Ipperwash Inquiry Report

In 1995, during the unarmed protest of a land claim dispute, Dudley George was killed by a police sniper.

George, pictured at left, was one of the Stoney Point band whose land was appropriated in 1942 under the War Measures Act to be used for a military base. The tribe has been trying to get the land back ever since.

The inquiry of George's death was called, in part, to look at the role that former Ontario premier Mike Harris [Conservative] may have played. During the inquiry, "former attorney general Charles Harnick... testified that former premier Mike Harris said 'I want the f****** Indians out of the park,' during a high level meeting about the Ipperwash occupation just hours before the fatal shooting of Dudley George. When Harris appeared at the inquiry in February 2006, he denied using that language." (CBC)

The police officer who shot George was "acting Sgt. Kenneth Deane of the OPP. In 1997, Deane was convicted of criminal negligence causing death after a court ruled he did not have a 'reasonable belief" George was armed. Deane later resigned from the force." (CBC)

While Native groups called for an inquiry, the Harris government claimed it had nothing to do with police actions that day. The inquiry was called days after the Liberal government was elected in 2003 -- eight years after the incident.

The following year, the CBC obtained copies of video surveillance tapes that contain the use of may racist slurs by the police.

For info about today's report go here.

For an in depth look at the incident at Ipperwash go here.

The CBC will be covering the release of the final report live at 10 a.m. this morning. (I assume that would be Eastern Time.)

Colleen

Face paint

The times they are a changin' albeit very, very slowly.

It wasn't long ago that Caucasian actors would wear fact paint to portray Native Americans on screen.

This summer Graham Greene, perhaps best known for his Academy Award nominated role of Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves, will be performing at the Stratford Theatre in the roles of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and as Lennie in Of Mice and Men.

This is Mr. Greene's first Shakespearean role. In an interview with CBC radio, he said he wanted a new career challenge.

Break a leg, Mr. Greene.

From Wikipeida:

Greene is an Oneida, born in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario.

Greene's screen debut was in 1983 in Running Brave, and appeared in such films as Revolution and Powwow Highway, but it was his Academy Award nominated role Kicking Bird in the 1990 film Dances with Wolves that brought him stardom. This role was followed by such films as Thunderheart, Benefit of the Doubt, and Maverick, and the television series Northern Exposure and The Red Green Show. He also hosted the reality crime documentary show Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science.

In 1992 he played the role of Ishi the last Yahi in the HBO drama The Last of His Tribe. In 1994, he began appearing as Mr. Crabby Tree in the children's series The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon for which he received his first, and so far only Gemini Award. In 1997, Greene suffered a major depressive attack, and had to be hospitalized after a police encounter. He survived the ordeal, and subsequently was featured as Arlen Bitterbuck, a Native American on death row in the Oscar-nominated The Green Mile (1999). He starred in the short-run television series Wolf Lake in 2001. In 2004, he accepted the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement at the Gemini Awards.

In 2005, he re-emerged as the potential love interest in Transamerica of a pre-operative transsexual woman. He also appeared as himself in a parody of the famous Lakota-brand pain reliever commercials, on CBC Television's Rick Mercer Report. In 2006, Greene was the presenter of the documentary series The War that Made America about the French and Indian War of the mid-18th century.

Colleen

Canada's big lies

Canadians have a love-hate relationship with the U.S. As the mouse lying in bed next to the elephant, we live in fear that you migh roll over at the same time we're feeling like a girl who has downgraded on a date.

Here are a couple of myths that we circulate about Canada that allow us to feel morally superior to our cousins south of the border.

1) That Canada didn't have slavery.
2) That Canada's official policy toward Native peoples was one of neglect rather than genocide as was the American policy.

Neither of these statements is true.

On the first point, and one upon which I don't plan to dwell today, is that wherever the Brits were there was slavery. Slavery was a recognized government policy. As evidence I offer Mary-Josephe Angelique, the slave girl who was tortured into confessing that she started the Montreal Fire of 1734. She was hung and burned for her supposed guilt. (As an aside, last year, Angelique was honoured by Canada's Governor General Michaëlle Jean, an immigrant to Canada who descended from Haitian slaves.)

