Ipperwash Recommendations & Highlights
Posted May 31, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There’s no one person to blame but everyone bears some responsibility. That’s the generic conclusion from the long awaited Ipperwash Report looking into the 1995 shooting of native protestor Dudley George near Sarnia. Here are some of the reccomendations from Commissioner Sydney Linden’s handiwork:
*Ottawa bears primary responsibility for the still unresolved occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park for repeatedly neglecting the people of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation for 80 years.
*Ontario Provincial Police acting Sgt. Ken Deane’s conviction for shooting and killing Dudley George was just, but the province should have appointed a mediator and former premier Mike Harris should have “urged patience rather than speed” at resolving the dispute.
*Provincial police intended to resolve the dispute peacefully, but lacked proper intelligence and should have used aboriginal facilitators and mediators to liaise with occupiers.
*Former premier Mike Harris did in fact utter the words: “I want the f****ing Indians out of the park” and while the statement is considered racist, it’s believed he did not intend to “convey a discriminatory remark.”
*While Harris was critical of police, he did not “interfere or give inappropriate directions” to officers at Ipperwash.
*To improve the land claim settlement process, the commission suggests establishing a Treaty Commission of Ontario to assist governments and First Nations people with negotiations from an impartial and independent standpoint.
Report Highlights
*Ontario should establish a permanent, independent and impartial agency to facilitate and oversee the settling of land and treaty claims.
*Ontario should improve public education about its land claim policies as well as aboriginal burial and heritage sites.
*Access to the Ontario land claims process should depend on whether the documentation filed by the First Nations provides clear evidence that there’s been a breach of the legal obligations of the Crown.
*The Ontario Provincial Police should establish a formal consultation committee with major aboriginal organizations in Ontario.
*Provincial police should establish an internal process to ensure racist and culturally insensitive behaviour by police is dealt with publicly.
*The province should establish and fund an Ontario Aboriginal Reconciliation Fund.
Source: Ipperwash Inquiry Report/Canadian Press
