Ipperwash Inquiry Reports

The Ipperwash Inquiry reported today on the death of Dudley George during the Ipperwash incident. The full report can be found at http://www.ipperwashinquiry.ca/

Commissioner Sidney B. Linden found fault with both the Ontario and Federal governments. In addition he found fault with the actions of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Linden noted that Ipperwash must be understood in historical context. Decades of protest and struggle by the people of Kettle Point and Stoney Point were ignored by Indian Affairs.

Linden also made the following observations

• There was no need to act quickly with the Ipperwash incident. Pressure from provincial politicians such as former Premier Mike Harris exacerbated the situation.
• Both Harris and the former Minister of Natural Resources made racist comments during meetings about Ipperwash
• Political desire to move quickly prevented efforts by bureaucrats who preferred negotiation and mediation to find a solution
• Premier Harris was not forthright about what occurred during a key meeting of Cabinet Ministers and senior bureaucrats prior to the shooting of Dudley George
• Racism and cultural insensitivity on the part of some OPP officers prevented creating a positive dialogue between the occupiers and the OPP
• The Federal Government (through Indian Affairs) has delayed the settlement of the land claim at Ipperwash for too long. Linden says this is "inexcusable" and "neglect" by Indian Affairs.
• A Treaty Commission of Ontario needs to be established to settle outstanding land claims in the province.
• A Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs should be established in Ontario due to the growing complexity of Aboriginal issues in Ontario.

Key Terms: Canada, land claim, Dudley George, Ipperwash, Michael Harris, Ontario, Indian Affairs, First Nations, OPP

Caledonia Land Claim Offer made by Indian Affairs

Toronto Star, May 31, 2007.

Ottawa has offered $125 million to the Six Nations to settle four land claims in exchange for an end to the longstanding Caledonia dispute. ...
One condition is that there will be no final settlement until protesters move off the former housing development site in Caledonia, he said. ...
Doering said the offer was made yesterday but the Six Nations representatives said they needed time to review it. Negotiations involving Ottawa, Queen's Park and Six Nations are to continue today. ...
Last night, a Six Nations negotiator dismissed the offer and said natives have made it clear from the start of talks they only wanted land. "The only positive thing about it is it was an offer," said Mohawk Chief Allen MacNaughton. ...
The offer involves the settlement of four of 27 existing land claims: the former Moulton township, the flooding of lands in Dunnville to accommodate the Welland Canal, the former Burtch correctional facility in Brant County and the Grand River Navigation Co. claims. ...
Doering said the offer settles legitimate land claims.
"Canada has done an assessment and feels there was a breach of some lawful obligation" involving the four claims, he said.
Natives say they reclaimed the Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, which the province bought from the developer for $16 million last year, over a claim involving the building of the Hamilton-Port Dover Plank Road (Hwy. 6) in 1843.

Topics: Canada, Canadian, First Nations, Aboriginal, Native, Caledonia, Grand River, Land Claim, Mohawk, Haudenosaunee

Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Blog

The Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Blog is a telecollaborative project between students at Rutherford School and Jasper Place High School in Edmonton.

"The purpose of this project is to give the elementary and senior high school students an opportunity to work together in a telecollaborative nature to produce animated drawings of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. The Rutherford Group have been studying this World Heritage Site and have written about ‘A Day in the Life of a Child at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump’. They then created drawings on their computers reflecting their research. The Jasper Place students will then animate the younger students’ drawings. This blog will be used to enable the two groups to discuss the animation plans. The high school group is using this opportunity not only to practice their animation skills but also to simulate a client-artist process of creation towards a common goal."

Canadian First Nations Await Ipperwash Inquiry Report

Commissioner Sidney B. Linden, has announced. that the Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry will be released to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 31, 2007.

The Report will be transmitted to Attorney General Michael Bryant shortly before the public release.

The public release will take place at the Forest Memorial Community Center (Kimball Hall) at 6276 Townsend Line, Forest, Ontario, where the Inquiry's hearings were held.

The Report will be available on the Inquiry's web page http://www.ipperwashinquiry.ca at the time of release and copies will be distributed to media in Toronto.

The work of the Commission to date can be found http://www.ipperwashinquiry.ca . PDF copies of historical reports can be located at http://www.ipperwashinquiry.ca/history.html including a PowerPoint presentation made the historical consultants to the Commission.

Keywords: Canada, Canadian, First Nations, Aboriginal, Native

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