Friday, June 01, 2007

Mike Harris and State Terrorism


Golf Pro; Mike Harris, created the conditions that lead to Dudley George's death, yet he remains unrepentant. After all he was only protecting a golf course from uppity natives.

The result was once again the State and its police acting against the first nations peoples,to protect property they stole.

This decision, and Harris's refusal to do the right thing, will add fuel to fire the native resistance movement that is growing across Kanada.


In an unwarranted rush to end an aboriginal protest in 1995, former premier Mike Harris made a vulgar, racist remark and "created the risk of placing political pressure on the police" hours before an officer killed unarmed protester Dudley George, the commissioner of a public inquiry has found.

Later, Mr. Harris misled the Ontario Legislature about a high-level meeting he attended, with Ontario Provincial Police officers present, before the shooting, which gave "the appearance of inappropriate interference in police operations" and thus prompted the $25.6-million inquiry, Judge Sidney Linden found.

Harris lawyer offers no apology for aboriginal protester's death

In the historical context, Ipperwash was not surrendered but the lands were taken under the War Measures Act in 1942. The land was taken to build a military camp and it was supposed to be returned immediately when it was no longer in use but the government failed to do so. During the years that followed the First Nations at Aazhoodena (Ipperwash), Stoney Point did try to get their traditional lands back. Since the military encampment was built on an ancient Indian burial ground it is only natural for the First Nations people of the area to want to put there ancestors back to rest. Especially so, considering the encampment did disturb the grounds where there ancestors slept peacefully. Also, since the bulldozing that was going on to build a golf course destroyed most of the burial site.

The claim was settled in 1998 and the land was finally returned to reserve members after more than five decades. A $26-million settlement was made and each member of the Stoney and Kettle Point First Nations reserves received a share that ranged between $150,000 and $400,000.



SEE:

Tories Crush Whistleblower

Land claim

Alcoholism Is Colonialism

Bev Oda Minister of Aboriginal Affairs

Hewers of Wood

Cardston Home of Bigots


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1 comment:

  1. I grew up near Forest and spent all of the summers of my pre-teen and teen years on the reserve at Kettle Point. Indian Hills is a good 5 or 10 KM from the old base at Ipperwash and at least 3 KM from the spot where Dudley died.

    So I can understand the snark about Indian Hills (which is on the reserve, actually) but Harris did not do this to protect the golf course - he did it because he was an authoritarian racist asshole who thought he should flex his muscles.

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