Two articles about the native land claims in the Saturday Expositor compel me to respond at this time. I recognize that the native position does have historical merit in part, but strongly question the Confederacy's tactics of support for the lawless manner of many of their followers and proponents. Couple this with a provincial government that has become paralyzed by the report of the Ipperwash debacle 12 years ago, and you have a public leadership afraid of taking firm action or making any resolute decisions.
These two circumstances will lead Ontario, particularly the Grand River Valley, and especially the Haldimand-Brant area into a spring of shame.
The government has offered the natives $26 million for the Dunnville area inundated after construction of the Welland Canal, but the natives want to know how the government arrived at that figure. They will not accept or reject the offer until that question is answered. If it was a horse that was being offered, I suppose they would question its lineage instead of what they had before them. The money is just a trial balloon to see if there is any possibility of progress, but a committee of traditionalists can never arrive at a progressive decision.
On the other hand, we have a weak-kneed government led by a premier who has the backbone of a chocolate ‚clair. It seems he says to all native arbitrary action, don't ruffle their feathers or we'll end up with another Ipperwash. These are not just my words since the press has alluded to that scenario time and again.
So there we have it. A native group flushed with the possibility of success unwilling to take a compromising chance to resolve a dispute, and a paralyzed government crippled by past wrongs that continue to be compounded by irresolute policies.
Caught in the middle, the ordinary people both native and non-native, the police and municipalities are being taken into a springtime of shame which I fear will erupt more violently than anyone had planned for.
Robert Thompson
Brantford