Canadian school kids are never taught about slavery in Canada. If we pretend it didn't happen, then maybe it didn't. Instead, we are taught about the Underground Railroad and our honourable role in offering sanctuary to escaped slaves. All the glory, none of the blame.

On the second point, I offer Lord Cornwallis who, in 1749, offered a bounty for Mi' kmaq scalps without censure from the British government.

Here's the relevant piece from Cornwallis' proclamation:

"For, those cause we by and with the advice and consent of His Majesty's Council, do hereby authorize and command all Officers Civil and Military, and all His Majesty's Subjects or others to annoy, distress, take or destroy the Savage commonly called Micmac, wherever they are found, and all as such as aiding and assisting them, give further by and with the consent and advice of His Majesty's Council, do promise a reward of ten Guineas for every Indian Micmac taken or killed, to be paid upon producing such Savage taken or his scalp (as in the custom of America) if killed to the Officer Commanding at Halifax, Annapolis Royal, or Minas." (Daniel Paul, We Were Not the Savages, p109)

(Not being familiar with British money or its worth in the 16th century, I found this for some comparison. The guinea was valued at just more than 1 pound. Almost 100 years after the proclamation, "In the 1850s and 60s [Charles] Dickens ... staff members were generally paid five guineas a week. " see attribution. A century earlier, 10 gns must have been a small fortune.)

The bounty continued for three years. There is no documentation of how much the British spent in honouring their proclamation, however, one group of hunters from Massachusetts found the returns lucrative enough to to spend two years here. There are other accounts of settlers using the bounty to supplement their incomes and still other accounts of scalps being traded by the bagful.

By 1838, there were only1,425 Mi' kmaq alive from a population of between 100,000 and 200,000 at the time of contact.

The decrease in population was not entirely due to bounty hunting, certainly. Starvation and disease took its toll. (Who can forget the heartwarming tale of giving the Mi' kmaq smallpox infected blankets?)

By 1853, William Chearnly, the Indian commissioner for Nova Scotia, convinced the government that the Mi' kmaq couldn't be saved and that it would be a waste of money to try. He argued that the government should give the First People of NS "a few blankets and greatcoats to help them in their final days." (Arthur Ray, I Have Lived Here Since the World Began, p 149.)

Perhaps, this is what we mean when we talk about our policy of neglect. I have a difficult time equating an approach of purposefully rounding people up and forcing them to live on uninhabitable lands, then refusing them food and shelter with simple neglect.

It sounds an awful lot like slaughter to me.

Colleen

Wounded Knee

HBO is airing a movie based on part of Dee Brown's classic Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Go here for the schedule.

Becca saw it last night and thought it was really good.

Plus the gorgeous Aidan Quinn and Adam Beach are in it.

Article on Diversity

I am really mad.

A few months ago, I was hired as a freelancer to write an article for a U.S. publication geared to law school students. The issues to be discussed were whether law school diversity was important, what law schools were doing to enhance diversity, and Michigan's recent law restricting programs that give minority students a leg up.

I conducted more than 20 interviews for the article including students, professors, deans, and administrators. One thing I noticed during many of the interviews was the focus on the "historical discrimination against black Americans." It stuck out for me because, in Canada, when we discuss diversity we don't single out anyone race/culture/gender/etc.

The other reason it stuck out for me was because I can't think of any group that has faced more historical discrimination than Native Americans.

And that brings me to why I'm so mad.

I have just seen a copy of the published article. The interview I conducted with a Native American law professor was cut. Entirely. There is not a Native American issue or viewpoint to be found in the whole article.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not advocating for issues affecting Black Americans or any other group to be ignored. Far from it. What I am saying is that Native issues aren't even on anyone's radar. The complete disregard for the realities and concerns of Tribal Nations is evidenced by the exclusion of that part of the article.

I had highlighted discrimination against Native Americans in my submission for a number of reasons. 1) because it's compelling; 2) because it's a different perspective of discrimination and one that is never given ink; 3) because it's newsworthy. (There aren't a lot of Native law professors.)

