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Nunavut Briefs
NTI votes to extend terms, change timing of elections The elected leaders of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. passed a motion during their annual general meeting in Gjoa Haven last week to extend their terms in office by three months. The one-time extension was required to accomodate a separate motion to change in the timing of NTI elections from December to March. Elections for members of the NTI executive are usually held in December. But members voted to hold elections in March instead, to avoid overlap with municipal elections that generally occur at the same time, to allow newly elected executive members to take office at the start of the fiscal year and to beat the Christmas rush. The change takes effect immediately, which means that the election that would have been held in December 2003 will now be held in March 2004. Elected members abstained from the vote, though the motion was passed unanimously by the rest of the 47 delegates present. Communities want more time to examine legislation Many communities fear they may not have enough time to examine a proposed Wildlife Act, expected to be introduced into the legislative assembly next spring. Raymond Ningeocheak, second vice-president of NTI, gave delegates an update on the process of creating a "made-in-Nunavut" act, and reported that communities have called for longer consultations and a second round of public meetings on changes to the act. NTI has been part of a working group overseeing the consultation process, together with the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. The initial planning into creating a new act began in 1997. Concentrated work began last fall, with community hearings held from April to June. A draft act is scheduled to be introduced in the House in March. It would then go before a standing committee for another series of public meetings. Those meetings, expected to take place between March and September, would give members of the public their first opportunity to read the proposed act. The Qikiqtani Wildlife Board passed a resolution last month asking that community visits last longer than two hours, preferably for two days at least. Slow progress on land claim implementation "shocking" Cathy Towtongie, president of NTI, described as "shocking" the federal government’s progress on implementing the land claim. "A five-year review initiated in 1999 found that less than one half of our land claim had been implemented," she said in her address to delegates at the organization’s annual meeting last week. "A new five-year review due this year will not find things are much better." She told delegates she would push for action and try to get the Department of Indian and Northern Development to make Nunavut a priority. "Somehow, DIAND became distracted with other agendas elsewhere and with their accountability agenda with First Nations," she said. "As a result, they did not allocate enough resources, interest and energy to the Nunavut claim file." During an NTI-sponsored "State of the Claim" conference next year, she said beneficiaries will have the chance to share information and find out where things stand. ITK staff train in Greenland Three employees of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami are at the Knud Rassmussen Folk High School in Sisimiut, Greenland, this week for a training course put on by the International Training Centre for Indigenous Peoples. Natan Obed, Sharon Edmunds and June Shappa will join indigenous peoples from Belize, Guyana and Peru in the program, which teaches various skills related to the advocacy of indigenous rights.
Atanarjaut shows staying power Filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk will be at Arctic Ventures in Iqaluit on Dec. 3 for the launch of an Atanarjuat companion book and CD. Atanarjuat comes out on DVD and home video in Canada Nov. 19 and Isuma Publishing is issuing the companion book and film soundtrack on Nov. 29. Isuma Productions’ Atanarjuat The Fast Runner is still playing in U.S. and Canadian theatres after spending 23 weeks in the top 60 North American films. The film has earned more than US$3.7 million and continues to gain momentum as it opens in other countries and with the release of merchandise. The film recently opened in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark and the Czech Republic and opens soon in Germany, Japan, Italy and Mexico. RCMP seize $30,000 in dope destined for Pangnirtung An Iqaluit man faces one count of drug trafficking after Iqaluit RCMP seized about $32,000 of marijuana en route to Pangnirtung. Roberto Desousa Matias, 26, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Jan. 6, 2003, in connection with the bust. Seven charged in connection with $7,500 drug bust The RCMP’s Nunavut Drug Section arrested seven people on Nov. 8 in connection with a marijuana drug bust at two Iqaluit residences. Timmy Noah, 37, Monie Ineak, 41, Anirgnik Ineak, 46, Natia Illauq, 18, Andrew Papatsie, 18, Ahme Peter, 30, and Sylvia Aula, 21, each face one count of conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance. Six of the seven people charged were released and are scheduled to make their first court appearance on Jan. 6, 2003. Timmy Noah was remanded in custody. His bail hearing was scheduled for Nov. 14. Iqaluit warm in October Iqaluit experienced its fifth warmest October in 57 years of record keeping. Temperatures hovered above normal for all but six days this month and two new maximum temperature records were set on Oct. 13 and Oct. 18, with the mercury reaching 5.9 ° C and 4.7 ° C, 0.3 ° C and 0.2 ° C, respectively, higher than normal. The warmth was accompanied by moisture as 63.8 mm of precipitation fell that month, 21 mm more than the normal of 42.4 mm. The normal amount of rain in October for Iqaluit is usually limited to 8.7 mm. This year 24.4 mm fell, nearly three times the average. Continuous snow on the ground wasn’t seen in the capital until Oct. 24. Since official weather observations started in 1955, continuous snow cover was only achieved at this late a date on four other occasions. Rankin Inlet, with a monthly average of -4.8 ° C, was just 0.4 ° C warmer than normal. The month started with a seven-day cold spell, followed by 20 days of normal or above-normal temperatures. The month ended on a chilly note as overnight lows dropped to the -15 ° C to -19 ° C range in the last four days of the month. The monthly amount of precipitation was near normal at 34.7 mm and continuous snow cover was achieved in Rankin Inlet on Oct. 13, also near the norm. Fumes wafted through air vents Mother Nature caused formaldehyde gas to circulate through Baffin Regional Hospital on Nov. 2, Nunavut Health Minister Ed Picco said this week. The gas wafted into the 30-year old hospital through an open return-air vent instead of exiting via a top-floor chimney. Wind and cold weather caused the vent to remain open. Ten patients were evacuated and emergency services were offered at public health. Neither patients nor staff were seriously affected by the leak. The hospital reopened the next day at 6 p.m. The accidental release followed a routine disinfection of the ground-floor lab.
Aboriginal leaders discuss economy Aboriginal leaders and government ministers from across the country gathered in Iqaluit Nov. 14 and 15 to discuss the role of aboriginal people in the economy. The meeting brought together aboriginal affairs ministers from each of Canada’s territories and provinces. Leaders of national aboriginal organizations also attended the two-day discussions. The federal minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Robert Nault, hosted the meeting. Man charged with drug possession Ming Fong Chin, 33, is scheduled to plead to one count of drug possession on Dec. 12, 2002. Iqaluit’s RCMP Drug Section arrested Chin in connection with a seizure of about $3,000 of marijuana at the Iqaluit airport on Oct. 21. Chin was arrested while attempting to fly to Pangnirtung. |
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