Ahenakew’s rant underlines common bonds between First Nations, Page 1 of 4

Log in EmailRegister today Help Benefits of registration

Home > Topics > News > National Ahenakew's rant underlines common bonds between First Nations, Jews Chris Cobb , Canwest News Service Published: Sunday, June 22, 2008

OTTAWA - The anti-Semitic rants of former Assembly of First Nations chief David Ahenakew six years ago have produced a bonding between Canada's native and Jewish communities, leaders of both groups said Sunday.

Ahenakew, now 74, was stripped of his Order of Canada for promoting hatred against Jews and convicted in 2005 for offences arising from the comments. His first conviction was overturned and he now faces re-trial in November.

Current First Nations Chief spoke at the Canadian Jewish Congress annual meeting in Ottawa Sunday and praised the organization for supporting the efforts that produced the Harper government's apology last week for institutionalized abuse and discrimination that occurred in the residential school system.

Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine speaks to Canadian Jewish Congress members Sunday in Ottawa. Mike Carroccetto/Ottawa Citizen Email to a friend Printer friendly Font: * * * *

Since the Ahenakew outburst, in which the native leader called Jews a "disease," blamed them for starting the Second World War and said was right when he "fried" six million Jews, Fontaine and a First Nations delegation have visited . During another official trip earlier this year, a delegation of First Nations women studied female empowerment and capacity building at the Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Centre in Haifa.

A group of Canadian Jewish leaders will visit reserves in Canada's north later this year.

mhtml:file://J:\MediaClips\MediaClips_2008\MediaClips\Ahenakew’s rant underlines co... 23/04/2010 Ahenakew’s rant underlines common bonds between First Nations, Jews Page 2 of 4

Fontaine said the Jewish and First Nations people have discovered they have lots in common.

"We have suffered from the same experiences in terms of discrimination and racism," he said. "It's in the best interests of both communities to work together. The June 11 apology is very much about hope and reshaping Canada so everyone can be treated fairly. But most important it's about reconciliation."

Using the experience that led to the restoration of Hebrew from ancient, obsolete language to the official language of Israel, the Jewish community is actively helping native communities restore their dying languages. Only three out of more than 50 native languages are now in common use.

"We believe we can apply the same techniques here in Canada to retrieve indigenous languages," said Fontaine.

In the aftermath of the Ahenakew affair, the First Nations leaders stood "shoulder to shoulder" in support of the Jewish community, said Canadian Jewish Congress Chief Executive Officer Bernie Farber Sunday.

"David Ahenakew was one person," he said, "but the significance was in the response by Chief Fontaine and other First Nations people. It was an issue that got well resolved because of our very strong relationship."

The Jewish community have an empathy for First Nations people over the residential schools issue, added Farber.

"We understand what it means to have our children taken away," he said, "and while the comparison is a little different between the Holocaust and residential schools, the pain is the same - the pain of losing family and the pain of an attempted loss of culture is something we intrinsically understand."

© Ottawa Citizen 2008

Ads by Google Make canada.com my start page Top News Videos

Pressure on Mugabe

The and Britain pushed for Zimbabwe'...

Top News Stories

Gov't email used in terror plot, trial told

Momin Khawaja secretly used his Department of Foreign Affairs e-mail account to ...

Sidebar: The Charges Gallery: The major players Jihad and hip hop intertwine Khawaja faces terrorism charges The Secret Trial Global's Hannah Boudreau reports

Liberals in deep shift over green slogan

Lawyers for a Toronto-based environmental organization issued a cease-and-desist...

mhtml:file://J:\MediaClips\MediaClips_2008\MediaClips\Ahenakew’s rant underlines co... 23/04/2010 Ahenakew’s rant underlines common bonds between First Nations, Jews Page 3 of 4

Dion's 'Green Shift' debuts to heavy fire Economists praise carbon tax Top Entertainment Stories

Hollywood strike: the sequel?

What you need to know about a possible actors' strike that would mark the second major walkout by film...

Vancouver producer Bill Vince dies The music behind Cohen's words Networks fight NYPD Blue fine

George Carlin dies in L.A.

Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs, dirty words and the...

Post your condolences Get Smart outsmarts Love Guru Feist album boosts Canadian label Winehouse has emphysema: Dad Disney rocks with Camp Rock Dose.ca movie review: Camp Rock

Inside the canada.com Network.

Doggy deli Relaxed fashion for Edmonton has its first men restaurant... Italian designer team Dolce and...

Baby red pandas

Twin pandas made their first ...

• Watch Video

Newspapers: National Post Victoria Times Colonist

mhtml:file://J:\MediaClips\MediaClips_2008\MediaClips\Ahenakew’s rant underlines co... 23/04/2010 Ahenakew’s rant underlines common bonds between First Nations, Jews Page 4 of 4

The Province (Vancouver) Vancouver Sun Edmonton Journal Calgary Herald Regina Leader-Post Saskatoon StarPhoenix Windsor Star Ottawa Citizen The Gazette (Montreal) DOSE Vancouver Island Newspapers VANNET Newspapers Television: Global E! TVTropolis CoolTV DejaView Fox Sports World Canada LONESTAR Men TV MysteryTV X-TREME Sports Marketplace: working.com driving.ca connecting celebrating remembering househunting shop CanWest Countries: Australia New Zealand Ireland United States, The New Republic About canada.com Site Map FAQs Privacy Terms Contact Us Copyright & Permission Rules

© 2005 - 2008 Canwest Digital Media, a division of Canwest Publishing Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.

mhtml:file://J:\MediaClips\MediaClips_2008\MediaClips\Ahenakew’s rant underlines co... 23/04/2010