Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 14, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Comment editor Gerald flood 697-7269 a11 Winnipeg free press monday August 14, 2006 and beyond Muslim in the glory of expo ?67, silence on aboriginals decided to set the record straight Darfur indians on display shameful t he conflict in Darfur began in 2003 when a rebel group after by Myra Rutherdale and Jim Miller years of neglect began attacking government targets to draw the Atten Tion of the sudanese government in Khartoum. The people of Darfur have suffered for Many years from tension Over land and grazing rights Between is one of those the nomadic arabs and the mostly 1967 years that res Muslim Black Farmers from the onates with canadians. Baby Boomers Masalee and Zahawa comm remember expo ?67 and the 100th cities. The rebels anniversary of confederation or at least claim that the government has Bobby Gimby a Cana a the song that the policy of marked the year of Celebration. Genera oppressing the Black africans in Tion hers have heard their parents favour of nomadic arabs. Remember nostalgically the Promise held there Are two out during that year of optimism. Main rebel groups in Darfur the Sudan liberation army Sla and the Justice As we approach the 40th anniversary and Equality movement Jem. The of the Centennial Celebration and of government in Khartoum responded by declaring War on the residents of expo ?67, it is Worth considering some of Darfur by bombing their villages and by letting janjaweed militia terrorize the social dynamics that were part of and rape innocent civilians. That special year. As historians of native the Sudan government denies being in control of the janjaweed militia and newcomer relations we Are especially president Omar Al Bashir has termed interested in How aboriginal canadians them thieves and the refugees from Darfur say that follow imagined their role and How they partic ing attacks by government aircraft the janjaweed ride into villages on Ipa Ted in that year of Celebration and horses and camels slaughtering men spectacle. This question is particularly raping women and stealing whatever they can find. Timely As we approach the 2010 according to a in report three Mil olympics a year which is sure to bring lion inhabitants of Darfur have fled from their destroyed Homes and Are in great excitement but one which will refugee Camps and 200,000 Are report also cast a spotlight on race relations de dead. In the and social and economic conditions in refugee Camps there is Scarcity of British Columbia and , water and Medicine. The Jan the eerie Jawed Are known silence to patrol outside in fact questions about aboriginal participation from Muslim the refugee Camps and representation have already surfaced. When and according to countries on the Symbol of the 2010 games in Anaas was first refugees they kill unveiled Many inuit leaders wondered what Mes this tragedy men and rape Sage was being portrayed. After All they argued if women if they Ven is deafening it was a real Inu Koshuk it would not be shaped like a Ture too far from person. Authenticity had Given Way to a popular their Camp in sized version of a human Inu Koshuk. Search of Wood or issues of native authenticity and representation water. Have been at the heart of Royal visits world fairs Many Aid organi and tourist attractions since Well before confederations Are work action. Questions about who should determine How ing in Darfur but they Are unable to aboriginal people were portrayed and the extent of get Access to vast areas of the country their level of participation have been asked. But because of the ongoing fighting. By 1967, native canadians had had enough of head human right groups the . Congress dress and feathers imagery and they wanted to and Colin Powell the former . Sec show canadians How they Felt about their place in rotary of state All have said genocide Canadian society. Indian affairs bureaucrats also is taking place in Darfur. Had ideas about How they wanted aboriginal Cana the in investigating team has also a portrayed. Naturally the government wanted to written by two non canadians but with Consulta beautifully coiffed hair and Ultra modern uni reported War crimes in Darfur. But the highlight the Success of their assimilationist poli Tion from first nations across Canada. The panels forms. In some respects their presence in the eerie silence from Muslim countries cies a position that was contested by the first suggested that on first encounter with White Visi Pavilion served to soften the message but none the on this tragedy is deafening. One won nations people consulted for the exhibition. Tors natives were helpful and willing to Welcome less their participation differed substantially from Ders if the life and honour of a Black and yes there was consultation. The Indian the newcomers. However it became obvious that earlier world fairs in that they were seen As mod african is not As precious As that of affairs Branch established a nine member Indian natives were not the beneficiaries of the new Ern and Well suited to the 1960s. They did not per one from the Middle East or Europe advisory committee that was supposed to advise order rather they had suffered grave losses at the Etuate the Hollywood image of natives that was unfortunately these tragic facts the Branch a expo task Force on its expectations hands of the colonizers the panels told visitors. All too common in Canada in 1967. Have also not registered with the Lead for the Indian Pavilion at expo. There were visitor responses varied. Some called the Pavil not Only did the hostesses play an important Reship of traditional Muslim Organiza moments of tension too. Indian affairs welcomed Ion a bitter indictment while others like Pierre role but the Art on display outside and in the Pavil tons in North America so far this participation but they had a Model of the Pavilion Berton for example responded in his column in Ion introduced millions of visitors to the brilliance tragedy has been a non event. It is in mind. They pushed hard to convince aboriginal Maclean a that he was utterly satisfied with expo of a generation of great artists. The restaurant la very sad