Sunday 28 February 2010

Michael J. Fox Winter Olympic commercial

Michael J. Fox appears in a CTV (TSN) Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games special commercial before Team Canada Hockey Game versus Norway.

New Book Reviews in Northern Studies: The Northern Review, Spring 2010

From: Brad Martin [bmartin@yukoncollege.yk.ca]
 
New Book Reviews in Northern Studies: The Northern Review, Spring 2010
 
In an effort to generate discussion in the northern studies community about recent works in the field, book reviews from the upcoming Spring 2010 issue of The Northern Review have been published on the homepage of the Northern Research Network (NRN) website. Book titles and reviewers are listed below. The NRN homepage is here: http://northernresearchnetwork.electrified.ca. NRN members will also find the reviews in the book reviews section of the website.
 
Authors and others are encouraged to respond to the reviews in writing. Responses will be edited by the book review editor of The Northern Review and posted on the NRN website in an effort to stimulate constructive discussion. For details, contact the book reviews editor, Brad Martin, at bmartin@yukoncollege.yk.ca.  

In the near future, book reviews published in print by The Northern Review will be available on the new journal website.

The Northern Review is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal concerned with exploration of human experience in the North. Yukon College publishes the journal twice a year, in spring and fall. Submissions in the social sciences, humanities and arts are welcome. Contact managing editor Deanna McLeod at dmcleod@yukoncollege.yk.ca or visit http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/review.

Book Reviews:
 

Biocultural Diversity and Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Human Ecology in the Arctic. By Karim Aly-Kassam. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2009. Reviewed by Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox, PhD, Fox Consulting, Yellowknife, NT, Canada.

 

Home is the Hunter: The James Bay Cree and Their Land. By Hans M. Carlson. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2008. Reviewed by John Sandlos, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

 

Arctic Front: Defending Canada in the Far North. By Ken S. Coates, P. Whitney Lackenbauer, William R. Morrsion, and Greg Poelzer. Toronto: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2008. Reviewed by Douglas Clark, University of Saskatchewan.

 

Alutiiq Villages under Russian and U.S. Rule. By Sonja Luehrmann. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 2008. Reviewed by Nadia Jackinsky-Horrell, University of Washington.

 

Family and Community Life in Northeastern Ontario: The Interwar Years. By Françoise Noël. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press 2009. Reviewed by Peter V. Krats, University of Western Ontario.

 

Legacies and Change in Polar Sciences: Historical, Legal and Political Reflections on the International Polar Year. By Jessica M. Shadian and Monica Tennberg, eds.  Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2009. Reviewed by Adam M. Sowards, University of Idaho.

 

White Lies about the Inuit. By John L. Steckley. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2008. Reviewed by Frank Tester, School of Social Work, University of British Columbia, and Department of Native Studies, University of Manitoba.

 

The Big Thaw: Travels in the Melting North. By Ed Struzik. Mississauga, Ontario: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd., 2009. Reviewed by Ross Coen, University of Alaska Fairbanks, former Climate Change Policy Analyst for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.



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http://northernresearchnetwork.electrified.ca

Submit inquiries and announcements to:
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Please do not print this e-mail
unless it is necessary.


Saturday 27 February 2010

CFP: Environmental Histories of the North: Landscapes, Voices, Traditions

Environmental Histories of the North: Landscapes, Voices, Traditions

A meeting of the Nordic Environmental History Network (NEHN)
Sponsored by Nordforsk and NiCHE
Stockholm, Sweden
14 – 15 October 2010


This meeting will feature papers that explore the mutual shaping of people and place in the North. Rather than take the "North" for granted as an entity, this meeting challenges participants to think about how the North should be defined as an object of inquiry for environmental history. The Arctic may be the most obvious northern region, but while the Arctic is a key part of the North, we do not want to focus solely on the Arctic; rather, we are interested in trying to define how the North exists now, and how it has been negotiated historically, as a both a geographical and cultural space.

