Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

January 31, 2014

Southern Chiefs respond to release of Hughes' Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry Report



Southern Chiefs’ Organization responds to release of Hughes Inquiry 'Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry Report'

Grand Chief Terrance Nelson
By Southern Chiefs Organization

WINNIPEG MB -- Grand Chief Terrance Nelson of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) responds to the release of the Hughes Inquiry Report on the tragic murder of 5 year old Phoenix Sinclair. “The 1000 page Hughes Inquiry report will provide explicit evidence of Genocidal practises in Canada.” Child and Family Services in Manitoba hold captive 8,000 indigenous children taken from First Nations parents, forcefully transferring many children to other ethnic groups.


The 1948 United Nations Genocide Act defined Genocide as

(a)     Killing members of the group;
(b)     Causing serious or bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c)     Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d)     Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
(e)     Forcefully transferring children of the group to another group.

Grand Chief stated, “Over twenty years ago, the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry (AJI) was concluded, it was one of the most expensive inquiries in the history of Manitoba. The late, Chief Oscar Lathlin speaking of the AJI stated "This is the biggest fear that we have of this Inquiry that nothing will be done once the Inquiry is over." (AJI, Volume 1, page 640) The AJI Judges further commented that "Aboriginal people are tired of being studied and are concerned that reports on Aboriginal issues have a history of being placed on a shelf to gather dust." (AJI, Volume 1, page 640).”

CFS was an emotional issue at the recent SCO Grand Chief Election as women stood up to urge the Chiefs to be strong in the defense of vulnerable children. The 8,000 indigenous children in Manitoba who have been forced into CFS care have become a $421 million industry where other ethnic groups profit from the misery of First Nations. SCO Grand Chief Terrance Nelson and others will be available to meet media today at 2:00 p.m., SCO boardroom, 1555 St. James.

 Winnipeg Sub-Office
105-1555   Winnipeg, Manitoba   R3H 1B5
Phone: (204) 946-1869     Fax: (204) 946-1871
Toll Free:  1-866-876-9701        

Head Office
Long Plain First Nation 
Box 998
Portage la Prairie, MB
   R1N 0P0

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