The Canadian Ward Churchill

Meet the Canadian Ward Churchill.

Among the leaders of the Indian tribes in Canada, a small minority believes that the best way to advance the interests of its people is to promote neo-Nazi racialism and anti-Semitism.

Take one David Ahenakew, a former head of the Assembly of First Nations who earned an Order of Canada medal in 1978. He likes to call himself "Dr." because the University of Regina once gave him an honorary PhD. (An "honorary PhD" is essentially what the Wizard gave to the Scarecrow.)

In December of 2002, Ahenakew gave a speech in which he praised Hitler and referred to Jews as a "disease" during a conference of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. Ahenakew told a Saskatoon Star Phoenix reporter that Jews had started World War II and controlled Germany before Hitler came along. "That's why he fried six million of those guys," Ahenakew said. We are amazed that he has not yet been recruited as a regular Counterpunch columnist by Alexander Cockburn.

Ahenakew was then indicted under Canada's laws against hate speech and has been convicted. He awaits sentencing in a few weeks. He has been denounced by many Candian Indian leaders, including Chief Alphonse Bird, who said Ahenakew's comments "are intolerable." "Mr. Ahenakew has been removed from our Senate and does not act on behalf of the FSIN," Bird added. "Once again... I reiterate that the FSIN does not condone or support the comments made by Mr. Ahenakew."

But - like Churchill - Ahenakew has a small group of Indian cheerleaders, including one Anishinabe Chief Terrance Nelson from Roseau River, who also likes to rant about "Jewish control of the media."

Alan Yusim, Winnipeg director of B'nai Brith Canada, who works with "First Nations" chiefs, and even organized a tour of Israel for them to go see the country for themselves, thinks the Ahenakew followers are an insignificant lunatic fringe.