Anishinabek upset First Nations not consulted in artifact find

Northern Superior region leaders are upset thousands of Aboriginal artifacts are being excavated and shipped to Lakehead University without consultation with local First Nations.
"It has become common knowledge in Canada - especially in Ontario - that First Nations have a significant connection to our history and these artifacts represent the history of our people and our relationship to this land," said Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee. "I find it funny that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has been developing a Standards and Guidelines for consultant Archaeologist and at the same time ignore their legal duty to consult when they actually find something."
The artifacts, discovered near Thunder Bay, are estimated to be about 9,000 years old and have been called one of the most significant archeological finds in northern Ontario.
Although the artifacts may not belong to the specific indigenous people that reside in the Lake Superior region today, Madahbee said it is important that the area First Nations of today are consulted and engaged in the process.
The Anishinabek Nation brought up a recent example of controversy between scientists and First Nations, when artifacts up to 6,000 years old, including ancestral human remains and burial goods, were repatriated June 21, 2005 at Kitigan Zibi First Nation near Maniwaki, Quebec.
The Anishinabek Nation also noted that Justice Sidney Linden, in his 2007 Ipperwash Inquiry report, recommended the provincial government should promote respect and understanding of the duty to consult and accommodate within relevant provincial agencies and Ontario municipalities.
Seven specific recommendations relating to heritage and burial sites were made in the Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry. Some of the recommendations said the provincial government should work with First Nations and Aboriginal organizations to develop policies that acknowledge the uniqueness of Aboriginal burial and heritage sites, ensure First Nations are aware of decisions affecting Aboriginal burial and heritage sites and promote First Nations participation in decision-making.