[IPSM] Media advisory - First Nation trip to Israel

[Macdonald Stainsby]

  Media advisory - First Nation trip to Israel

  Phil Fontaine, National Chief, Assembly of First Nations stated, 
"Indigenous people in Canada have much in common with the people of 
Israel, including a respect of the land...” Perhaps Mr. Fontaine and 
other native leaders are unaware of Israel’s well documented practices 
of polluting or stealing water from stolen Palestinian land, uprooting, 
destroying and stealing olive trees, destroying farmland and olive grows 
in the process of building Israel’s illegal wall on stolen Palestinian 
land....It is astounding and so sad to witness Canada’s own native 
people accepting to visit Israel,...

FROM: carolle at bellnet.ca

   POSTED FEB 17, 2006
   Dear Friends,
   Ref: First Nation trip to Israel (see press release below)
   The Canadian Jewish Congress has organized a trip to Israel with 
leading members of Canada’s First Nation people.
  Phil Fontaine, National Chief, Assembly of First Nations stated, 
"Indigenous people in Canada have much in common with the people of 
Israel, including a respect of the land...” Perhaps Mr. Fontaine and 
other native leaders are unaware of Israel’s well documented practices 
of polluting or stealing water from stolen Palestinian land, uprooting, 
destroying and stealing olive trees, destroying farmland and olive grows 
in the process of building Israel’s illegal wall on stolen Palestinian 
land and poisoning Bedouin land in Israel’s Negev. It should be 
additionally noted that unlike Canada, Israel’s native people (Arabs) do 
not share the same rights as the country’s Jewish majority. It is 
astounding and so sad to witness Canada’s own native people accepting to 
visit Israel, a country that, in addition to stealing and destroying 
land and resources, treats its own native people so abysmally.
   Please contact Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor, Office of the 
National Chief, (613) 241-6789 ext. 243 or cell (613) 298-6382 to 
express your disappointment and concern about this trip to Israel. 
Please call her today and follow up with an official letter. You are 
also encouraged to express your desire to build a relationship with them 
in solidarity with natives of a colonized land.


  Attention News/Assignment Editors:
   Media advisory - CJC, AFN travel to Israel for educational mission
  TORONTO, Feb. 17 /CNW Telbec/ - In the largest-ever mission to Israel 
by a North American First Nation group, First Nation leaders from across 
Canada will learn how their Israeli counterparts preserve their historic 
languages and culture as part of the first joint Canadian Jewish 
Congress-Assembly of First Nations (AFN) visit to Israel.

  During this six-day educational journey co-chaired by CJC National 
President Ed Morgan and AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine, First Nation 
Chiefs, women and experts in the fields of business, law and academics 
will learn about best practices in agriculture, aquaculture and the 
preservation of minority languages from Israeli experts.

  "Indigenous people in Canada have much in common with the people of 
Israel, including a respect of the land and their languages. This 
mission is an excellent opportunity for us to share our values and our 
traditional ways of life, in the hope of building greater understanding, 
awareness and respect for our similarities and differences, both at home 
and abroad," said Fontaine.

  "We share values and similar historical experiences with our First 
Nations friends," said Morgan. "This trip presents an exceptional 
challenge and opportunity to learn about what each of our communities 
holds most dear - our culture and our history."

  While in Israel, the group will visit numerous sites of cultural, 
religious and historical significance, including the Yad Vashem 
Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. They will meet with Canada's ambassador 
to Israel, Donald Sinclair, and will have the opportunity to explore 
kibbutz, or collective farm, life. The mission arrived in Israel this 
morning and returns Wednesday, February 22. CJC CEO Bernie M. Farber 
will provide professional support for the trip.

   The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization 
representing First Nations citizens in Canada.

   Canadian Jewish Congress represents the Jewish communities of Canada.

   Backgrounder: Participants on CJC-AFN Mission to Israel

   MISSION CHAIRS:

   Phil Fontaine
   National Chief, Assembly of First Nations
   Member, Sakgeeng Ojibway Nation, Manitoba

   Ed Morgan
   National President, Canadian Jewish Congress

   MISSION PARTICIPANTS - FIRST NATIONS LEADERS:

   Second Peter Barlow
   Chief, Indian Island Nation, New Brunswick

   Kelly Bird
   Chief, Mosquito Grizzley Bear's Head First Nation, Saskatchewan

   Beverley Jacobs
   President, Native Women's Association of Canada
   Member, Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario

   Tina Levesque
   Chief, Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Manitoba

   Rick O'Brien
   AFN Regional Chief, Yukon Territory

   MISSION PARTICIPANTS - INVITED GUESTS:

   Bernie M. Farber
   Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Jewish Congress

   Blaine Favel
   Advisor to AFN National Chief, Calgary

   Brenda Gedeon-Miller
   Executive Director, Migmawe Mawiomi Secretariat (Tribal Council)
   Member, Listiguj, Quebec

   Fred Kelly
   Elder,
   Member, Onigaming First Nation, Ontario
   Accompanied by his wife, Sharlene Kelly

   Jack London
   AFN Legal Counsel and CJC volunteer
   Accompanied by his wife, Belva London

   Kathleen Mahoney
   AFN Advisor on Indian Residential Schools and University of Calgary Law
   and Human Rights Professor, Alberta

   Kathleen McHugh
   Co-Chair, AFN Women's Council
   Member, Siksika Nation, Alberta

   Frank Meawasige
   First Nation Artist and Entrepreneur,
   Member, Serpent River First Nation, Ontario

   Anna Morgan
   Freelance journalist, Toronto; wife of CJC National President Ed Morgan

   David Porter
   Chair, Kaska Dena Council, Vice-Chair of the Council for Yukon Indians
   Member, Kaska Nation, British Columbia

   Dr. Cora Voyageur
   Professor of Sociology, University of Calgary, Alberta, with academic
   interests in culture, identity, women's issues and Aboriginal issues

   Donna Wuttunee
   Regional Director, Industry Canada, Aboriginal Business Canada for
   Western Canada and the North
   Member, Red Pheasant First Nation, Saskatchewan

   For further information: Bernie M. Farber, CJC CEO, 
011-972-50-406-1266 (Israel cell phone), bfarber at on.cjc.ca; Wendy 
Lampert, CJC National Director of Communications, (416) 631-5844 
(office) or (416) 845-4674(cell), wlampert at on.cjc.ca;

  Ian McLeod, AFN Bilingual Communications Officer, (613) 241-6789 ext. 
336 or cell (613) 859-4335; Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor, Office 
of the National Chief, (613) 241-6789 ext. 243 or cell (613) 298-6382
-- 
Macdonald Stainsby
http://independentmedia.ca/survivingcanada
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope
    --Bertholt Brecht.