Natural Law In Practice

New Cultural Heritage Landscape Park to Celebrate Nature and First Nations History
June 6, 2012
Vaughan, ON – Vaughan City Council voted unanimously last night to accept a deal to save Skandatut, an internationally significant cultural heritage site in the Greenbelt, on the historic Hu
mber River in Vaughan, Ontario.
The 6 acre village site will be transferred to public ownership, and will be buffered from new development by a 2.5 acre park. The site is surrounded by a river valley and conservation land on three sides.
At the council debate, Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua …

Wendake, le 29 novembre 2011 — Le Grand Chef Konrad Sioui, au nom de la Nation Huronne­ Wendat a signé aujourd’hui, avec l’Université de Toronto, un protocole d’entente assurant le rapatriement de restes squelettiques humains et d’artéfacts provenant de sites archéologiques en Ontario.

Seated, L-R: Prof. Cheryl Regehr (Vice-Provost, Academic Programs), Mme. Heather Bastien (Chargée de projet), Grand Chief Konrad Sioui. Standing, L-R: Steve Moate (Legal Counsel, U of T); Prof. Meric Gertler (Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science); Prof. Amy Mullin (Dean of the University of Toronto Mississauga); …

Plaques along the ‘Shared Path’ recognize role of native peoples
Tamara Shephard, InsideToronto.com
Toronto’s newest Discovery Walk honours the extensive history of First Nations on the Humber River.

The Shared Path project weaves for 10 kilometres through the Humber River Valley and consists of 13 historical nodes that describe Canada’s early history as it happened along the banks of the Humber River.
Cultural heritage and Humber River history recognize the historic presence of First Nations on the Humber, who were later followed by the French and the British.
La Societe d’histoire de Toronto initiated the …

Mary Ormsby, Feature Writer, Toronto Star
A cross-border battle is brewing over 500-year-old bones belonging to some of Ontario’s original inhabitants — a case descendents describe as academic grave robbing.
The Huron-Wendat Nation is demanding that Louisiana State University return the “stolen” remains of about 200 people. They say researchers improperly gathered the bones from an Ontario ossuary to use for unauthorized student research.
“It’s a feeling of loss — and I get angry a little bit too because (remains) have no business being in universities or museums,” says retired translator Heather Bastien …

Mary Ormsby, Feature Writer – Toronto Star
The Toronto aboriginal health-care group that forfeited a prized downtown site for a new clinic over concerns the land may be a Roman Catholic graveyard is now one step closer to building its dream facility.
Anishnawbe Health Toronto received approval Tuesday for a $1,485,000 provincial planning and design grant to consolidate its three GTA clinics into a single, iconic aboriginal structure.
The funds came from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
“We look forward to creating a legacy for our people,’’ said AHT’s executive director, Joe Hester, …

Mary Ormsby
Feature Writer, Toronto Star

 
Joe Hester, Executive Director of Anishnawbe Health Toronto, right, along with Dr. Chandrakant Shah, left, and Jacques Huot President of the Board Orphan’s Greenspace .This small dog park on Power St. was a parcel of land the city was going to sell the Health Centre to build a new facility, but the deal fell through. The land in question is believed by some to contain hundreds of remains from an early grave site.
RICK EGLINTON/TORONTO STAR

 
A Toronto aboriginal health care group — desperate to find the perfect …

Mary Ormsby, Feature Writer, Toronto Star
Rick Hill watched the burial mound dispute in High Park last week with mild interest.
For 40 years, the Six Nations educator has been trying to teach scientists and non-natives to respect aboriginal history and beliefs. The High Park dispute is just another footnote in such work.
“Our people were everywhere. Therefore, you must expect to find their remains anywhere,” says Hill, the coordinator of the Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic in Ohsweken, Ont.
“We have to pay respect to our ancestors. Hopefully, we are not …

Katie Daubs, Toronto Star
Some 3,000 years ago, aboriginals came through High Park following the migration patterns of animals. That much is true. The exact details — those are a bit murky.
In April, David Redwolf, executive director of the Taiaiako’n Historical Preservation Society who also goes by the name Rastia’ta’non:ha, told a news conference that a section of High Park contained ancient Iroquoian burial mounds dating back 3,000 years.
“We followed where the food was, from the seasons,” said Laurie Waters, associate director of the same society. “Those that didn’t make those …

GARY MAY
Globe and Mail
Imagine developers being told they can build a high-rise condominium overtop Pompeii, or a subdivision above the tomb of King Tutankhamen.
It’s an outrageous thought, yet the destruction of important archaeological sites has occurred time and again across Ontario, say archaeologists and aboriginal groups. Advocates for the preservation of such sites hope standards and guidelines that take effect on Jan. 1 will help to stem thedestruction of more such examples of the province’s historical and prehistoric culture.
But the president of the Ontario Association of Professional Archaeologists warns that …

Re: Provincial Policy Statement Five-Year Review (EBR Registry No. : 010-9766)
We write to provide comments with respect to the above-noted Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) posting.
Introduction
Donnelly Law practices land use planning, environmental and First Nations law; we represent the Huron-Wendat Nation’s cultural interests in the Province of Ontario. This work is centred on how land use planning and development impacts the Huron-Wendat’s culture and heritage, in particular the destruction of Huron-Wendat Nation burial sites and artifacts.
It is our belief that additional preventative measures must be adopted by individuals, developers and …