Apparently, none of these reasons were deemed important.

I have to ask how it is that an article about diversity can exclude an entire group of people?

The founding peoples of North America are completely invisible to non-Natives. We from the mainstream (if I can refer to white society as such) are ignorant about the treaties, laws, life, and culture of Native peoples.

Aren't we even a little curious?

Why are we content to be so ignorant?

I'm fuming.

Colleen

A Rant: The Big Valley Creation Science Museum

The Big Valley Creation Science Museum is opening in Alberta. Of course it's in Alberta, the redneck capital of Canada. Next thing you know, they'll be passing laws against teaching evolution in schools. (See Kansas above.)

The Big Valley Museum is a place that puts forward so-called scientific evidence to support young-earth theory, the Flood, and other biblical stories.

Here are a few quotes from its website.

The Evidence from Geology Display

"In this display we deal with the geological column, the fossil sequence and profound evidence for a past, global flood such as the Quartzite boulders of the Cypress Hills in Alberta and Saskatchewan."

Let's be clear there is NO geological evidence for a global flood.

Dinosaurs and Humans

"The 'Dinosaurs and Humans' display shows considerable evidence that not only did dinosaurs exist recently, but that humans existed with them. This evidence is fatal to the evolutionary dogma which has dinosaurs extinct at least 60 million years before humans evolved."

I've never understood how people can believe that the Earth is only 8,000 years old. However, for those who have an issue with scientific evidence, check out the American Science Affiliation. The ASA "is a fellowship of men and women in science and disciplines that relate to science who share a common fidelity to the Word of God and a commitment to integrity in the practice of science. In matters of science and Christian faith, we offer Christian scholarship, education, fellowship and service to ASA members, churches, educational institutions, the scientific community, and society."

From the ASA website:

In Coming to Peace with Faith, Darrel Falk says: "I explain my personal struggle with trying to bring harmony between my life as a biologist and the evangelical faith of my youth...one can be a full-fledged evangelical--with a sincere faith in personal salvation, a God who knows our name and hears our prayers, the reality of the virgin birth and resurrection, the pervasive presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our world, the reality of miracles and the inspired authority of Scripture--and yet still believe God created the Earth gradually over billions of years using biology's tools."

And Conrad Hyers, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Religion, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota said: "Not only do the extremes [science and religions] attempt to dismiss each other; ironically, they often have much in common. They both place religious and scientific statements on the same level; they both try to draw religious and anti-religious conclusions from scientific data and theory; they both interpret religious texts, such as the creation accounts, in terms Of scientific fact and model-either to defend the scientific truth of the Bible or to reject the Bible as primitive science. If one carefully distinguishes between the special literature and language of the Bible and that of modern science, resolution of apparent conflicts is possible."

I don't put this here to express my support of the ASA's views. I offer the group as a way for evangelical Christians to get their heads around science, since science seems to cause such an issue for people of this religious group.

Isn't Christianity supposed to be faith based? Wouldn't that mitigate the need to provide evidence of events described in the Bible? Isn't faith enough?

I can only assume that most Christians admire and make use of many scientific advances in medicine, technology, transportation, etc. Why then, must science be quashed when scientific evidence conflicts with religious beliefs?

Religion is faith based. Science is evidence based. Get over it already.

Colleen

Canada's New Government

In an effort to distance itself from the scandals of the previous Liberal government, Stephen Harper labels everything his Conservative government does with the tag, Canada's New Government. (Yes, always upper case.)

Here are some of the recent news release headlines...

Canada's New Government announces Support for Local Military Museum

Canada’s New Government announces Patient Wait Times Guarantees

Canada’s New Government delivers for veterans

Canada’s New Government substantially boosts support to development efforts in Afghanistan

Canada’s New Government announces investment to cut commute times, clear the air and drive the economy in the Greater Toronto Area

Canada’s New Government and Gates Foundation announce support for HIV/AIDS vaccine research

Ah... here's one that doesn't begin with Canada's New Government (or with the ever-popular, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces/addresses/unveils/etc.): Building a stronger, safer, better Canada.

