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Aboriginals reach out to Israel's Jews

Tour group feels strong connection

`Our people have suffered similarly'

 

JULIA GLOVER

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

 

JERUSALEM?In a country where land disputes regularly lead to death and

destruction,

it's rare to hear about common ground.

 

Rarer still to find it originates in an incident of alleged hatred in Canada.

 

 

But that's exactly what a group of Canadian aboriginals found when they

toured the country this week, hoping to build bridges with the Jewish community.

 

 

"It's a spiritual journey for many of us," says Rev. Raymond McLean, from

Fairford First Nation in Manitoba, who led the nine-day expedition.

 

The tour by 29 aboriginal educators follows one initiated by B'nai Brith

Canada after David Ahenakew, a former head of the Assembly of First Nations,

went on an anti-Semitic rant at a news conference in 2002. Ahenakew said

Hitler was trying to "clean up the world" when he "fried" six million Jews

in the Holocaust. His comments prompted the Saskatchewan Justice Department

to charge him with promoting hatred.

 

On the initial mission last year, nine aboriginal educators visited Israel.

After representing Fairford First Nation ? located about 2 1/2 hours north

of Winnipeg ? on that tour, McLean decided to lead this year's group, whose

members made the trip on their own initiative.

 

The 29 aboriginals on the tour represent the Cree, Sioux and Saultreaux

tribes. Most are from Manitoba, all are Pentecostal.

 

"As a First Nations we have a connection, our people have suffered similarly.

We've had 500 years of persecution. So I can really relate," said Sharon

Levasseur, also from Fairford, as she sat in the tour bus making its way

through the Holy Land.

 

They have visited both religious and non-religious sites, including the

Western Wall, the Yad Vashem historical museum and part of Israel's

controversial

security barrier.

 

All the tour members feel a strong connection with Israel's Jews.

 

One pastor spoke of the large Israeli flag he wants to hang in his community's

new church. A woman purchased perfume for herself called "Essence of Jerusalem."

And, at lunch, another woman proudly displayed her new Star of David necklace.

 

 

McLean says both face threats to land and language:

 

"When you take a land and an identity from a people, they become suppressed.

As a result of wrongs perpetrated and allowed to happen to our people by

the government of Canada, we are in danger of losing forever our languages.

We must preserve our heritage as Israel has."

 

McLean said he relates to the Jews more than the Palestinians, because of

the shared biblical connections in the Jewish and Pentecostal faiths. However,

he believes in peace and is willing to listen to all sides.

 

Members of the expedition will return to Canada tomorrow and give workshops

about their experience in the coming weeks. Many intend to return to Israel.

And all hope to encourage others at home to make the "life-changing" journey.

 

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