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Cece Hodgson-McCauley
Guest comment
Monday, September 10, 2007
I phoned CBC this morning, regarding the coming election. Big question: what needs to be done and what needs fixing?
Interesting question: are transient workers receiving our Territorial Health Card and using them in the south? We have heard that the NWT health card is the best in Canada! We better get some answers to this question!
Question number two is on housing, which has been bugging people ever since NWT was created. Are rules and regulations governing the Housing Corp. set in stone or what?
People, and I mean people who work for a living, have been complaining about the ugly unfairness of the rules and policies forever. All to the deaf ears of bureaucrats!
Why aren't ministers in charge acting like the man in charge and review the problem and simply fix it? Or are they afraid of the (educated bureaucrats) who have umpteen degrees hanging on office walls for all to see!
The truth and reality is, you can have degrees coming out of your ears, but it doesn't mean a damn thing! It's a false reality! What counts is, the end results of your management of the situation at hand!
They have turned good people into welfare bums and why should they work? Their rent jumps sky high if they get a job, better not to work. Are bureaucrats brain dead or playing us for fools? Can't they come up with a happy medium? Figure out something? That's what we pay them for! We don't pay them big money to be knights in shining armor!
Another big question asked is on Education and Teachers Recruitment. Where are all the aboriginal professionals? We are the majority.
The education system in the NWT on the aboriginal front is in serious question! Leaders today who believe they are the elite aboriginal leaders, ever since when? We know who they are and they know who they are! They should face their people and take the blame for having failed them in the (education department).
After 47 years of GNWT, the majority of aboriginals should be running the show.
In fact, in the beginning when they created GNWT, civil servants used to tell us, we are here to do a job, only until we educate and train you so that your can take over to run your own government and manage your territory?
But, aboriginal leaders have been chasing devolution, self-government, to each his own same thing? Who is going to run this New World, immigrants? They are educated and willing to work.
As for me, I want the GNWT and this new MLAs to rebuild the DEW line right across the Beaufort Sea. They were our protection! And bring the arm forces back to the Delta Beaufort.
We must face reality, we are sitting ducks while the world is moving and over populating. And our beautiful huge, rich territory is empty of people! We must stop day dreaming and look beyond our own back yard.
Heard this morning how the Inuit in Eastern Quebec and others of their neighbors are looking into joint venturing with cruise ship companies!
Next thing we know, boats will come up the Mackenzie River from the Beaufort Sea.And what are you going to do about it?
A good thought is, how long are you going to be able to say this is my land?
Anyhow, in the mean time, what can the new MLAs do about the situation in the NWT? We are a welfare dependent Territory. Yet businesses are closing up shop because they can't find workers?
- 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.