Inuvik Drum, March 21

News

Sports Mixed curling slides into Inuvik

Academic calls for education revamp Volume 55 Issue 12

News $70,000 in cash seized by RCMP

Thursday, March 21, 2019

75 CENTS

Climate march hits Inuvik

Aaron Hemens/NNSL photo

Abe Drennan, right, organized Inuvik's "Youth Climate Strike" on March 15, one of hundreds of similar demonstrations held in communities across the globe.

Town one of many communities around the world to participate in global protest

by Aaron Hemens

Northern News Services

More than a dozen residents marched through Inuvik's downtown core to demand action on climate change on March 15.

The protest was linked to a global-wide movement known as the "Youth Climate Strike" where more than one million students across 125 countries skipped class that same day to protest climate change.

The Inuvik event was organized by Abe Drennan, a music teacher at East Three Secondary SJ3 chool, who said he was inspired to join the movement after learning about Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old political activist in Sweden whose "Fridays for Future" campaign sparked the global movement.

"It wasn't until just before March Break started. As soon as I watched a video of one her speeches – and it was more about how she started and who she is – I was like holy crap," said Drennan.

"This 16 year old with Aspergers can stand up front of her parliament building with a little sign with some conviction, then I can damn well do something too."

Drennan was joined by his two sons, as well as a few parents and other students from East Three Elementary School.

They met outside the school at noon before taking to Mackenzie Road, where they carried signs and chanted "protect our planet."

"I'm not here to make the decisions for the kids. I just want to provide a platform with some ideas, provide some support and then let

them go with it," said Drennan. "In peaceful ways, in ways that it will help the community.

But it has to come from the kids, they have to have the ownership."

Once school is back in session, he said that the plan is to get more interested students involved in the initiative to keep the momentum going.

"I'll let the kids decide what they want to do. I'm going to keep pulling them in," he said.

"My job is to keep pulling them in, support them and light their fire. Hopefully that will take off on its own."

A local issue he hopes the group can tackle is helping to reduce plastic waste and consumption.

"As consumers, kids need to understand that they have the power. The people have

the power. We can say that we will not buy from Northmart if you continue to package your food unnecessarily," he said. "If we make statements like that, those corporations will have no choice but to change. We are in the ultimate control."

Although the numbers are small right now, he said that he has faith that more students will get involved in climate justice.

"Once they start to understand what the issues are and when they start to integrate that this is their future and start to believe that, then I do believe that they'll take it up," he said.

His role in all of this, he continued, is to just get the ball rolling.

"We have to start speaking louder. If kids start speaking louder, people will listen," he said. "I know they will."

"Just wanted to let you know how friendly everyone in the Yukon and NWT have been."

– Peter Newland, Wildlife Protection Rangers trainer from Kenya, who has been cycling the ice roads, page 2.

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news

News in Brief

Two people unharmed after blast rocks Inuvik No injuries were reported after a worksite explosion rocked a building in Inuvik on March 12, say RCMP. Mounties responded to the blast at an industrial worksite in the community just after 1 p.m., according to a news release issued by RCMP. Two people were reported to have been inside the building, say RCMP, but walked away from the blast unharmed.

Inuvik's fire chief arrived at the worksite to secure the scene following the explosion.

The cause of the blast remains undetermined, but police say there is no evidence to suggest any criminal wrongdoing occurred. The investigation has been turned over the Worker's Safety and Compensation Commission, according to the news release.

The territory's fire marshal could not be reached for comment by press time. – Brendan Burke

news

Inuvik Drum, Thursday, March 21, 2019 3

Did we get it wrong?

Inuvik Drum is committed to getting facts and names right. With that goes a commitment to acknowledge mistakes and run corrections. If you spot an error in Inuvik Drum, contact the editor at (867) 7774545 or email inuvikdrum@nnsl.com.

Riding into Spring

News Briefs

Donald McLeod, left, and Justin Edwards took turns riding around on McLeod's bike on March 17, taking full advantage of the warm, sunny weather. Temperatures in Inuvik were at a high of around 5 C.

