Time to walk the Ipperwash talk: Madahbee

UOI OFFICES, NIPISSING FIRST NATION, Sept. 8 /CNW/ - A decade and a half after the killing of Dudley George by a provincial police officer, Anishinabek Nation leaders say the Ontario government is allowing the
Ipperwash Inquiry process to lose momentum.

"The McGuinty government raised a lot of hopes when they made the Ipperwash Commission a priority after first being elected," said Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee, "but 15 years after Dudley George's death all we've heard are a lot of good intentions."

Madahbee was especially concerned about the lack of real progress being made by working groups of the Ipperwash Inquiry Priorities and Action Committee. The joint Ontario/First Nation process was established to discuss the 100 recommendations tabled three years ago following a commission of inquiry that looked into the shooting death of Dudley George on the night of Sept. 6, 1995.

"One sub-table was set up to look at improving aboriginal policing," said the Grand Council Chief, "but our citizens are still getting second-class treatment by other police agencies and our own police services are drastically understaffed and underfunded.

"Another working group was established to create better consultation on heritage and burial sites - but just last week we learned that the province has been giving archaeologists sole access to sacred sites and human remains found in our territory.

"The commission made strong recommendations about the need for the Ontario public to be better educated about our treaty rights - but you can still read editorials in this province calling First Nations law-breakers for trying to defend their own lands.

"It's time for the McGuinty government to walk the Ipperwash talk," said Madahbee.

"On behalf of 55,000 Anishinabek Nation citizens we want members of the George family to know they are always very much in our thoughts."

The Anishinabek Nation established the Union of Ontario Indians as its secretariat in 1949.  The UOI is a political advocate for 40 member communities across Ontario, representing approximately 55,000 people.  The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact. 

For further information:

Maurice Switzer
Director of Communications
Union of Ontario Indians
Phone: [phone] (ext. 2272)
Cell:  [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]