How's he going to do that? you might be wondering. Let's take a look at the news release.

"Speaking today to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, the Prime Minister listed the accomplishments of Canada’s New Government [oh, there it is...] over the past year, and pointed to five priority areas that the government will focus on in the months ahead:

Further tax reductions as part of a comprehensive economic agenda; [FYI... in the details section of the news release, tax reductions are for hardworking Canadians only. I'm not sure who will be responsible for determining who is working hard and who isn't, but I figure that since I'm sitting at home sucking up my life savings while I bleed through my pores working on the next great Canadian novel, it won't be me.]

Continued steps to tackle crime; [In part, he wants to do this by strengthening border security. Hmmm. Must be an attempt to keep those pesky Bush refugees from fleeing north.]

Further strengthening Canada’s global image and rebuilding the Canadian Forces; [Please refer to blog on March 24, 2007: "In April 2006, the UN issued a news release that warned Canada its ranking [of best places to live] would drop to 48th if judged on the "economic and social well-being of its First Nations people."]

Strengthening the federation by addressing Senate reform and fiscal balance with the provinces; [Canada's New Government recently announced that it was backing out on its deal made last year with Nova Scotia to allow the "have not" province to receive both equalization payments and revenues from its off-shore oil reserves. I wonder if that's what Harper means by "strengthening the federation... and fiscal balance between provinces?"]

and

Clear, decisive steps to protect our environment. [“The fundamental challenge of our time is to make real progress on environmental protection while preserving jobs and standards of living,” the Prime Minister stated. ***I pulled that from the news release. If that isn't clear and decisive, I don't know what is!]

I want to pull my hair out.

Canada's New Government (I wonder how long it takes to stop being new) is sounding an awful lot like Canada's Old/Older/Oldest Governments.

Do we need to tackle the environment? You bet. But Harper hails from the West which has a booming economy fueled by the Tar Sands. He has already begun to waffle on forcing this project to meet emissions standards.

Do we need to make Canada safer? Sure. Who wouldn't want that? Perhaps Canada's New Government (CNG) could take a more serious look at Aboriginal Restorative Justice. The RCMP has had tremendous success with reducing young offender recidivism by implementing it in the communities it polices. As for strengthening our borders... well, it seems that the U.S. (with whom Canada shares the world's longest undefended border) is doing this for us. Although the U.S. regularly complains about Canada's seeming penchant for allowing terrorists in, no system is perfect and hey, we aren't the country who trained them how to fly. Okay, I know I shouldn't be flippant. It is an important issue.)

But, if we're going to talk about improving how the world sees us, why aren't we doing something serious and meaningful about our First Nations and Inuit peoples? Does placing on par with Guatemala and South Africa in terms of how we treat our Aboriginal people not bother us?

It seems to me that, if we are serious about strengthening our global image, we could start right here, at home, with our First Peoples.

What if Canadians began to demand strong platforms for improving the quality of life for our Aboriginal peoples?

What if Canadians began to educate themselves on why things are the way they are instead of blaming previous governments or the people themselves?

What if Canadians began demanding that their governments stop its 350-year-old shell game and start honouring its commitments?

What if?

It's time.

Colleen

Follow-up to letter to Jim Prentice

On March 22, I suggested that we could all write letters to our Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs about his unfulfilled promise to support the Kelowna Accord. I did, of course, send him a letter and thought I'd let you know that I haven't heard back from his office yet.


Not surprising, I suppose. Yet, I still have hopes for some sign of acknowledgement. As a former government employee who had to, on occasion, craft such letters for a minister, I know that responses can and do occur.


Day: 64 and counting.

Colleen

Calendonia Land Claim: The origins of dispute

It's hardly a wonder that today First Nations peoples are fighting to keep or re-appropriate their lands. As past treaties were signed to outline reserve borders and Crown lands to be held for Native use, white settlers were moving inside these boundaries and taking over land granted to First Nations communities. In addition, many of the payments for lands made to Native peoples were made in the form of shoddy goods or simply not delivered.