Inuvik seniors struggling to make ends meet A study commissioned by the NWT Seniors' Society that was released this month has found that Inuvik seniors are making far less than required to meet the town's average living income benchmarks.

The study examined the living income of residents over the age of 65 who are living in communities such as Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik.

According to the study, seniors who live alone and rent in Inuvik are making almost $10,000 less than the town's living income benchmark of $41,228.

Seniors who own a home in Inuvik with their significant other make almost $7,000 less than the living income benchmark of $49,099 for couples.

Michel Haener, an Alberta economist who produced the report, defines living income as "the net annual income required for a household in a particular place to afford a decent standard of living for all members of that household."

Living income benchmarks are a combination of the total costs that residents spend on average for basic living costs, such as food, rent, clothing, transportation and more.

– Aaron Hemens

Aaron Hemens/NNSL photo

Our schools are failing students, says speaker

NWT Family Violence Shelter Network launches campaign The NWT Family Violence Shelter Network launched an awareness campaign on March 18 to better reach women in need of support, with the ultimate goal of having more women across the territory accessing their services.

Through advertisements and resource materials, the network hopes to connect vulnerable women and children to services such as safe housing, safety planning, crisis management, emotional support, information and referrals.

The network is comprised of five family violence shelters located throughout the NWT: the Alison McAteer House in Yellowknife, the Family Support Centre in Hay River, the Inuvik Transition House in Inuvik, the Sutherland House in Fort Smith and the Aimayunga Women and Emergency Foster Care Shelter in Tuktoyaktuk.

According to a news release issued by the network on March 11, the group came together to launch the campaign "because they felt their visibility needed to be improved by women who may be seeking their services."

In a 2013 Statistics Canada report, it is outlined that violent crime against women is higher in the three territories – Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon – than the rest of Canada. The rate of violence against women in the NWT was nine times the national average.

– Aaron Hemens

Edmonton man charged $70K in cash seized

An Edmonton man has been charged after Inuvik RCMP say a search warrant turned up weapons and nearly $70,000 in cash.

Mounties in Inuvik executed the search warrant at a residence in the community on March 9, according to a news release from RCMP. Police say approximately $69,000, along with drug paraphernalia, a knife and bear spray, was located and seized during the search.

Ali Omar – whose age was not provided by police – is charged with possessing property obtained by crime. He's due to appear in a Yellowknife court on Thursday.

RCMP are not seeking further suspects.

– Brendan Burke

Aaron Hemens/NNSL

Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox, the scientific director of Hot?ì ts'eeda, highlighted issues with the education system for elementary and secondary students in the NWT during a public consultation event on post-secondary education that was hosted in Inuvik on March 12.

Elementary and secondary students in smaller communities in the NWT are under-performing academically, according to guest speaker

by Aaron Hemens

Northern News Services

Before the GNWT develops a vision for a post-secondary institution in the NWT, one Northerner believes that the territorial government should first re-envision the education system for elementary and secondary students living in the smaller Northern communities.

During a public consultation event on post-secondary education that was held in Inuvik on March 12, Stephanie IrlbacherFox, the scientific director of Hot?ì ts'eeda, which is the research group that hosted the discussion, said improvements need to be made for students from kindergarten to Grade 12 who live outside of Yellowknife.

"In the NWT, what we are seeing now and what we've seen for a long time, there are almost two different school systems operating. There's a school system in Yellowknife, it's well resourced, and 70 per cent of the kids there are functioning at grade level," she said. "We move outside of Yellowknife and what we have is a system where about 30 per cent of the students are functioning at

grade level. Seventy per cent are not."

Discussions surrounding a post-secondary vision, she continued, should not be happening unless they involve talks of revamping the education vision for elementary and high school students.

"The kids in K to 12, the kids who are not performing at grade level, that 70 per cent, they're the ones who we somehow expect will go on to enroll at a polytechnic university, which is what the department of education is planning on building," she said.

