BS: David Ahenakew

Subject: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 01:55 PM

There's been quite a controversy in Canada since David Ahenakew, the former national Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Canada, revealed his extreme anti-Semitism.

In a speech last week, he said the Jews started World War II and that Hitler was right to exterminate them.

When a reporter asked Ahenakew to explain, he said, "How do you get rid of a disease like that, that's going to take over, that's going to dominate? The Jews damn near owned all of Germany prior to the war. That's how Hitler came in. He was going to make damn sure that the Jews didn't take over Germany or Europe. That's why he fried 6 million of those guys, you know. Jews would have owned the God damned world. And look what they're doing. They're killing people in Arab countries."

Ahenakew went on to say that the Jews control the media and that they were about to start a third world war. His comments were broadcast on all the network news shows in Canada.

To their credit, the current leadership of the Assembly of First Nations has disassociated itself from Ahenakew and his comments.

However, former associates and some members of Ahenakew's family, including his son, have said that these comments are nothing new for him. It's just that this time he knowingly made the comments into a reporter's microphone.

FOR SHAME.

Subject: RE: David Ahenakew
From: Willie-O
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 02:10 PM

After the uproar, Ahenakew resigned from all his public positions and apologized to Jewish people and to First Nations people for shaming them. Quite straightforward remarks, but given the vitriol of his previous comments, no one thinks he actually changed his mind about anything.

The followup may be the withdrawal of his Order of Canada membership (highly likely) and possible prosecution for violation of hate crime statutes. (I'd say 50-50).

I'm a little mystified as to why you're bringing this up, G.

W-O

Subject: RE: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST,Melani
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 02:22 PM

Sounds like a charming fellow. Introduce him to Trent Lott!

Subject: RE: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 02:40 PM

I brought it up because everything else under the sun seems to get discussed at Mudcat. This story has been all over the Canadian media for the past week, but has been unmentioned here.

It's important to be vigilant about all forms of racism, no matter where it comes from.

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST,Stan in Toronto
Date: 20 Dec 02 - 03:01 PM

Willie-O,

Ahenakew's appology was not as straightforward as you imply. For five days after his rant, he refused to appologize. It was only after his position became untenable within his own community that he appologized. The resignations from his positions in First Nations organizations was merely to save himself from the impeachment that other First Nations leaders made clear was imminent.

Furthermore, Ahenakew's appology did not acknowledge that what he said was abhorent and repugnant, only for the harm that his expression of them caused.

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST,Stan in Toronto
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 02:06 PM

From todays's Globe & Mail.

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 02:15 PM

Let it go Stanley. It's not like anybody cares.

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: Ebbie
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 03:39 PM

Judging by my own reaction, I suspect it's not that we don't care. We're too appalled at the man's crass ignorance and unthinking racism to have a clue as to how to respond...

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: Porky the Buffet Slayer
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 04:51 PM

No Guest, I'm sure there are many of us who care. From what I gather in reading the media reports of this story is that Ahenakew has now been thoroughly discredited as a spokesman for the Native Indian associations in Canada. However, some of the reports have mentioned that he's often expressed racist and anti-semitic views over the years. How then, could he have risen to be Canada's top chief at one time? The Lott factor, I suppose.

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: Willie-O
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 07:20 PM

Stan, you're misrepresenting me. I heard his apology. It was straightforward compared to any other public apology I've ever heard. He didn't try any of the tactics of other people who make abhorrent, reprehensible statements and then blame the media, blame the conspiracy of his enemies, say he was misquoted, or that he meant something other than what people heard. He didn't even use the "I'm sorry that people were offended by what I might have said" cliche.
He did say that he was wrong, but the overall impression I got was that he was more troubled by the public negative repercussion on native people than anything else.

I don't want to give the impression that I'm not appalled at his statements which were way beyond anti-Semitic, they were literally pro-genocide and pro-Holocaust. Or that I think an apology is sufficient. It was an abominable display.

I agree that his own community effectively and appropriately shamed him into making the apology and resigning from his current position (leader of the Senate of the Federation of Saskatchewan Natives).

I'd never heard of the guy before this happened, so he must have been grand chief of the AFN a long time ago.

Matthew Coom-Combe, the current Grand Chief, attended a synagogue tonight as a reaching-out measure.

W-O

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 07:23 PM

Maybe he's mentally ill.

Subject: RE: BS: David Ahenakew
From: GUEST,diggy F
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 07:30 PM

I think that many of us were more horrified that the large audience of First Nations people that he was speaking to never complained. That is very frightening, and I think we're going to see more of it.

diggy