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Hi from Yellowknife, overnight on my way to Ottawa to visit some friends!

The three-hour lunch of the prime minster and premiers reports they are all on the same page on investment spending? They all agree the country's infrastructure is the best and fastest way to use public funds to help Canada avoid the worst global economic recession. We are doing everything we can to expedite the paper work, infrastructure minister John Baird said? But he says the provinces and municipalities need to do their bit. He didn't mention the NWT - doesn't matter, premier Roland better do his part by doing his due diligence and jump on the bandwagon on the MAC group, which is the Gwitch'in and the multinational companies that are all ready to go to work on the roads to resources.

I understand the MAC group is going to travel through the Sahtu this week to get some support. I asked them why, when they have a resolution passed at a Dene Nation assembly in the past! That should do it! Resolutions don't expire; once you give your word as leaders, it is written in stone, right?

All the MAC groups must do now is get a letter of support from the GNWT and the resolution from the Dene Assembly, make an appointment with Baird, MP Rob Merrifield and Prime Minister Stephen Harper and insist premier Roland be there. Sit around the table, put the proposal forward and settle it once and for all.

The prime minister must listen and move on the best proposal ever! If, as they say, Harper is an economist, he will accept the deal!

I cannot believe it, here is a consortium of the biggest companies in Canada trying to help a region that is insulated from the rest of the world and the government of the day (that is, the Conservative government) is saying, "You must have the support of the aboriginals in the region and GNWT."

No wonder Canada is looked upon by other countries as a backwoods bush country. Not only are three territories not developed, all the Northern regions of every province is isolated bush country! All the big cities in Canada are hugging the U.S. border! When people travel from Eastern Canada to Western Canada, they all say they travel state side all the way, because Canada's highways are not up to part, like in the U.S.!

In rich Alberta, Fort Chipewyan and many communities are isolated just like the NWT. Yellowknife hugs Alberta's border while the rest of the NWT is still bush country and isolated!

President Roosevelt during the last depression built highways and bridges throughout the U.S. that moved the country - created factories. You need mobility if you are going to produce and prosper. And president Eisenhower did the same in his last term. He built more highways as his legacy. So I hope Prime Minister Harper gets going on opening up Canada's northern regions right away. It will create jobs, secure the country's sovereignty if we have access to the Arctic by land. Just talking and researching arctic sovereignty won't save us! We need access to the region and plus, we need the army base from Yellowknife moved to the Beaufort Delta - what good is the army in Yellowknife?

The government must spread some of the wealth around the Northern region. We still say in the Sahtu region that the pipeline office should have been in Norman Wells. We are in the central region.

What's the use talking to the governments, both the GNWT and the fed. For all they do for us? Why don't they all pack up and go back to Ottawa. The people in place or in charge go by the book - can't make a decision on their own no matter how simple a request by us (the citizens). We pay them big money bit it's surely not for their dynamic or innovative or take-a-chance brains. No wonder people have no respect for our government!

- 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.