Chida Henry was an intern with Environmental Women in Action for Development (EWAD) in summer 2011.

Adam Gaudry is Métis and a PhD candidate in indigenous governance.

As the government of Canada meets with First Nations leaders, this will be an important part of the “moving forward” rhetoric. While there has long been a “moral imperative” argument to renew Indigenous-Canada relations, the idea that there is an economic imperative to “fix” this relationship is a relatively new one, emerging after a series of Canadian court cases in the 1990s obligated government and industry to “consult” Indigenous communities before extracting resources from their territories.

Imagine you’ve taken a weekend surf trip up to Tofino, are lounging between sets, leaning on your arms, hands in the sand on Long Beach, when, on the horizon you spot waves bringing in . . . lumber . . . an upturned boat . . . a mass of waste two times the size of Texas?

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives were elected with less than 40 per cent of Canadians’ support. Yet, amazingly and alarmingly, they hold a majority government and are currently flaunting it by passing ludicrous bills and making ridiculous statements. Below, we outline some of the many reasons that Harper sucks.

As a child, looking into the mirror was intriguing and exciting. As a university student, I avoid mirrors. It seems that many of us are searching for qualities others possess instead of appreciating our own.

BIG BROTHER MAY BE OUT OF HIS LEAGUE

COLIN EDGE

The shutting down of file-sharing website Megaupload on Thursday, Jan. 19 was an attempt to dominate a larger framework of free social interaction that is inherently beyond the control of any single entity, including the U.S. government. PIPA (Protect Internet Protocol Act) was a proposed law to protect against copyright infringement. Had the law been passed, the U.S. government would have had dictatorial power over Internet activity. It would force popular social networking sites, file sharing sites and search engines to undergo continual self scrutiny to prevent linking to material that potentially infringes on copyright. A single link on someone’s Facebook page could lead to website terminations, job losses and major lawsuits. The U.S. government didn’t notify Megaupload executives, or gave them an opportunity to challenge in court before shutting down the website. The government alleged Megaupload executives were engaged in a “conspiracy” to intentionally upload copyright infringing material, and accused Megaupload of depriving copyright owners of some $500 million. While the U.S. government’s claim lacked factual evidence, its termination of Megaupload was uncontested, which is what concerns supporters of the free-domain Internet. Acts like PIPA threaten to establish a big-brother state environment, similar to that of state dictatorships — or George Orwell’s 1984, in which individual actions are continually monitored by the government. In this environment, holding offenders accountable will be a challenge for government officials. Not all two billion Internet users are infringing on copyright, yet those connected to an offender are likely to experience consequences nonetheless. Such is the case for many Megaupload subscribers now seeking refunds.

Video games should be an essential vitamin in your child’s diet. Game early, game often I say. With a 14-month-old at home and a new baby on the way in August, nothing excites me more about being a dad than sharing my passion for video games (among other nerdy things).

Last weekend, yet again, I found myself at a club against my instincts and better judgment. I had been under the impression that we would be heading downtown for casual drinks at a bar, but the club won out.

With the Northern Gateway pipeline project hearings now underway, fossil fuel industry supporters are fiercely debating with those that oppose the 1 172 kilometres dual pipelines that would run from the Alberta tarsands to Kitimat on the B.C. coast. Although the proposed pipeline is enjoying support from federal and provincial government and many who work in the oil industry, Enbridge, the company that is pushing the project, is now almost synonymous with environmental destruction in many communities in B.C. and across Canada. So it’s slightly shocking to see that the title sponsorship for the B.C. Cancer Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser is Enbridge.

Something extraordinary happened on Jan. 18, 2012: the Internet struck back.

I’m a sixth year undergraduate student. By the time I complete my current degree, I’ll be midway through year seven. There are certain stigmas attached to this — we live in a culture where a four, max five, year undergraduate stint is the norm. Some see me as indecisive and unproductive. Others assume I’ve taken time off, for work or play. In reality, I’ve spent the last 6 years flirting with different subjects and falling in love with quite a few of them. I’ve completed one degree in writing, the majority of a second in chemistry, and a minor in commerce. It’s not that I haven’t decided what I want to do with my life; I just don’t see the point in rushing through it.

These days, it’s all about trends: the most talked-about news story or celebrity scandal, the hippest song in the new iPod commercial, the latest restaurant downtown. They’re hard to escape and even harder to ignore. I’ll admit, I’m an avid food follower. Since it’s the New Year, there are plenty of new food trends on the horizon, but I’m not interested in those. I’m here to discuss the food trends of yesteryear, the trends that just won’t quit. The food trends I want gone.

Going from high school to university is an overwhelming process for many students. On-campus living offers convenience, enhances personal and educational growth and provides greater opportunities for developing lifelong friendships. It provides assistance with developing a sense of responsibility, independence and maturity in a balanced way.

Headlines like “Thousands of same-sex marriages performed in Canada may not be legal” (National Post) provoked an intense response on Jan.12. The outcry arose after a lawyer for the Department of Justice told courts a lesbian couple could not get a divorce here, even though they had married in Canada in 2006. He said that because their respective places of residence (Florida and the U.K.) do not recognize the union, they were never actually married.

Thankfully, the Harper government has since backtracked on its lawyer’s statements. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said on Jan. 13, “We will change the Civil Marriage Act so that any marriages performed in Canada that aren’t recognized in the couple’s home jurisdiction will be recognized in Canada.” The news came as a relief to the 5 000 same-sex couples who have come from other countries to marry in Canada since the legalization of same sex marriage here in 2005.

Most of the time, legislating the ways humans may alter their state of mind turns sour. Surely prohibition taught us that! Ah, but heroin use is different from the responsible citizen only occasionally drinking or partak- ing in casual drug use. With regards to the rather more extreme way that heroin and other street drugs alter the mind, it’s probably worth asking whether we should enable this particular habit — with tax dollars, no less. Even smokers have to pay an arm and a lung for their cigarettes.

Some of you might be surprised to hear that this month a decision will be made that will affect the way Canadians interact with their national parks. Jasper National Park, located on the bor- der of B.C. and Alberta, 805 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, is one of Canada’s oldest and largest national parks. It was established in 1907 and boasts nearly 1000 kilometre of trails.

I was homeschooled by Shigeru Miyamoto. Not literally, but subjectively through the games he created. Specifically those for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Mario Kart was my first driving lesson. The Legend of Zelda provided me with wanderlust and an unrelenting desire to explore the outdoors surrounding my home. Star Fox taught me lessons of rolling maneuvers and conservation (“Use bombs wisely”).

Remember those daydreams, between receiving your letter of acceptance and walking out the door of your parents’ house for the last time, when you would sigh as you imagined university life? Remember eating at the same restaurant for four years so often that you didn’t even need to order anymore but were just handed a plate with chicken fingers and waffle fries; or hanging out with the same people every day until “the guy who peed his pants on frosh week” becomes “your boyfriend/your roommate’s ex-boyfriend”; or walking the same paths with the same familiar gardens until you could name each crack in the sidewalk in the dark on the short stumble home from the same bar you’ve been drinking at for four years?

Bombing Iran could cause a third oil shock. While the capabilities of the U.S. military to devastate Iran’s military capacity are obvious and apparent to all, Iran’s ability to strike back has been drastically understated.

It’s that time of year again. Where friends and family, or random strangers in the grocery store, ask: “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”