WINNIPEG — An aboriginal Christian leader here has founded a new solidarity organization with Israel in honour of Israel’s 60th birthday.

Rev. Raymond McLean, the pastor of the First Nations Family Worship Centre, launched the organization, World Indigenous Nations for Israel, to galvanize support for the State of Israel.

"No one in the aboriginal community has ever done this before. We will go from church to church, and I believe that within two years we can have one million people registered as members," he said. The group’s motto is, "Wherever we stand, we stand for Israel."

"I want Steven Harper to come down to Hastings street and see for himself if his apology has changed anything among us survivors", declared Rob Morgan of the Nishga Nation, who helped lead the occupation of the office of Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada (IRSRC).

WINNIPEG — In the wake of a recent visit by B’nai Brith Canada and Israeli representatives to two First Nations communities in remote northern Manitoba, Winnipeg pastor Rev. Raymond McLean is making plans to move to Jerusalem and open a ‘First Nations Embassy’ with himself as the first ambassador.

The Ahenakew affair was the catalyst for closer relations of late between Jews and native people, said Alan Yusim, director of B’nai Brith’s Winnipeg office.

After First Nations leader David Ahenakew praised Hitler to a reporter in 2002, saying the Nazi dictator ‘fried’ six million Jews to prevent Jews from taking over the world, B’nai Brith contacted Manitoba First Nations leaders and educators and arranged for a First Nations mission to Israel.

On Sept. 17, 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the native fishing rights of Donald Marshall, a Mi’kmaq who had been charged with fishing eels out of season, fishing without a licence, and fishing with an illegal net ...

The Supreme Court agreed. It stated in its decision that "…nothing less would uphold the honour and integrity of the Crown in its dealings with the Mi'kmaq people to secure their peace and friendship…"

In September 1995, a half-century-old native land claim dispute exploded in Ontario's Provincial Park and left protester Dudley George dead.