Aboriginal leaders across the country say the release of the Ipperwash report has cemented their resolve to use a diverse array of methods (Edit: Terrorism) this summer to raise awareness about outstanding land claims, racism and poverty faced by First Nations communities.
Chief Terrance Nelson of the Roseau River First Nation, south of Winnipeg, has threatened a lengthy blockade of CN rail lines unless the federal government moves to resolve some 800 outstanding land claims by June 29. He says the Ipperwash inquiry report justifies extreme action such as rail blockades as the only tenable way to draw attention to aboriginal grievances.
“There is certainly cause for First Nations to see that the only way to get the white man to do anything is simply to take direct action, and unfortunately that’s the reality that the First Nations face.”
Shawn Brant, a Mohawk protester from the Bay of Quinte First Nation who led a 30-hour rail blockade near Deseronto, Ont., last month, agreed that direct action is the only way aboriginal people can make their voices heard, and he hopes the death of Dudley George will motivate people to “express their anger” during the planned day of protest. (Edit: Notice how yet again, they’re using Dudley George as an excuse to commit Terrorist acts)
“I think it’s about demonstrating the power we have in our backyards. I think it’s about saying … we’re never going to be disrespected, we’re not going to allow for another situation like Dudley George, we’re not going to drink poison water without there being consequences,” said Brant.
Brant says there’s little governments can do at this point to prevent what he called “something that maybe people couldn’t even imagine.”
“Unless the government can get the chequebook out and run around really quick and try and put fires out, then yeah, it’s going to be not only a day or a week of discontent, it’s going to be a summer and it’s going to be a fall and it’s going to continue until these issues are resolved once and for all,” he said.
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