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Pa ge 6 T hu rs da y, M ar ch 2 6, 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a The Independent & Free Press is published Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Coun- cil, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981. The Independent & Free Press Respect First Nations Letters to the editor 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 classified@theifp.ca Accounting 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox by signing up for our twice weekly electronic newsletter. Go to www.theifp.ca and click on 'Newsletter sign-up' at the bottom of the homepage. Chong taking our freedom A few weeks back, the fifth annual Historical Gathering of the New Credit First Nation was held at the New Credit reserve. The three-day event featured a wide array of pre- senters, including Paul Racher, an archeologist, and father of eight. Parts of his talk centred on education and what we have taught our children about history. North America's history began in 1492 when Christopher Columbus "sailed the ocean blue" -- or so the thinking goes. No it did not. We've virtually ignored the history of the First Nations People. We also systematically tried to either wipe them out or trash their culture. We tried to knock the "Injun" out of them. The Mississauga tribe, lived in this area for thou- sands of years before being exiled to the New Credit reserve in Hagersville. One of the remnants of their history is in the names (and the logos) of some sports organizations. One Mississauga parent (a native) finds it offen- sive that these clubs still use symbols that, in some cases, play upon a stereotype. Racher agrees. "It would be one thing if a lacrosse team from New Credit or Six Nations wanted to call itself the Chiefs, it's something else when the colonial society decides to use it," he said. Racher said the negative historical representations of First Nations people by non-Aboriginal people permeates everything and the smiling Indian mascot of the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball or the racist name of the Washington Redskins in the NFL, are the worst manifestations. The "ugly Indian head" used as a mascot by the Mississaugua Golf Club (former site of the Credit Mission reserve) is also embarrassing. Racher thinks simply asking permission to use a native name isn't just political correctness gone mad, but a chance to show respect and teach our children that our history is connected to a far richer past. Racher foresees a time when First Nations will not only fight to protect their lands, but also their intel- lectual property rights, including sports symbols. The treatment of First Peoples in North America was shameful. Racher calls it Canada's "original sin." Using native symbols without permission, or per- petuating racism through offensive nicknames to sell product, or using a logo of a smiling Indian that makes natives look like buffoons, isn't the right mes- sage to send to our children. Michael Chong is dismantling our free- doms. He has voted in support of Bill 51, which has been lauded by the Canadian Bar Association as an act that is taking away our civil liberties. "... Like the Fair Elections Act that made elections unfair; Access to Information Act that made in- formation inaccessible; Privacy Act that invaded your privacy; and the non-com- bat mission in Iraq that placed Canadian troops in combat, just 200 metres from the firing line which, Defence Minister Jason Kenney said, was not the front line. The Harperites want us to be ter- rified of terrorists, niqabis, criminals, thieves, etc. Time for us, in fact, to be ter- rified of the Harperite bigots, bullies and ideologues." (http://www.thestar.com/ opinion/commentary/2015/03/21/for- get-terrorists-be-terrified-of-harperites. html?fb_ref=Default) We need a change Canada. This is serious. More than ever be- fore, we need to find a way to take notice, lapse in December of 2013. A Structural Engineer's report, dated April 2014, recommend- ed demolition while a, Mattamy funded, Cultural Heritage Impact Statement(CHIS) cited pre-existing structural deficiencies and the 2013 ice storm as possible causes of the collapse. The CHIS goes on to state, "If the house was retained it would be in- compatible with the subdivision grading plan." and "If a portion of the Huffman building had not col- lapsed in December 2013, the struc- ture would be eligible for designation under the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act." Heritage Committee member, Mark Rowe, suggested the adjacent chestnut trees, which are also listed on the Halton Hills Heritage Register, be protected by Heritage Designation and incorporated into Mattamy's fu- ture development. Patricia Farley, Branch President Architectural Conservancy of On- tario, Halton Hills OPINION We can do better stand up and be heard. Let us sound the clarion call. Susan Robertson, Environmental Planner, Watershed Management Credit Valley Heritage Society While Halton Hills residents care- fully recycle bottles and aluminum cans, we continue to clog our land- fill with entire heritage buildings. Sadly, another one of Halton Hills' landmarks may be destined to be- come landfill. At the Feb. 18 inaugural meet- ing of Heritage Halton Hills, chaired by Councillor Ted Brown, commit- tee members voted to recommend Council remove the Reed/Huffman Farmhouse, on the Vision Develop- ment lands at 10114 Eighth Line, from the Halton Hills Heritage Reg- ister. This will clear the way for the owner, Mattamy Homes, to demol- ish the portion of the house that remains standing after a partial col-