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Big news! Judge Harry LaForme quit his job as chair of the Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission and says the commission is in disarray.

Well, I guess it must be, since it was the government that created this jungle of rules, regulations, paper and more paperwork and you have to prove all the stories, etc.

How depressing it must be to listen to abuse stories day after day and to put up with staff you don't agree with, plus to be aware of Canadians who are fed up with this whole affair when they thought the residential schools' books were closed forever after Prime Minister Harper made headlines by apologizing in Parliament.

I know many were shocked when this reconciliation compensation came out, and it's supposed to run until 2010? All I can say is, it is job creation for many people, some people who never had it so good!

The big chief, Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa, says replace the judge right away; we can't waste time, most of the residential school survivors are 65-years-old - so far 800 have died.

Anyhow, you hear a lot of stories. Someone made a very interesting remark the other day: when you look at all the aboriginals who went to residential school, they all have good jobs or are in business, etc.

But, today at this moment you see grown-up young people who can hardly read or write when they have to fill out a job application! And many can't drive, because they can't read or fill out applications.

Of course, I had to find out if it was true. I approached our Arctic College director and he said there are many adults who can't read or write!

These are the drop-outs. So at least we can thank the residential school for education.

One of these days we will start to hear the positive side of residential school; I know I have heard a lot of good. I can say my own convent days were my happiest growing up - we were orphans and they took us in.

I know there was some abuse, but not wholesale abuse of every child, the way they portray it.

I know for sure the worst abusers were our own peers! On the girls' side, we used to call them the big girls.

Sometimes you would run past the big girls in charge and my goodness they would be so mean; whack you with a stick, pull your hair, etc. And the boys' side was the worst. Many were sexually abused by the bigger boys.

So this wholesale attack on residential schools will end someday, and the real truth will come out. The real truth is out already but it is whispered, hush-hush.

I get calls and hear many positive stories. People say they would love to write and say it wasn't so bad in the residential schools but they are afraid to make people mad.

I tell them that's OK, the truth always comes out.

Anyhow, if people lie just for money's sake, they will have to meet the Lord someday and I'm sure if they have lied their conscience are eating at their hearts.

I'm not saying there was no abuse (there was some) but we must look at the good and the bad and ask ourselves about it today.

Are we looking after our children any better? We don't do anything about drop-outs.

We want jobs for our aboriginal population, but the majority are not qualified. Violence and vandalism is done monthly by young adults.

That tells me something: young adults are crying for help, but we are too busy crying about past injustices or whatever and concentrating on healing and more healing instead of helping people on the road to their dreams.

Let's start our energies towards the young people, find a way to accommodate them if they want to further their schooling, etc.

It is not too late for drop-outs, they can catch up.

If there is a will, there is a way.

- 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.