What makes places northern? Some possibilities include the dark winters, the short but light and productive summers, and the remoteness of locations from large population centres and the difficulty of traveling there. Northern countries may be on the fringe of the globe but they are in the center of global trade networks as leading exporters of some goods (like gas, timber, minerals, and fish) and importers of others (such as coffee and tropical fruits). Perhaps the ideas of center and periphery have developed differently in the North than elsewhere, and even concepts of east ad west, south and north tend to become less absolute in the vicinity of the Pole. Where does the North begin?

Are there particular relationships between people and nature that have become dominant in northern areas? Can the prevalence of outdoor recreation including hunting, berry picking, and leisure cabins be tied to the northern environments? What have been the political and social implications of the environmental challenges and opportunities found in geography, climate, and resources of the North? What has characterized southern discourses of "north," and northern discourses of "south"? What is characteristic of the representations of the North, in literature, art, film, and other media?

The meeting will feature presentations and group discussions of pre-circulated draft articles by approximately 15 scholars. We embrace contributions from all scholarly disciplines but we will put a strong emphasis on historical scope and perspective and we insist on a solid presence of environmental aspects.

The output from the meeting will be an edited volume with the same title as the meeting published with an international academic press with a fall 2012 target date for final publication. The volume will be co-edited by Dolly Jørgensen and Sverker Sörlin. Papers revised based on the comments received during the meeting must be submitted to the editors in early 2011.

We aim to cover all or parts of travel costs for the meeting participants. NEHN will pay for the travel expenses and lodging for paper presenters from the Nordforsk network countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Baltic countries). The Network in Canadian History of the Environment (NiCHE) will cover expenses for two Canadian scholars. However, we also welcome participants from other countries and we are pursuing funding sources with the intent of covering some of their expenses.

For consideration, submit an abstract of 250 words or less to norden@miljohistorie.net by 22 March 2010. The papers will be selected by 1 April. The draft papers for pre-circulation will be due 19 September 2010.

If you would like more information about NEHN, please visit our website at http://norden.miljohistorie.net/

 
Contact:

Finn Arne Jorgensen
Dept of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
7491 Trondheim
Norway
Email: norden@miljohistorie.net
Visit the website at http://norden.miljohistorie.net



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Northern Research Network
http://northernresearchnetwork.electrified.ca

Submit inquiries and announcements to:
research.north@gmail.com

Please do not print this e-mail
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Tropicana "Arctic Sun"

On January 8, we brought the sun to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Because we believe brighter mornings make for brighter days. Join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tropicanacana da

The Roots Challenge, a national competition of short films and multimedia

Radio Canada International's Special Projects Team launches The Roots Challenge, a national competition of short films and multimedia productions. The Roots Challenge is open to all Canadians and permanent residents, 18 years and older, who wish to submit a video or multimedia production, 3 to 8 minutes in lenght. This competition targets citizen participation and aims to show the contribution of all cultures to the canadian mosaic.

Radio Canada International is looking for original productions, in all styles, that present a story about your roots or lack of. Avant-garde, sit-com, short docs, all styles are welcome in video, animated shorts, photo essays, anything that shows the story in a visual form!

Contest Racines - Roots 

Rules http://roots.rcinet.ca/rules

http://ow.ly/1c1DC

Radio Canada International is looking for original productions all styles 03/7/10 

The competition has a french section also, called Racines. In French as in English, the productions must be submitted by March 7th 2010. The winners will share nearly $13,000 in prizes and their names will be disclosed on line in the spring of 2010. RCI's jury will select 8 winners, 4 in French and 4 in English and web surfers will also have a chance to vote for their favorite production in the "short film" and multimedia categories, at www.rcinet.ca/roots

Friday 26 February 2010

2009 Northwest Territories Survey of Diamond Mining Employees Finds Recreational Opportunities, Family Closeness and Cost of Living Key Factors

2009 Northwest Territories Survey of Diamond Mining Employees Finds Recreational Opportunities, Family Closeness and Cost of Living Key Factors

http://ow.ly/1bBDF

A survey of diamond mine employees has found that recreational opportunities, closeness to family and friends and cost of living are all key factors when they are thinking about moving to or from the Northwest Territories.

