Ipperwash Crisis: Aboriginal Land Claims In Canada

Jason

Scott Sutton

CHC2DI

Tuesday, June 19th, 2018

Aboriginal Land Claims

The First Nations People have had their land taken thus needing them to try and get it back after the government wouldn’t give it back. Even though these land claims caused the death of an aboriginal protester first nations land claims had a positive impact on Canada because the First Nations groups involved got their land back, compensation in money, and the respect and dignity they deserve. One example of these claims was the Ipperwash crisis. The Ipperwash crisis took place in 1995 and was in and around the Ipperwash Provincial Park in Ontario. In 1936 the Ontario government created the Ipperwash Provincial Park. In 1942 the government wanted the land back to build

a military training camp. When the First Nations people refused the government took the land under the War Measures Act. The government gave the Stony Point First Nation group $50 000 in compensation and relocated them to the Kettle Point Reserve that was nearby. Although the First Nation group was promised that the land would only temporarily be a military camp, the reserve still remained a camp until the 1990s.

In May of 1993 a group of Stony Point First Nation members peacefully occupied part of Camp Ipperwash (the military camp) in order to assert their land claim and start negotiations with the federal government. In 1994 the government stated that they would be closing the military camp and that they would be returning the land. This however, didn’t happen. When military personnel and equipment still occupied the land after the government promised to return the land, in the 29th of June in 1995 Stony Point First Nation members forced their way into the military camp’s administrative buildings, prompting the military to withdraw completely. The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) deployed officers into the area including Ipperwash Provincial Park, because the Stony Point First Nations group was planning to occupy that as well. On Monday, 4 September 1995, Stony Point First Nation members entered the park. Their reasons for the occupying the Provincial Park was their frustration with the federal government’s refusal to return Stoney Point Reserve, belief that the park was part of the reserve, and concern that burial grounds were not protected and respected. The intent of the

OPP was to “peacefully manage the occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park”. Unfortunately the use of helicopters and boats for surveillance purposes heightened tensions. On the 5th of September there were reports of protesters firing guns and the authorized use rifles by the OPP helped contribute to the anxiety and tension to the First Nations group and the OPP. Thanks to a misunderstanding and miscommunication both the First Nations group and the OPP both believed that the “other side” was planning an attack on the 6th of September in 1995. The OPP received reports of weapons in the park which lead them to believe the aboriginal protesters were violent. The police, carrying weapons and wearing protective gear advanced towards the protesters in an attempt to force them back to the park. The weapons and protective gear caused the Aboriginal protesters to become anxious and angry. This contributed to raising the already high tension and confusion. A protester advanced towards the police officers and the police ran towards him. Aboriginal protesters ran to support one of their group members and there was a physical confrontation. Sergeant Ken Deane shot Anthony O’Brian “Dudley” George (An aboriginal protester) and killed him. Deane later claimed that George pulled a weapon on him. Sergeant Deane was convicted of criminal negligence causing death on the 28th of April 1997. He died in a car accident before he could testify in court. In September 2015, the Chippewas people of Kettle Point and Stony Point First Nation accepted a $95 million from the federal government that included return of the land and $20 million in compensation to First Nations people and $70 million for future development of the land. In the end this group got what they asked for after over 73 years of them being told they would get it back. This land claim is a good example of how these land claims had a positive impact on Canada. At first the government refused to return the land to the First Nations people which caused them to be rightfully upset.

But in the end after confrontations the First Nations people got their land returned. “One of the key recommendations that resulted from the inquiry was for the Ontario provincial government to relinquish control of Ipperwash Provincial Park to the Kettle and Stony Point First Nations.” This is a quote from the website Indigenous Foundations. This quote is talking about after the discussions of what the natives should get as compensation that it was decided that they would also get control of the Ipperwash National Park as well. The federal government gave up control of the park and the First Nations people currently maintain it but, it is currently co-managed by the province. From the CBC article “20 years after Ipperwash crisis, First Nation accepts $95M offer” it talks about how the First Nation members accepted the offer of a $95 financial settlement which includes the cleanup of Stony Point land and the return of the land taken in 1942. “Band members will receive $5,000 each, with community elders receiving $10,000 each. Descendants of people who lived on the land before it was expropriated will receive $150,000 each”. This quote from the CBC

talks about how much money each individual First Nation member will receive. Finally, a quote from the Canadian Encyclopedia, “ongoing training and education of OPP leaders in terms of Aboriginal history, customs, and rights”. This is a quote that is one of the recommendations made to make sure a land claim like this one never happens again and results in the death of an aboriginal. This quote shows that aboriginal people are making progress to be respected and keep their dignity. In conclusion this is proof that the aboriginal land claims are a positive impact on Canada.

Works Cited
Marshall, T. "Ipperwash Crisis." 14 Aug. 2013, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ipperwash-crisis/
"20 Years After Ipperwash Crisis, First Nation Accepts $95M Federal Settlement News." CBC, 20 Sept. 2015, www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/ipperwash-1.3233013.
"Ipperwash Crisis." Welcome to Indigenous Foundations, indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/ipperwash_crisis/.