 |
Cece Hodgson-McCauley
Guest comment
Monday, March 24, 2008
I am not in a good mood these days. As I wrote in my last column, the MAC group put forth a resolution for the leaders to consider and maybe vote in favour of the highway from Fort Wrigley to the Beaufort Sea. As I expected they didn't sign.
They wanted to take it to their people first. The same old story. These Indian leaders can't get it into their heads the people voted them in as leaders to make decisions on behalf of their people. They always use that lame excuse "I must take it to the people," which they never, ever do! I told them, I have been approached by elders and young people all in favour of the road.
I think it is time for the elders and young people in the Sahtu region to get more involved in their communities.
The one argument against the road seems to be violence, drugs and alcohol, bad people etc. They have plenty of all sorts of crime already! Not only violent crimes, but the crime of gambling. Some people play poker, O.K.O, bingo and you name it, some people play all night.
Some people leave their children home alone and neglected. That is a crime they never mention. Alcohol and dope are not the only crimes. They already have so much crime around.
A road to freedom will help the good people. They can get in their cars and trucks to visit other communities.
For instance, a man from Good Hope said to me the other day that now that many trucks come into Norman Wells I see these young people from Good Hope and they are very nice and well behaved. When they are in Norman Wells! But when they are home in Good Hope they are horrible. Not at all nice people. Makes you wonder why? He seriously said this to me.
I say it is isolation. Young people need to spread their wings. You can't isolate them away in communities that have nothing, not even a decent coffee shop. So I say this is 2008 and the Elders and young people in those isolated communities must take control of their lives and demand to be heard.
They are going to build the road anyway because the country and the sovereignty of the Arctic ocean demands it. So the quicker they build it the better for us in the Sahtu region.
We can finally be part of the rest of the territory and have a decent and cheaper way of living. This is especially for the children. They need access to good, nourishing, cheap foods to be healthy.
As citizens you must really keep an eye on your government. I hear four MLAs went to the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards ceremony, where Joe Handley and Paul Andrew received an award. Who paid the airfare, hotel and expenses for the four?
Sure, we hear they received four invitations to the awards but we want to know if they each paid their own expenses or did we the tax payers pay?
All I want to know from our GNWT is: Have they ever written a letter to the federal government in support of the extensions of the Mackenzie Highway? I hope they don't say " I have to take it to my people" like the leaders do!
- 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.