Released today, the 2009 NWT Survey of Mining Employees was produced by the NWT Bureau of Statistics on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the three NWT diamond mine companies: BHP Billiton Canada Inc., Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., and De Beers Canada Inc. The surveyrsquo;s goal was to find out what factors motivate diamond mine employees in their decisions about residing in the NWT.

";The information obtained in this survey will be invaluable as the Government of the Northwest Territories and the diamond mining companies search for ways to attract more diamond mine employees to live in the NWT, and to retain the ones already living here," says the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Bob McLeod.
 
Direct employees from all three mines and contract employees of two of the mines were targeted in the survey. Of the employees that were targeted, 93.5 percent responded to the survey.


The survey will be analyzed by the government and the diamond mining companies to determine the opportunities and challenges there are in attracting more diamond mine employees to live in the NWT and keeping the employees already living in the territory.

The survey is one aspect of the efforts to increase employment of NWT residents at the diamond mines as outlined under the Northern Mining Workforce Initiative Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU was signed in 2008 by the Ministers of Education, Culture and Employment and Industry, Tourism and Investment and the presidents of the three diamond mines

Thursday 25 February 2010

Error on NNSL website - Qulliit Status of Women Council president Donna Adams???????

http://www.nnsl.com/nunavutnews/nunavut.html

RCMP

NNSL  photo/graphic
PUBLISHED MONDAYS - UPDATED DAILY

New Qulliit Status of Women Council president Donna Adams, at her desk, has set three main priorities for the current term, along with her fellow council members. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo ARROW   Read more
NNSL Photo/Graphic
Young Iqaluit woman leads trek to North Pole

Iqaluit's Sarah McNair-Landry could be the youngest person to lead a trek to the North Pole.
The 23-year-old is guiding Australian couple Rob Rigato and Linda Beilhaiz on a 60-day trek to the pole.
"I am looking forward to the experience," said McNair-Landry. ARROW Continued

See also:
News LinkCrown rejects manslaughter plea in RCMP death
News LinkLibrary offers Inuktitut lessons for kids
News LinkNunavut: week in pictures
News LinkSkateboarding way up North

Monday 22 February 2010

NWT SCAN Legislation - Statement by John Howard Society's Lydia Bardak

RT @Northern_Clips: #NWT MLA Hawkins & SCAN legislation (Safer Communities & Neighbourhoods) http://ow.ly/1adwJ Statement by John Howard Society's Lydia Bardak

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: john howard society <lydia_jhsnwt@theedge.ca>
Date: 22 February 2010 22:53
Subject: SCAN Legislation

 
Hi there -
 
I see that Robert Hawkins is looking to resuscitate Brendan Bell's SCAN legislation (Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods).  I have sent the following comments to all MLAs:
 
I urge caution before considering the implementation of civil remedies for criminal matters.
 
We have a criminal code and criminal justice system in place to deal with many of the offences covered under SCAN legislation.  The criminal justice system uses a high standard of proof, "beyond a reasonable doubt," and provides other checks and balances that safeguard citizens against false prosecution and harassment.  Under civil law, the burden of proof is significantly less, and so are the safeguards, checks, and balances that protect individuals' rights and freedoms.  At the same time, SCAN legislation allows for what we consider a serious punishment: eviction from a person's home and shelter.
 
This legislation will have serious and negative effects on Aboriginal people, single moms, and those living in poverty.  Our Legal Aid system does not provide coverage for civil matters therefore anyone living in poverty will likely not afford defense counsel.
 
It is unclear how eviction provisions, in particular, would apply to residential properties occupied by their owners. This leads to a concern about how SCAN legislation could disproportionately affect low income Northerners, since there is a strong association between renting and low income:  renters tend to spend a larger proportion of their incomes for their dwellings, and people with low incomes tend to be renters.
 
While SCAN legislation will likely result in re-election, it will do nothing to reduce victimization.  There is no evidence that SCAN reduces crime.  In fact, in Manitoba, the jurisdiction with the longest experience, they can not demonstrate a reduction in crime.  The vast majority of complaints have been found, upon investigation, to be unfounded...wasting tax payers' money.
 
