APTN National News
Two former Manitoba chiefs visiting Tehran this week appeared on Iranian state-controlled television and blasted Canada over its treatment of Indigenous people.
Former Roseau River chief Terry Nelson and former Dakota Tipi chief Dennis Pashe were invited to appear on Press TV, an English-language television network controlled by the Iranian government.
Nelson and Pashe arrived in Tehran last Thursday and Press TV ran a series of pieces on Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples in the run up to their visit.
Nelson and Pashe have been meeting with Iranian government officials in an effort to build links between Tehran and First Nations in Canada and lay the groundwork for possible agreements.
It’s unclear what sorts of agreements are possible since Canada has imposed economic sanctions against Iran, including a prohibition on “conduction financial transaction with Iran” and establishing a “banking relationship with Iranian financial institutions.”
“I have met with various ministers in the Iranian government. As a technician working for several First Nations, my job is to identify who will the chiefs meet with when they come to Tehran,” said Nelson, in an email sent late Sunday evening.
Press TV aired a short story before the interview with Nelson and Pashe which touched on the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and included claims that the Harper government has been trying to “silence Aboriginal rights activists” and “launched a public campaign to discredit them.”
Press TV also quoted from the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) saying that the “human rights of First Nations people are being widely violated in Canada.”
Press TV story also claimed that this “ugly fact in the Canadian society that goes unreported.”
The story also blamed Ottawa for the crack down on Quebec student demonstrations.
Press TV said Canada’s human rights abuses go unnoticed because Canada’s “allies turn a blind eye to the issue.”
Nelson said in the interview with Press TV that “there is Holocaust denial in North America.” Nelson called reservations “concentration camps” and said Canada had imposed “economic sanctions” on First Nations people.
Nelson said Canada is getting rich off resources from Indigenous lands, yet keeping the original owners poor.
“Indigenous peoples in North America are one of the riches people in the world. They have more lands, more resources,” said Nelson. “Canada’s currently pumping 2.5 million barrels of oil to the United States and it’s pretty clear that none of that oil is paid for…The Indigenous people are saying, we don’t need immigrant money. We don’t need tax payer money. We need to share our own resources.”
Pashe said the Canadian government has been involved in ongoing efforts to “exterminate” Indigenous peoples.
“We are a race of people that are endangered,” said Pashe. “They use policies, they use legislation. In the past they used the gun and disease infested blankets to wipe out or people to take our resources, take our lands and exploit them for their own profit. Today they use legislation as the gun and alcohol and drugs as the bullet.”
While Pashe spoke, images that appeared to be taken from the Quebec student protests rolled in the background.
“The Indigenous peoples lands, their wealth and resources have been seized by the immigrants and immigrant government,” said Nelson.
Pathetic. Why on Earth would anyone want to ally themselves with Iran? The hilarious part is that they’d happily wipe out any native populations they had in a heartbeat. And these are your allies? Good luck being taken seriously.
You should read the comments by the Sun Media they call us savages and money bandits and lot more worse than you think.
Is this country truly sympathetic to our demises or are they happy with what we think the govt is doing to us, Yes we should be equal to all Canadians but because what has happened to us from past governments we need to play catch-up and work towards losing our culture and integrate into a society who believe in too many gods which one should we pick, christian dogmas or Muslim faith or Jewish way of life what will the average Canadian want to adopt us into their belief system since our way of praying no longer is acceptable.an aboriginal Canadian was formed by the Government and now the people of Canada complain, they call us thieves, but are afraid to to admit the truth’s that have been said in Iran about the abuses we have endured. It upsets me that we are afraid to back-up these warriors and be more supportive we need more warriors to stand proud and call yourself a First Nation Member of North America.
“Today*,
anyone’s*, a reserve*, Manitoba*, government*, sovereignty*,
Canadian*, government*, heavy drugs*, government*, already*, create*, government*
(wow, four times!).
If you are going to spout off some ignorant nonsense you could at least check your spelling and try to look the least bit educated. Actually, scrap that, I am glad you look like a complete idiot so that no one will take you seriously.
I think Harper wants an “All White Aryan Race” here in Canada.
WELL!!! Here’s one White Man that says F#*% HIM!!
Maybe I relate a bit to my Native Brothers and Sisters because my ancestors came from Ireland, and I don’t think by choice. Over the years the peoples of Ireland had the traditional language taken away from them, their native customs and Spiritual beliefs, their land was taken over and given to the British Nobles as rewards, then when crops failed and famine hit the English landlords found it would be cheaper to send thousands of Irish to North America instead of feeding them.
Oh come on Jebo, “” No one is forcing booze down anyone’s gullet”??? Do your “REAL HISTORY HOMEWORK”. If for no other reason, discrimination, and bullshit about all the free stuff natives get is enough to drive some people to drink. I know a lot of my fellow white folks who’ve taken to the bottle or nose candy or the needle because of a lot less stress. Our Canadian Governments of all strips have been on the apartheid quest against the Aboriginals since before confederation.
Today they use legislation as the gun and alcohol and drugs as the bullet.” No one is forcing booze down anyones gullet. Nor are they forcing anyone to stay on a reserve.in fact people who live on reserves are encouraged to go to school in manitoba. A lot of Aboriginals in MB get money from the governement simply for being of aboriginal descent, as well as huge breaks on school tuition.They want sovereiginty at the same time as wanting the canadian governemnt to deal with their poor living conditions. A direct result of heavy.drug and alcohol abuse on reserves. Ok and some flooding. Speaking of which remember when hundreds of people wrongfully claimed for flood relief so they could get a free ride? No one in Canadian governement is actively trying to exterminate anyone. They are actually trying to stop extinction thru self destruction. There is allready so much animosity between first nations and the rest of MB. Way to creat even more by going on TV in a country that we recently cut of ties with, and accusing our governemnt of genocide. I could go on for awhile about how wrong this is.
Thank you Iran!
NDNSTYL supports this as truth.