According to Statistics Canada's 2016 Census, 20.5 per cent of NWT residents aged 25 to 64 years did not have a high school diploma or some form of post-secondary education.

In the Beaufort Delta Region, for example, 32.9 per cent of community members aged 25 to 64 had no certificate, degree or diploma, while 17.2 per cent did have a high school certificate or equivalent and 49.4 per cent had obtained a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.

In Yellowknife, only 9.9 per cent of residents in that same age group had no cer-

tificate, diploma or degree and 21.5 per cent had a high school certificate or equivalent.

"We can't really think about building a polytechnic university if we don't have a K to 12 system that can produce high rates of graduates who actually have their Grade 12 (diploma). Outside of Yellowknife, this isn't happening," Irlbacher-Fox said.

"We have to change this system, where we only have one K to 12 system in the NWT, where the performance statistics of students are similar across the board, no matter which community people live in in the NWT." Strengthening this foundation, she continued, is a critical process in the development of a polytechnic university in the NWT. "This polytechnic could be place of real strength," she said. "It could be a place where like minded people come together, and where people who are focused on different types of things can network and realize that they have more in common and that they can partner together towards achieving a vision."

4 inuvik drum, Thursday, March 21, 2019

opinions

Climate change a humanitarian crisis, not a youth problem Northern News Services

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Aaron Hemens/NNSL photo

Fletcher Dares, is eclipsed by his no water bottle sign at the Youth Climate Strike on March 15.

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Like most kids, Olivia Harrison's favourite part about spring break is the two-week-long recess from school. She's been making the most of her vacation by spending time at the Inuvik's Youth Centre's Spring Break Camp. The best part about the camp, she says, is the swimming and skating sessions that it has to offer. If she's not at the centre, you can most likely find her at the local library.

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The majority of these bags are used only once. Only nine per cent Fort McPherson Tsiigehtchic of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled, while 79 per cent has accumulated in landfills, dumps or the natural environment.

If current trends continue, our oceans could contain Dawsonmore plastic than fish by 2050. City We are killing the only planet Be that we have. It's time that everyDeline Tulita (Fort Norman) one become more environmentally YUKON aware. We need to break old habits and develop more environmentally friendly ones. Use less plastic. Walk Ra Wrigley more. Recycle. Do something. We need to take action, or future genWhitehorse Contents copyright. Printed in the North by erations will suffer because of us.

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Youth of the week

Olivia Harrison

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has not been matched by older generations. If you go on social media, you'll find adults diminishing the movement, dishing out comments such as "go back to class." It's a sad reality when the kids of the world are the ones who are mobilizing in large numbers to clean up a polluted planet that was largely created by previous generations. What's even more upsetting is that it's the youth who are wise enough to know what really matters in this world, while our leaders continue to turn a blind eye to climate change.

The fight for climate justice should not be up for debate. More importantly, it shouldn't be up to the youth to fight it alone. We are all complicit. We created this mess and it's our responsibility to clean it up.

According to NASA, at the rate we're going, temperatures will continue to climb and sea levels will rise by one to four feet by 2100. The Arctic Ocean is projected to be ice free in the summer before the mid-

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Peel River

On March 15, students around the globe decided to skip class and strike for climate justice. According to the "Fridays For Future" website, the campaign that prompted the global "Youth Climate Strike" movement, young people in more than 1,970 cities and towns across 119 countries participated in the protests. In total, there was nearly 1.3 million strikers.

This whole thing was started by a 16-year-old Swedish student named Greta Thunberg.

Following one of Sweden's warmest summers, Thunberg began skipping classes in late-August 2018, where she sat outside of Sweden's Aaron parliament Hemens buildings until the country's general election on Sept. 9, all in an effort to force Swedish politicians to take action on climate change.