There is concern however, that under SCAN legislation, criminal activity does not stop, but simply moves.  If we start evicting people in our communities, won't they simply gravitate to Yellowknife?
 
SCAN is no way to show leadership...it's adoption demonstrates being led by the uninformed.
 
I urge all MLAs to find out for themselves if SCAN has achieved the desired results anywhere in Canada...the evidence simply is not there.

I have attached something that I wrote the last time this surfaced.
 
Lydia
JHSNWT
920-4276

"No one is disposable."

SCAN Legislation…What's the hurry? 

Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory all have SCAN Legislation.  Has there been evidence of a reduction in crime in those jurisdictions?  It is simply too early to determine if crime has decreased because of SCAN Legislation. 

Statistics Canada tells us that crime has been going down all across Canada for the past 15 years, before SCAN and including in the provinces and territory with SCAN Legislation.  Why not wait and see if SCAN actually produces the results they are expecting?  If it does, we can re-visit this in the future. 

Community members are being told that SCAN can eliminate bootlegging, gambling, prostitution and drug dealing.  Drug dealers and bootleggers are in business because there is a market for what they sell.  If there was no demand for drugs or alcohol, they would not stick around.  A major cause of crime is the widening gap between the rich and those living in poverty.  How does SCAN address that?  

Restrictions do not work.  Prohibition does not work.  The reasons that people turn to illegal substances or substance abuse are very strong and compelling.  Not addressing those reasons is irresponsible. 

Once you shut down a home or move someone out, where will they go?  Take for example, a young man who has been bootlegging.  Move him out of his home and he moves in with his parents because you would have to look pretty far to find a mother who can turn her back on her children.  His behaviour continues, only now he is disrupting his elderly parents' lives.  Move him out of there and he moves in with his sister, bringing chaos to his nieces and nephews.  Move him out of there and he comes to the streets of Yellowknife, ends up in jail, eventually gets out and continues his harmful behaviour because we can figure out how to punish him, but we can't figure out how to help him. 

Enforcement alone never solves crime…it makes criminals out of the traumatized, the hurting and the sick.  It ties up our courts and correctional facilities, but it doesn't "fix" anything.  Prevention and education programs together with treatment and healing MUST accompany enforcement in order to be effective.  In other words, eliminate all the drug dealers, bootleggers, and prostitutes that you want…buyers are still out there.  Deal with the underlying issues if you want to see results. 

Other jurisdictions have not yet seen charter challenges or appeals because Legal Aid does not pay for lawyers on civil matters.  SCAN will take people into civil court – not covered by legal aid and thereby leaving people vulnerable.  The big drug dealers will be able to buy lawyers, but the small time, small town dealers won't have the wherewithal.  

Why not build on progress made using community-based solutions?  Why not support the Community Justice Committees and Community Wellness Workers to develop programs for youth, those with addictions, those with mental health issues, those who are unemployed, etc.  Why not support the non-government service providers who are so sadly under-funded? 

Think about it…we can do better than SCAN! 

Lydia Bardak

John Howard Society of the Northwest Territories

920-4276





Live Webcast Interview Archives for Yellowknife's Auror Arts Society Artists Demonstration - Sunday, February 21, 2010

Aurora Arts Society live webcast archives
for Sunday, February 21, 2010

For the main page.... where the live streaming happened on Sunday...
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/aurora-arts-society
we even had a viewer from the Yukon!

Interview with Hazel Wainwrite, quilter
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4920095
Also available on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO5OX7UrNz4

Interview with Landon Peters, Painter
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4919647
Also available on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CzPnQVzWMk

Interview with Janet Pacey
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4919741
Also available on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtgDZLBefpk

Interview with Sheila Anderson and Terry Pamplin
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4919944
Also available on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb_T56PSJd4

Aurora Arts Society website
http://www.auroraarts.ca/




GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et  medias
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com
Website
My Biography - My panoramic images - Photo Illustrations - Circumpolar Blog
Community Radio Around the World Blog - Photography Blog
El Alto to Lake Titicaca Bolivia Photo Book
Chelyabinsk Russian Village Photo Book
Arviat, Nunavut Photo Book
Yellowknife Maps
Twitter Feed on Northern  & First Nations Isuues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective


