September 17, 1999 For Immediate Release

Three presentations are scheduled for a University of Northern British Columbia public lecture series on northern development that is being financially supported by the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation.

The Koerner Foundation of Vancouver was established in 1955 to promote the social, cultural, and educational development of British Columbia. The lecture titles are:

Canada's Arctic Council: Northern Niche or Damp Squib?
Monday, September 20th at 7pm in Agora room 7-238
David Scrivener is lecturer at Keele University in the United Kingdom and has studied environmental protection strategies in the Arctic and northern development strategies in Europe. The Arctic Council is composed of the eight Arctic states and was designed to create economic development, ensure environmental protection, and foster inter-cultural communication.

Northern BC's Response to International Markets
Thursday, October 28th at 7pm in Agora room 7-238
John Backhouse is British Columbia's first Northern Development Commissioner and he will suggest how international developments affect economic opportunities here.

When Eskimos Became Indians: The Legal History of Race Definition in Canada
Thursday, March 2nd at 7pm in Agora room 7-238
Constance Backhouse is a legal historian at the University of Western Ontario and has previously taught Inuit Legal Studies at Nunavut Arctic College. The definition of race is fundamental to First Nations land claims and self-government - two issues of vital importance to the current and future development of the North.

All of the lectures are open to the public and there is no admission cost.