For two weeks, Thunberg battled through whatever weather conditions were thrown at her, gripping a sign that read "school strike for climate." Two days before the general election, she announced that she would instead strike every Friday, until Sweden aligned its views with those set out by the Paris Agreement. This is where #FridaysForFuture was born, and it spread like wildfire.

Thunberg's efforts earned her a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month. Thanks to her, students around the globe are striking for climate justice and are fighting to take back their futures.

The youth are letting the world know that they will no longer sit in silence and watch the planet fall victim to neglect.

Unfortunately, this enthusiasm

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Inuvik Drum, Thursday, March 21, 2019 5

Marching for climate justice

Petra Jellema's sign called for an end to single-use plastic.

Anick Jenks, left, marched alongside her son, Cooper, centre, and her daughter Tessa, right.

Strike Feature

by Aaron Hemens

Northern News Services

Inuvik participated in a global-wide movement known as the Youth Climate Strike on March 15, where more than one million students across 125 countries skipped class that same day to protest climate

change. Inuvik's event saw more than a dozen residents show up to march through the community's downtown core, where they protested the use of plastic packaging and demanded that action be taken on climate change.

Malakai Drennan attended the march with his younger brother, River, and his dad, Abe, who also organized the event.

Milo Dares holds his sign high as the group makes their way down to MacKenzie Road.

Atsu Alogbleto was one of the few adults who participated in the march.

6 inuvik drum, Thursday, March 21, 2019

street talk with Aaron Hemens

alternatives

Why are you marching for climate justice?

inuvikdrum@nnsl.com

Petra Jellema: "If we don't stop polluting, the next generation will die out. There won't be enough Earth to go around."

Tessa Jenks: "Plastic is really bad for the Earth. If there's too much plastic on the planet, there won't be a planet."

Atsu Alogbleto: "We don't need to the destroy the future. We need to protect it."

Cooper Jenks: "We need a better environment. Plastic won't help the environment. It's the only home we have."

River Drennan: "So we can protect our Earth. There's too much plastic and we need to try to get it all away.

Milo Dares: "We have to stop people from throwing plastic into the oceans."

sports & recreation

Inuvik Drum, Thursday, March 21, 2019 7

Second annual Mixed Doubles Funspiel 14 games were played, where more than $300 in cash was distributed

by Aaron Hemens

Northern News Services

The Inuvik Curling Club hosted its second annual Mixed Doubles Funspiel on March 17, where nine teams came out to the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex and competed for cash prizes.

"We ran it last March also, so this is kind of a year end wrap up," said Nick Saturnino, president of the Inuvik Curling Club. "It's a more fun event than regular, traditional curling."

In mixed doubles curling, teams are comprised of two players – one male and one

female – rather than the traditional four player team. There are eight ends of play instead of 10, and there are six stones versus eight.

The biggest difference between mixed doubles and regular curling is that each team positions a stone on the centre line at the beginning of each end, which can count toward points if their stone ends up in the house.

"Mixed doubles is a new discipline for Curling Canada. It was just in the last Olympics," Saturnino said. " It's an upcoming discipline and it seems that the younger generation has participated in it. It's a more fast paced game."

Players take turn rotating who shoots, calls and sweeps. It's a common sight to see the shooter sweep their own shot, or have the caller come in and sweep as well.

"The games go by quicker, so you're not there for two and half hours. You can play this in an hour," Saturnino said.

Fourteen games were played, where more than $300 in cash were distributed to winning teams throughout the Funspiel. While most teams were awarded $20 for winning a game, Andrew and Kate Dunbar received $60 for finishing first in the A division, while Adrianna Hendrick and Mark Robertson were awarded $40 for winning the B division.

"We've been doing mixed doubles for quite some time in our league. We just decided to have a funspiel," Saturnino said. "We wanted to get the juniors more involved and playing.

Any time they can play is great. They're playing with adults."

Hendrick, who is a member of the Team Bain junior curling team, was joined by teammates Tyanna Bain and Mataya Gillis.

"It's nice to change things up. It's a fun game," said Saturnino.