Chat Skype: themediamentor Google Talk: mediamentor@gmail.com

Sunday 21 February 2010

Yellowknife's Aurora Arts Society Monthly Artists Demo webstream website & archives

For the main page.... where the live streaming happened...
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/aurora-arts-society

Interview withHazel Wainwrite, quilter
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4920095

Interview with Landon Peters, Painter
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4919647

Interview with Janet Pacey
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4919741

Interview with Sheila Anderson and Terry Pamplin
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4919944

Please ask me for the code for embedding you you website(s)

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et  medias
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com
Website
My Biography - My panoramic images - Photo Illustrations - Circumpolar Blog
Community Radio Around the World Blog - Photography Blog
El Alto to Lake Titicaca Bolivia Photo Book
Chelyabinsk Russian Village Photo Book
Arviat, Nunavut Photo Book
Yellowknife Maps
Twitter Feed on Northern  & First Nations Isuues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective


Chat Skype: themediamentor Google Talk: mediamentor@gmail.com

Inuit Shamanism and Christianity Transitions and Transformations in the Twentieth Century

laugrand-innuit.jpg

http://ow.ly/19Kik

Inuit Shamanism and Christianity
Transitions and Transformations in the Twentieth Century
Frédéric B. Laugrand and Jarich G. Oosten
A study of the resilience of Inuit cosmology with a focus on shamanism and its transformation after the adoption of Christianity.
McGill-Queen's Native and Northern Series  #59
Paper (077353590X) 9780773535909
Release date: 2009-11-27
CA $32.95  |  US $32.95

Peter and the Wolf Part #2

Members from the Aurora Arts Society http://auroraarts.ca/ paint live, inspired by the musical performance at the January 19, 2010 performance. Music performed by Classics on Stage Yellowknife (COSY) and the Saint Lawrence String Quartet with special guests David Hoyt and Alycia Au
http://vimeo.com/9605706

Saturday 20 February 2010

Live Video / Audio Stream of the Aurora Arts Society Artists Demonstration - Sunday, February 21, 2010

Aurora Arts Society Monthly Artists Demo
You may view/listen to the live video/audio stream via the internet at this address
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/aurora-arts-society

Internet viewers will be able to ask questions of the participants via the site's chatroom.


Sunday, February 21, 2010

Noon – 4:00 p.m.

Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre

in the café area on the second floor


This Sunday, February 21 2010 , the Aurora Arts Society will be hosting the second artists demonstration of the new year from 12: 00 noon to 4:00 p.m. in the café area on the second floor at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

This weekend the artists will be:

  • Landon Peters - Acrylic Painting
  • Sheila Andersen - Life Drawing Demonstrations (with a live model)
  • Terry Pamplin - Life Drawing Demonstrations (with a live model)
  • Janet Pacey – Quilting (one of Janet's patterns)
  • Hazel Wainwright – Quilting (one of Janet's patterns)


The demos are free and everyone is invited to drop in and watch the artists at work and enjoy some refreshments. This is an opportunity to meet the artists, ask questions, and get inspired. Please drop by to show your support for local artists and the arts community in Yellowknife.


GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et  medias
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com
Website
My Biography - My panoramic images - Photo Illustrations - Circumpolar Blog
Community Radio Around the World Blog - Photography Blog
El Alto to Lake Titicaca Bolivia Photo Book
Chelyabinsk Russian Village Photo Book
Arviat, Nunavut Photo Book
Yellowknife Maps
Twitter Feed on Northern  & First Nations Isuues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective


Chat Skype: themediamentor Google Talk: mediamentor@gmail.com

Yellowknife Tenant Association’s (YTA)

RT @Northern_Clips: Yellowknife Tenant Association #YTA http://ow.ly/19r3E #YZF #NWT #rent #lease Bryan Sutherland info@yellowknifetenantassociation.com

"... The YTA is currently a volunteer service that depends on volunteers who can advise each other based on their personal experience, we meet once a week, Sundays 3-6pm at the After * Billiard Hall, however it is a primary mandate for the YTA to generate funds to support a full time Tenant Advocate, and a YTA office, to provide client services to all tenants of the City of Yellowknife.

