Dudley George has finally won.
But "he paid an awful price," says his brother Sam.
"He gave his life for the burial grounds, for the people of our communities," Sam George said of Dudley, who was shot to death on Sept. 6, 1995 by an OPP sniper during a police raid to break up an occupation by natives at Ipperwash Provincial Park.
But angry recriminations were put aside yesterday when the province announced it would return the park lands to the native community.
"I and my family would like to thank the people of Ontario," George said.
"By returning these (lands), by keeping a treaty promise, and by honouring the memory of our brother Dudley, we are respecting each other and it shows that we can be friends."
Returning the 56-hectare property to its original owners is the beginning of a better relationship with Ontario's native communities, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant said, flanked by George and Tom Bressette, chief of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation.
"The historic and spiritual importance of that land to the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation cannot be understated," Bryant said, at Queen's Park yesterday.
"We recognize, in the Ontario government, how important this land is to First Nations. It is time to act."
The province is also forming a committee that will include native and community members to decide how to act on recommendations from the Ipperwash inquiry into George's death.
"We have got to all live, work, go to school and exist together in this province," Bryant said.
"We're all in the same canoe. We have got to find a way, where there is friction, to live together."
What will ultimately happen to the provincial park lands still remains to be seen though.
For now, the land will be "co-managed" by the province and the Chippewas, in consultation with the surrounding community, Bryant said.
During the Second World War, the federal government expropriated land adjoining Ipperwash park to build a military base. Native families, including Dudley George's family, were moved to Kettle Point reserve and told their land would be returned after the war.
In 1995, Dudley George and other natives occupied the park to protest Ottawa's failure to return the expropriated land and to protect sacred burial grounds. George, 38, died when OPP members fired on the protesters.
Yesterday, no one was willing to say whether the property, closed since the occupation in 1995, would ever be open to the public again.
"Neighbours working together (will) forge the future of that land," Bryant said.
Then "over a period of time" – no word on when – ownership of the land will be turned over to the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point and the fate of the park will be entirely in their hands.
Ipperwash is a "particularly special" case but Byrant suggested this kind of model could be used as a way to move forward in other land disputes such as the current occupation of a housing development in Caledonia, Ont.
Sam George thinks his brother's highly publicized death on provincially owned land forced the government to act.
"I think his death did speed up things quite rapidly," George said.
Dudley George has finally won.
But "he paid an awful price," says his brother Sam.
"He gave his life for the burial grounds, for the people of our communities," Sam George said of Dudley, who was shot to death on Sept. 6, 1995 by an OPP sniper during a police raid to break up an occupation by natives at Ipperwash Provincial Park.
But angry recriminations were put aside yesterday when the province announced it would return the park lands to the native community.
"I and my family would like to thank the people of Ontario," George said.
"By returning these (lands), by keeping a treaty promise, and by honouring the memory of our brother Dudley, we are respecting each other and it shows that we can be friends."
Returning the 56-hectare property to its original owners is the beginning of a better relationship with Ontario's native communities, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant said, flanked by George and Tom Bressette, chief of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation.
"The historic and spiritual importance of that land to the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation cannot be understated," Bryant said, at Queen's Park yesterday.
"We recognize, in the Ontario government, how important this land is to First Nations. It is time to act."
The province is also forming a committee that will include native and community members to decide how to act on recommendations from the Ipperwash inquiry into George's death.
"We have got to all live, work, go to school and exist together in this province," Bryant said.
"We're all in the same canoe. We have got to find a way, where there is friction, to live together."
What will ultimately happen to the provincial park lands still remains to be seen though.
For now, the land will be "co-managed" by the province and the Chippewas, in consultation with the surrounding community, Bryant said.
During the Second World War, the federal government expropriated land adjoining Ipperwash park to build a military base. Native families, including Dudley George's family, were moved to Kettle Point reserve and told their land would be returned after the war.
In 1995, Dudley George and other natives occupied the park to protest Ottawa's failure to return the expropriated land and to protect sacred burial grounds. George, 38, died when OPP members fired on the protesters.
Yesterday, no one was willing to say whether the property, closed since the occupation in 1995, would ever be open to the public again.
"Neighbours working together (will) forge the future of that land," Bryant said.
Then "over a period of time" – no word on when – ownership of the land will be turned over to the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point and the fate of the park will be entirely in their hands.
Ipperwash is a "particularly special" case but Byrant suggested this kind of model could be used as a way to move forward in other land disputes such as the current occupation of a housing development in Caledonia, Ont.
Sam George thinks his brother's highly publicized death on provincially owned land forced the government to act.
"I think his death did speed up things quite rapidly,"George said.
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