food is a living thing, and creates molds and so on. If they were smart enough to know to take the food off the shelves, this would save money, as people won’t get sick from food. The people it affects the most are the ones who rely on the welfare system, as they have no choice but to buy it. We buy the food with no discount, but at full price and triple the amount it costs to purchase it in the southern market. We live and work in Nunavut, but who wants to spend money here if we have to worry about expired food? So Nunavummiut, look at the packaging for the date before you buy it, and don’t buy food if it is expired. (Name withheld by request) May 24, 2002 IIBA brings benefits not contingent on funding I am writing this letter in response to your article, "Benefits deal means little without federal funding" (May 17). The article covered the recent signing of an Umbrella Inuit Impact and Benefits Agreement (IIBA) for Territorial Parks by the Government of Nunavut, NTI and the three Regional Inuit Associations. As witnessed by your headline and the tone of the article, it was suggested that there would be few benefits arising from the IIBA without federal funding. While it is true that there are programs in the agreement that are subject to funding, your article failed to adequately mention the numerous other benefits that, we believe, will flow to Inuit as a result of this agreement. While the economic provisions of the IIBA are important, looking back to July 2000 when negotiations commenced, the majority of effort by the GN, NTI and the three Regional Inuit Associations included the following: • Providing for a meaningful process toward active co-management of park-related lands and resources in Nunavut through territorial and community-based parks • Ensuring Inuit rights will be protected in the establishment of outpost camps, cabins, removal of carving stone, and access and use of territorial parks • Ensuring the protection of important wildlife areas and culturally significant sites within Territorial Parks • Providing opportunities for Inuit preference in contracting and business opportunities In addition, you said the IIBA is an agreement that is not part of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement (NLCA). This is incorrect. Article 8 of the NLCA clearly states an IIBA is a requirement of the NLCA. Seeking funding for this agreement will be more than "dicker[ing] with the federal government for some extra cash." The GN and NTI will be working together in negotiating with the federal government for IIBA funding as part of the negotiations to secure funding for the next implementation period of the NLCA. The IIBA is an important document for the GN, NTI and the RIAs. It confirms the importance of Territorial Parks to Nunavut, recognizes the roles Territorial Parks play now and will play in the future of Nunavut; and allows us, collectively, to begin to build and develop a Territorial Parks program that Inuit and Nunavummiut can be proud of and showcase to our visitors. David Monteith Where are Iqaluit’s 30-year-old street names? My name is Ross McKinnon. I was the secretary-manager of the new Hamlet of Iqaluit back in 1970-71. At that time we had a street-name project too, and the reason given for the names at that time was safety and for the easier location of houses should there be trouble. I then went into private business with Okota-Paton and was involved in the delivery of municipal services. At that time I never had any trouble locating residences. Now, when I talk to those who live in Iqaluit, all I hear is how much the city has grown. We had a street map about 30 years ago, and had it been put into use then we would not be having these arguments now. While undoubtedly people care what street they live on, I presume the reason why we were trying to name the streets a long time ago is the same reason now. Talk to the fire department and the ambulance people and see how important it is to get them named. Thanks for the chance to write on this subject, and hello to those who remember me from the old days. Ross McKinnon May 31, 2002 Thanks from California I would like to thank all of the people who took the time to put aside their problems for a moment and answered my letter requesting a T-shirt from Nunavut. There was one gentleman who accused me of being an obese nutcase. (Mr. Martin: If you think Nunavut is the only place on Earth with problems, come see me in California. But please, develop a sense of humour first!) The majority of e-mails I received took my letter for what it was worth – a greeting from someone truly interested in a fascinating territory located in one of the finest nations on Earth. Thanks to all of you for bringing a glimpse of Nunavut to California.
Joseph L. Carlson May 31, 2002 Let’s play "what-if?" Of all the dams in the James Bay region, sooner or later, one is going to go. Let’s say the one that is located at Brisay, on the Caniapisacau Reservoir, decides to give way. That means this reservoir will quickly empty into the Fontange Basin. If Hydro-Québec doesn’t manage to blow the diversion dikes going into Lac Bienville, then the whole thing will direct itself at LG-4. The dam in LG-4 will be compromised under these conditions, and so will LG-3 and LG-2. The Cree areas down-river of these four reservoirs will likely be wiped clean. How much money would you want to negotiate as an unusually high wave hits the beaches of Sanikiluaq? Mitch Gingras May 31, 2002 Premier should continue decentralization This is the first time for me to praise what the Premier, cabinet and the legislative assembly are doing about the decentralization program within the government of Nunavut’s operations. We had always stipulated that our government would be decentralized from day one, not only to spread out the jobs but to move the workings of the government closer to the people that it serves, as spelled out in the various working documents dating back to late 1980s and mid-1990s. Even though the bureaucracy will always cry that they do not want to move to smaller communities, we have to give the people in the smaller communities a chance to help run some of the programs and departments of the government of Nunavut. What they are saying is a "report" says this cannot happen. Well, who wrote the report? I’m sure whoever did had to go through the upper echelons of the departmental officials, who didn’t want to move to Igloolik or Kugluktuk before the final report got to the legislative level. I say to the Premier and the ministers of the government of Nunavut, hang in there, eventually most of the GN jobs will go to the smaller communities as anticipated, as your bureaucrats begin to understand who is in control of the process. Allen Maghagak
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