Real History and Red Indians and the Mounties

Posted Tuesday, December 17, 2002

How do you get rid of a disease like that, that's going to take over, that's going to dominate.

Monday, December 16, 2002

RCMP to investigate Hitler comments

By DARREN YOURK and ERIN ADERSSEN
Globe and Mail

CONTROVERSIAL comments about Hitler made by the former leader of Canada's most prominent native group will be investigated by the RCMP.

Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert and Attorney-General Chris Axworthy announced the move Monday afternoon in Regina.

"In a circumstance when we are building tolerance in the nation and we are building a tolerant province, these remarks are offensive and totally inappropriate," Mr. Calvert told reporters. "... I have been advised by the Attorney-General that he is referring this matter for investigation by the RCMP under section 319 of the Criminal Code."

Section 319 of the Code makes it a crime to "publicly incite hatred."

"This is the most outrageous set of phrases and views in this province in public in a very long time," Mr. Axworthy said. "It is my view that we indicate the seriousness with which that we treat these offences and the seriousness with which we treat these words. It is appropriate, I think, to refer it to the RCMP to see if charges should be laid."

David Ahenakew, a former leader of the Assembly of First Nations, was quoted as saying that Hitler's genocide against Jews and others was an attempt to "clean up the world."

"That's how Hitler came in," he told the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. "He was going to make damn sure that the Jews didn't take over Germany and Europe. That's why he fried six million of those guys, you know. Jews would have owned the goddamned world. And look what they're doing. They're killing people in Arab countries."

Keith Landy, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, suggested Sunday that the Saskatchewan government consider charging Mr. Ahenakew with a hate crime over the comments.

"There's no doubt that the police should be looking into this," Mr. Landy said. "These statements cannot be made with impunity."

It appears Mr. Ahenakew will also lose his respected position as chair of the Saskatchewan Indian Nations senate over his remarks.

Perry Bellegarde, leader of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), told CBC Newsworld on Monday that he found the remarks "very racist and repugnant."

"They are not accepted by us, and that's why we want to, as a bare minimum, remove him as chairman of our senate," he said. "... We're distancing ourself from those comments. The role of our senate is very highly regarded. It is a highly respected office, and we want anybody that's in that office to state our positions and our views in a very diplomatic manner."

Mr. Bellegarde said he hopes to meet with Mr. Ahenakew later Monday afternoon. An emergency meeting of the executive council and senate of the FSIN has been called for Tuesday morning to deal with the controversy.

Mr. Bellegarde said he also plans to send letters of apology to Canada's Jewish organizations.

"I've contacted some of the Jewish organizations in Canada to let them know personally our position," he said. "I'll be formalizing that in writing as well, because we need to work together to bring about peaceful co-existence and respect in this world and in this country. We build bridges, not burn them down."

Assembly Of First Nations National Chief Matthew Coon Come said Monday that Mr. Ahenakew should apologize as soon as possible.

"The statements by Mr. David Ahenakew as reported Dec. 15 are utterly unacceptable and clearly do not reflect the views or position of the Assembly of First Nations," he said in a statement. "The AFN is dedicated to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue between First Nations and all Canadians. These comments are damaging to these efforts and they are morally offensive. We regret these insulting comments directed at our Jewish brothers and sisters who have in fact supported First Nations in many of our struggles."

Progressive Conservative Party Leader Joe Clark also condemned the remarks Monday.

"I am simply appalled at the comments made recently by David Ahenakew concerning the Holocaust. Such utterly offensive comments are deeply troubling whenever they are made. But they are worse still when they are made by someone to whom others in a community look to for guidance and leadership."

Mr. Bellegarde said he was saddened that a respected elder would make such comments.

"We respect him for his work he has done on inherent rights and treaty rights," he said. "Very great work and in fact, he's a veteran himself. But these statements are very unbecoming and they're not proper and not right."

Mr. Ahenakew, 68, who headed the AFN in the 1980s and remains a prominent, made the remarks after addressing a meeting of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, a group he once led. The subject of the meeting was a new Health Canada policy requiring natives to sign consent forms releasing medical information before they can obtain services.

In his speech, the Star Phoenix reported, Mr. Ahenakew said that while he served with the Canadian Army in Germany in the 1950s, the Germans had told him the Jews started the Second World War.

Asked by a reporter to clarify his statement, he said he agreed with the Germans, and in reference to the Holocaust, responded, "How do you get rid of a disease like that, that's going to take over, that's going to dominate?"

When it was pointed out to him that the Nazis had committed genocide, he said: "I don't support Hitler. But he cleaned up a hell of a lot of things, didn't he? You would be owned by Jews right now the world over."