Here's the background of a current land claims dispute underway in Ontario which has, according to some estimates, cost the provincial government more than $55 million as of last October.


From CBC.ca files...

Six Nations natives and developer Henco Industries are involved in a land dispute over a 40-hectare tract near Hamilton, Ont. Here is a history of the land in question:

1784: For its loyalty to the British Crown during the American Revolution, the Six Nations is allowed to "take possession of and settle" a strip of land nearly 20 kilometres wide along the Grand River, from its source to Lake Erie, totaling about 385,000 hectares.

Henco Industries now says the so-called "Haldimand Grant" (named after the commander of the British forces) was merely a licence to occupy the lands, with legal title remaining with the Crown. Six Nations dispute that claim.

1792: Lt.-Gov. John Graves Simcoe reduces land grant to the Six Nations to 111,000 hectares.

1796: Six Nations grants its chief, Joseph Brant, the power of attorney to sell off some of the land and invest the proceeds. The Crown opposes the sales but eventually concedes.

1835: The Crown approaches Six Nations about developing Plank Road (now Highway 6) and the surrounding area. Six Nations agrees to lease half a mile of land on each side for road, but does not surrender the land. Lt.-Gov. John Colborne agrees to the lease but his successor, Sir Francis Bond Head, does not. After 1845, despite the protests of Six Nations, Plank Road and surrounding lands would be sold to third parties.

1840: The government recommends that a reserve of 8,000 hectares be established on the south side of the Grand River and the rest sold or leased.

Jan. 18, 1841: Six Nations council agrees to surrender for sale all lands outside those set aside for a reserve, on the agreement the government would sell the land and invest the money for them. A faction of Six Nations petition against the surrender, saying the chiefs were deceived and intimidated. (My note: According to historian and land claims expert, Aruthur Ray, "The legality of the Bond Head-Saugeen Treaty was ... in question at this time. Sir Francis claimed that the Saugeen River Ojibwa had willingly given up their land, even though only four of their people had signed the agreement and they lacked the authority to do so. The general superintendent of Wesleyan Missions, Joseph Stinson, reported that the lieutenant-governor 'endeavoured to persuade them, and even threatened them, by telling them that he could not keep the white people from taking possession of their land, that they (the Indians) had no right to it only as hunting grounds...")

Six Nations would challenge that claim in a 1995 lawsuit and it is part of the basis for the current protest.

June 1843: A petition to the Crown said Six Nations needed a 22,000-hectare reserve and wanted to keep and lease a tier of lots on each side of Plank Road and several other tracts of land in the Haldimand area.

Dec. 18, 1844: A document signed by 47 Six Nations chiefs appears to authorize sale of land to build Plank Road.

May 15, 1848:The land where the current development, Douglas Creek Estates, now sits is sold to George Marlot Ryckman for 57 pounds and 10 shillings and a Crown deed is issued to him.

1850: The Crown passes a proclamation setting out extent of reserve lands, about 19,000 hectares agreed to by the Six Nations chiefs.

1924: Under the Indian Act, the Canadian government establishes an elected government on the reserve.

1992: Henco Industries Ltd. purchases a company that owned 40 hectares of what it would later call the Douglas Creek Estates lands.

1995: The Six Nations sue the federal and provincial governments over the land. The developer calls it "an accounting claim" for "all assets which were not received but ought to have been received, managed or held by the Crown for the benefit of the Six Nations."

July 2005: The subdivision plan for Douglas Creek Estates is registered with title to the property guaranteed by the province of Ontario.

Feb. 28, 2006: A group of Six Nations members takes over the housing project, erecting tents, a teepee and a wooden building.

June 23, 2006: Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says the province will pay $12.3 million to Henco Industries to buy out their investment in disputed land in Caledonia. The government will also compensate Henco Industries for the loss of future profits, an amount McGuinty said "remains the subject of ongoing negotiations."

June 16, 2006: The Ontario government buys out the land developers caught in the middle of the land-claims dispute in Caledonia... The McGuinty government also announces that it will offer $1 million — in addition to the already proposed $700,000 — to compensate Caledonia-area businesses hurt by road blockades set up by the Six Nations protesters the previous month.

