The Saugeen Ojibway Nation claims ownership of government land across the entire Bruce Peninsula and a legally unique claim for title over the ‘water territory’ around it
TORONTO — A massive Aboriginal claim over some of the most picturesque geography in Ontario triggered a landmark trial Thursday, with a large contingent of lawyers politely starting a delicate dance over contentious issues of land, treaty rights and money.
Before Judge Wendy Matheson arrived, two Aboriginal men wended their way through the bustle to the front of court carrying a two-metre long wooden staff, draped in seven eagle feathers and topped by a carving of a bald eagle, and erected it to the left of where the judge would sit. The second is that the Crown breached its fiduciary trust to protect and preserve the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, referred to in court as SON and consisting of four reserves and a population of 1,900. As a fix, SON seeks compensation, which amounts to, by its accounting, $80 billion in restitution and $10 billion in punitive damages.
“Fishing is essential for their way of life and economic activity. Water is very important to them. Some say it’s even more important than the dry land part,” said Townshend. The suit is opposed by the federal and provincial governments as well as several municipal governments caught in the crossfire.
“Our system requires that evidence be tested, so we will be cross-examining witnesses,” Feliciant told court. “Our cross examination should not be taken as a sign that we do not respect the positions taken by the plaintiffs or the evidence of their witnesses.
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