that Muslim arabs and non participants that the bureaucrats concept of the and the questions asked by the Indian Pavilion. Tundra featured Northern Canadian delicacies arabs Are not standing shoulder to Pavilion should prevail. Berton thought the Pavilion faces us with cold like Mukluk. The official Mascot of the fair was shoulder with Darfur muslims at their thinking they could impose their vision the gov truth Why do we teach Dick and Jane to kids who Okpik an Arctic owl and the Canadian govern moment of tragedy. A Well known Arab Ern ment assembled native artists from across live in hovels another prominent journalist ment Pavilion was called Katim Ivak inuktitut for activist Fatema Abdul Rasul wrote Canada to discuss their projects. This was the first Charles Lynch claimed that the indians had meeting place. As the late Simon Baker a native angrily in the daily Star of Lebanon such gathering of men who would become Lumina much to be angry about and chided the Bureau elder from Vancouver put it the Indian involve for the entire Muslim and Arab world ies artists who would shape a Renaissance in their crafts who he believed had a hand in the display i ment in expo went the right to remain silent when thousands of Field including George Clutes Norval Morris confess to the suspicion that our indians had some lets Hope we will be Able to say the same for the people in Darfur continue to be killed seau Tom Hill and Alex Janvier. None of them was help from angry Young men in government in Stag-2010 olympics. Is shameful and about to be told what to paint. Ing their exhibit. Certainly the dirty Deal they have the sudanese government under the storyline that was revealed in various panels had is eloquently set Myra Rutherdale is a historian at York University International pressure has promised throughout the Indian Pavilion was what came As thirteen first nations women from across Cana and Jim Miller is a historian at the University of to disarm the janjaweed militia and the largest Surprise to visitors. The narrative was a greeted visitors and acted As hostesses in their Saskatchewan. Integrate rebel fighters into the nation Al army. Some 7,000 african Union troops Are now deployed in Darfur with a limited mandate of peacekeeping. In a recent statement in Secre tary general Kofi Annan has urged the Security Council to reinforce Darfur a inquest needed to Clear air in Dumas shooting african Union peacekeepers while pressuring Sudan to accept a More review. Out any doubts in the world. I t was an oddly warm and Balmy afternoon robust in Force. The Calgary review ? released last week ? and then there a the future. In january 2005 when Matthew Dumas was but the president of Sudan has has now cleared the Winnipeg police again. But there Are the generations of aboriginal kid skilled by a police officer Down on Dufferin vowed to never allow a in Force into that a not Good enough. There should still be a out there right now who Don to fully understand Avenue. Somebody called me and told me Darfur. Annan has warned that the Public inquiry into the death of Matthew Dumas what happened either. All they know is a cop to get Down there some kid just got shot by window of Opportunity created by the in order to really put this event to rest. Shot an aboriginal teen. They might not have cop. People were huddled in clumps watching Darfur agreement signed in May 2006 the province plans to pick up where our the luxury of knowing there Are Good cops out police troll up and Down a Back Lane behind would be lost if there is no extra Effort police failed and is committed to holding a there. They la Only grow up feeling As alienate waving yellow tape. To implement it on the ground. Judicially led Public inquest into the death As and fearful of police As Many of my generation police thought Dumas was a suspect in a Rob for three years the government of required by the fatality inquiries this is did when Ujj. Harpers shooting death created a Bery so they were chasing him. Its alleged Sudan has been killing people in Dar by far the strongest most transparent approach Cloud of mistrust. Dumas 18, pulled out a screwdriver As fur. For All these years Khartoum has to Date. It could help Clear the air of any doubts for some those doubts get compounded int weapon and refused to drop it so they shot him. Invoked its islamic credentials to Ward and suspicions Between police and the Public. Hatred and anger. Later it was reported Dumas want involved in off any criticism or censure from we should take a Cue from Saskatoon and the death of Matthew Dumas has tarnished the robbery. Inside the Muslim world and has been How an investigation was held into the Freez the image of the Winnipeg police and Only with following Dumas a fatal shooting there was promoting itself As a defender of the ing deaths of two aboriginal men just a few their Active involvement in a Public inquiry Canan outcry of racism by some aboriginal Lead Muslim Frontier against Western Impe years ago. That Faith be restored. We need to strengthen ers saying Dumas was stopped by police realism. There Are still too Many questions left unan relationships with our City a police Force. Because he was aboriginal. It is High time that the facts be told swered. What did happen that Day on Dufferin Winnipeg its police Force and All its citizens when the Winnipeg police service said it about the genocide of Darfur and the Avenue could this have been prevented ? aboriginal and non aboriginal alike ? should would conduct an internal investigation of the government of Sudan must be made to should any protocols be changed in order to it have to feel the negative after effects of shooting aboriginal leaders and the Duma account for its action or inaction. Avoid this kind of outcome in the future Matthew Dumas a death in the years to come. Family said the police should to be investigating for the Dumas family an inquest Means the themselves. In the end their review cleared or. Asad u Khan is president of the Chance to get the closure they be never had police of any wrongdoing. The review was then islamic education foundation with past investigations. For the police officers. handed off to the Calgary police for an external ;