Mel Sittichinli, who finished in second place of the A division with his teammate Alison Lennie, said that the games were more difficult than regular curling events.

"It's a lot of fun and work. It's a good way to learn," said Sittichinli, a 53-year-old curling veteran of more than 20 years. "It gives everyone a chance to do a bit of everything."

With the curling season coming to an end in two weeks, Saturnino said that the Funspiel will likely be the last event of the year until the new season picks up in October.

Sports Card soccer

Age: 10

Aaron Hemens/NNSL Photo

George Lennie sweeps a rock shot by his teammate, Donna Maring, during the Inuvik Curling Club's second annual Mixed Doubles Funspiel on March 17.

Hailey Harrison

After a year of playing soccer, Hailey Harrison has learned that her favourite part about playing the sport is playing with a team. Playing alone is no fun, according to the forward.

She used to play regularly at school, but now she spends most of her time playing at Inuvik's Youth Centre. She's excited to start playing soccer outside again once summer rolls around

news

8 inuvik drum, Thursday, March 21, 2019

Neighbourly News Aaron Hemens is editor of the Inuvik Drum. Send your ideas to inuvikdrum@nnsl.com

Cycling man Beaufort Delta Region To prepare for his six-week quest to climb Mt. Everest, one U.K. resident spent two weeks cycling from Whitehorse to Tuktoyaktuk via the Aklavik and Inuvik ice roads.

Peter Newland, who makes a living training Wildlife Protection Rangers in Kenya, began his journey in late-February and finished in mid-March. In total, he cycled nearly 1,600 km.

"Just wanted to let you know how friendly everyone in the Yukon and NWT have been, lots asking if I was okay on cold mornings, people giving me coffee, muffins and generally being concerned," Newland wrote in an email.

Throughout his expedition, he said that he set up camp wherever possible, occasionally refueling at garages and community shops.

"NWT is an awesome place with great people," he wrote

Attention parents or guardians Tuktoyaktuk Tuktoyaktuk's Mangilaluk School for students in kindergarten to Grade 12 is inviting parents or guardians in the community to recommend any programs, ideas or initiatives

to better improve the school's attendance rate.

So far for the 2018/19 academic year, the school hosted a pizza party for students who were in attendance for 17 out of the possible 18 classes in September.

Food baskets were handed out to students who attended 75 per cent of classes in November, which was bumped up to 85 per cent in December.

In December, six students were awarded either food baskets or Apple Airpods for attending 90 per cent of classes.

Fieldworker for hire Ulukhaktok The Olokhaktomiut Hunters and Trappers Committee (OHTC) in Ulukhaktok is looking to hire a fieldworker for its upcoming polar bear survey scheduled to take place on March 25.

In addition to having their own gear and sleeping bag, the ideal candidate must also have a good eye for spotting bears and their tracks, have a tolerance for air sickness and long hours in a helicopter, experience in appropriately handling collected samples, and must be able to adapt to periods of down time when weather conditions restrict aerial transportation.

The deadline to apply for the position is March 22 at the OHTC's office.

Public engagement session Tsiigehtchic A public engagement session was hosted at Tsiigehtchic's cultural wellness camp on March 20, where community members discussed how

Guests in town

Aaron Hemens/NNSL Photo

A film crew from Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), a German public service broadcaster, was in Inuvik last week to create a reportage of life in the North. The team, which operates from ZDF's New York bureau, explored Inuvik's Muslim community, and also looked at permafrost in the area. Pictured is cameraman Brian Dentz, left, with the team's correspondent, Johannes Hano outside Inuvik's Midnight Sun Mosque on March 17. they can better develop action plans on sustainable livelihoods and traditional knowledge.

The event, which was hosted by the GNWT's Environment and Natural Resources department, explored community challenges, needs, opportunities and priorities regarding country

foods, traditional economies, land-based learning and traditional knowledge.

As a result of the meeting, community members are hoping to better support community-driven sustainable livelihood programs and initiatives.