May 3, 2007: The Ontario government has agreed to consider bringing in a mediator to help resolve an ongoing aboriginal occupation after a group of Caledonia residents frustrated with the pace of negotiations rallied at Queen's Park Wednesday.

» RELATED: Timeline of recent events
CBC Sources: Canadian Press, Hamilton Spectator, Henco Industries Ltd., Six Nations Lands & Resources

The Girl in the Café

Saw a really good movie on DVD last night, The Girl in the Café with Bill Nighy and Kelly MacDonald. Nighy was perfect as the tightly-bound, lonely, vacillating civil servant. How I ached for him and his inability to emote. When he says: "I know a lot about certain things. Transport. Development. But sod all about everything else. Including, obviously, real life" you want to, I don't know, inject him with something, some colour, some chutzpah, something.

What's brilliant about the movie is that it doubles as a bit of propaganda for the issue of world poverty. The tag line: Love can't change what's wrong with the world, but it's a start, doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea.

I become horribly angry when I watch or read anything about the unfairness that is our world. I want to immediately race out and fix something. I feel so frustrated with my uselessness, my inability to make a difference.

As I lie awake in bed thinking about what I could do, I began thinking art and its potential to make us think... to make us feel.

Oddly, my brain flipped to The Scream by Edvard Munch. Let me begin by saying how much I hate this picture. If I come across it in a book, I will flip by the page trying not to look at it. If it's on a wall somewhere, I will look away and be very conscious about not looking back. The Scream fills me with despair. It makes me think of concentration camps, of insane asylums. In his diary, Munch wrote about his inspiration for the piece: "I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting—suddenly the sky turned blood red—I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city—my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety—and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature."

It is the image of this painting that came to me as I was thinking of the agony of parents who cannot feed their children or keep them safe. Who can see those images in the news and not be moved to think "what if...?"

(Perhaps, by definition, The Scream, is for me the greatest painting ever. It's impact on me is tremendous.)

I think our feelings of helplessness keep us from doing anything. It keeps us focused on those things we can do something about. Mundane things like preparing a meal or ridding the garden of weeds. Accomplishable, realistic goals.

The thing of it is, I think we can do something concrete to make a difference. One of the most effective actions is to make our voices heard. Politicians do what we require of them to do. Was the environment on the political radar in any serious way even five years ago? Now, every political party in Canada is arm-wrestling to be seen as greener than the others.

We can do the same on the issue of poverty. Get involved. Write a letter. Sign a petition. Give of your time. There comes a point when critical mass weighs in our favour and world leaders can no longer ignore the voices of the masses.

It's a matter of political survival.

Colleen

Canadians and hockey

Whoever said that Canadians are apathetic haven't been to a town hall meeting in Bible Hill on the topic of equal ice time for young hockey players.

For those of you who aren't aware, Bible Hill is a small community in northern Nova Scotia. With a population of slightly less than 6,000, it is proud to be the home of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, the only agricultural university in Atlantic Canada.

It may be less proud of having booted the Mi' kmaq off the Salmon River and buying the land (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) from the tribe, but that's another story.

Last night there was a meeting on the discussion of equal ice time for hockey kids and the hall packed in 200 vocal parents. 200. I bet if you attended a meeting on the environment, town planning or housing, almost anywhere in Canada, you'd be a lonely participant. But last night, in Bible Hill, the hall was packed.

The equal ice time rule is to ensure that coaches give all players an opportunity to play, not just the stars. It was implemented as an approach to the game rather than as a rigidly-enforced law.

But, wouldn't you know it? There are parents out at games with stopwatches timing, to the second, the ice time their kids get.

You may have guessed by now that the meeting was heated. Some parents argued that equal time should be strictly enforced and others called for coaches to give more play time to better players leaving beleaguered coaches to shake their heads over something that was meant to let kids learn the game and get to play. But for those parents, the issue of the century was, quite obviously, at hand.

Now, if only Canadians would pour this much passion into say, feeding the homeless or cutting down on carbon emissions.

Wow, what a country this could be!

Colleen