The Yellowknife Tenant Association's (YTA) primary responsibility is to provide support services to members during dispute resolution with their landlord. We also perform many other services and responsibilities that benefit our members.

In rent alone, Yellowknife tenants contribute more than 2 million dollars a month to the City of Yellowknife economy! That is more than $25,000,000.00 a year being paid to landlords in Yellowknife, who operate, it total, more than 2,200 units in the city.

The YTA is the only source of support for tenants during disputes with their landlord and that is looking-out for the interest of tenants in the City of Yellowknife. The YTA is not only responsive to it's members needs, but takes proactive steps to create and maintain a healthy rental market in North America's Diamond Capital; Yellowknife.

The YTA is an initiative by a long time tenant in the City of Yellowknife, Bryan Sutherland, and a small group of volunteer who have had first hand experiences dealing with the regulatory system of the GNWT rental markets..

In time we hope to be an elected board and a permanent full time office that is dedicated to supporting tenants of Yellowknife during times of disagreement with their landlord, and in promoting a healthy rental environment in the NWT.

Until we are able to staff an office for the Yellowknife tenants; VOLUNTEERS will work with each other to support each other using our experiences, and the Board Members will track complaints, provide advice, and generally coordinate the efforts of the YTA to fulfill its primary mandate, to provide support services to tenants of Yellowknife in application of the, GNWT Landlord and Tenant Act. ..."


Friday 19 February 2010

Declining Caribou Herds talkshop in Saskatoon reps from NWT, Nunavut, Saskatchewan & Manitoba

Declining #Caribou Herds talkshop in Saskatoon http://ow.ly/19kIr Beverly & Qamanirjuaq Management Board #NWT #Nunavut

Elders, Hunters And Others Head To Saskatoon Workshop With A Common Goal: To Help Declining Caribou Herds Rebuild

Stonewall, Manitoba February 18, 2010 - Almost 75 participants – among them many elders and hunters from northern Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories (NWT), plus Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB) members from those jurisdictions as well as from Nunavut and Manitoba – will brainstorm at a special caribou workshop in Saskatoon between February 23 and 25.

They will suggest ways to reverse the major population decline of the Beverly barren-ground caribou herd, and to try to make sure that the neighbouring Qamanirjuaq and Ahiak caribou populations don't suffer the same major drop. Current data show that globally, most caribou herds are decreasing.

"We have to remember that our ancestors left the caribou for us, our parents left the caribou for us," says BQCMB chairman Albert Thorassie. "Now it's our turn to make sure we leave caribou to our kids and our children's kids. It's a tradition."

The workshop, being held at the Saskatoon Inn, has been organized by the BQCMB with the aid of numerous organizations. A report from the workshop will go to governments, communities and organizations as recommendations. Actions to be identified by workshop participants will likely be carried out by governments, the BQCMB, communities, companies and individuals.

The BQCMB advises governments (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, NWT, Nunavut and Canada) and communities on conservation and management of two barren-ground caribou populations, the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq herds. The Beverly herd's range has historically extended from northern Saskatchewan through NWT to the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, while the Qamanirjuaq herd ranges primarily from northern Manitoba into the southern Kivalliq.

The NWT government has conducted reconnaissance surveys on the Beverly calving ground for the past three years, finding progressively fewer animals. In June 2009, fewer than 100 adult caribou were counted on the calving ground during the peak of the calving period, compared to 5,737 animals counted using comparable methods in 1994.

Reconnaissance surveys are not population surveys – they only provide a snapshot of some of the animals on the calving ground during the June calving period. The Beverly herd's current population is not known. In 1994, when surveys required to calculate a population estimate were last done, the herd numbered around 276,000.

But even without a current estimate of total population, it's clear that the Beverly herd has suffered a major population decline. The causes may be a mix of natural and human-caused factors. These include the natural caribou population cycle, parasites, diseases, predation, climate change, and changes in habitat (including winter range lost to forest fires). Limited satellite-collar data indicate that some cows that had previously calved on the Beverly calving ground shifted to the Ahiak calving ground in recent years. The Beverly herd may also have been affected by human-caused activities, including mineral exploration and development, and hunter harvest.

The BQCMB urges everyone – governments, companies and individuals alike – to do everything possible to take pressure off the Beverly herd right away. The herd will need the most favourable conditions over many years for its population to increase again.

Communities in northern Saskatchewan especially have depended on hunting Beverly caribou to feed their families. The herd has also been hunted by residents in Lutselk'e, Fort Smith and Fort Resolution in NWT, and Baker Lake in Nunavut.

The goal of the BQCMB's caribou workshop is to identify realistic management actions that communities are likely to support. The purpose of the workshop is not to discuss consultation requirements or to debate treaty rights – rather, it is to have a productive discussion about what everyone can do to ensure the survival of caribou.

The BQCMB has already identified five priorities for action to help the Beverly herd:

1. Governments and others should protect areas that are very important to caribou, starting with the calving grounds.

2. Governments and regulatory agencies should do more to help protect caribou from disturbance and habitat loss resulting from mineral exploration and development, which have been increasing for years across the Beverly caribou range.

3. Hunters should help by taking only what they need.

4. Hunters should help by preventing wastage.

5. Hunters should help by harvesting bulls instead of cows whenever possible.

Next week's caribou workshop is possible as a result of the generous financial support of a wide array of organizations: the NWT's Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Nunavut's Department of Environment, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, the NWT and Nunavut regional offices of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Manitoba Conservation, the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Athabasca Land Use Office, the Athabasca Denesuline Negotiation Team, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, WWF-Canada, AREVA Resources Canada Inc., Cameco Corp. and the BQCMB.

– 30 –

Backgrounder (.pdf file)


For more information, contact:

Ross Thompson
BQCMB Secretary-Treasurer
Phone: (204) 467-2438
E-mail: rossthompson[at]mts.net

Marion Soublière
BQCMB Communications
Phone: (613) 304-2742
E-mail: caribounews[at]arctic-caribou.com

 

International Conference on Indigenous Place Names

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International Conference on Indigenous Place Names

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For more information, please contact: icipn2010@samiskhs.no.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

First Call for Papers

International Conference on Indigenous Place Names

September 3-8, 2010 Sámi allaskuvla – Sámi University College,
Guovdageaidnu, Norway

Indigenous place names once filled the landscapes of pre-colonial societies around the world. People all over the world have been working to bring Indigenous place names back to the forefront noting their critical importance to strengthening the rights of Indigenous peoples, revitalizing languages, maintaining cultural identity, and educating communities about the ecological wisdom connected with the oral traditions of Indigenous
peoples.

Sámi University College, an Indigenous higher education institution in Sápmi (Sámiland) and host of the first International Conference on Indigenous Place Names (ICIPN) invites scholars from around the world currently working with Indigenous place names to join this first multidisciplinary conference. Abstract submission: March 15, 2010. For further information, please look at the webpage http://www.icipn2010.no
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Thursday 18 February 2010

Arctic Permafrost in the James Bay region has retreated 130 km in 50 years

RT @Northern_Clips: #Arctic #Permafrost in the James Bay region has retreated 130 km in 50 years http://ow.ly/18OCP journal Permafrost and Periglacial Processes

Palsas in Peat Bog

Caption: Pictured are lichen and shrub–covered palsas surrounded by a pond resulting from melting permafrost in a bog near the village of Radisson, Canada.

Credit: Serge Payette

Usage Restrictions: None

Related news release: Permafrost line recedes 130 km in 50 years



Information:
Serge Payette
Department of Biology
Université Laval
418 656-2131 ext. 7538
serge.payette@bio.ulaval.ca

Source:
Jean-François Huppé
Media Relations
Université Laval
418 656-7785
jean-francois.huppe@dc.ulaval.ca




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