New outbreak of violence in Canadian Indian standoff
BY RUSSELL BLINCH

Reuters

GRAND BEND, Ontario -- Canadian Indians gathered from across the country Monday 
to mourn a 38-year old native killed last week in a gunbattle with police while 
across the country three Indians were reported injured in another land dispute.

Carloads of natives streamed in from surrounding reserves and from other 
Canadian provinces to bury Anthony George on an Ontario army base occupied by 
the Indians.

George died and two others were injured at Ipperwash Provincial Park in a 
shootout with police last Wednesday over who has the right to the valuable land 
on Lake Huron, about 155 miles southwest of Toronto.

In British Columbia, an Indian leader said three protesters were injured in a 
new gun battle with Canadian police on Monday near Gustafsen Lake in British 
Columbia.

The leader of the Indian protestors told police by phone that ``three people 
were injured as a result of the gunbattle,'' police spokesman Peter Montague 
told a news conference in nearby 100 Mile House, British Columbia.

The reported gunbattle was the latest in a string of confrontations between 
natives and authorities across Canada over the past few months.

Police in armored vehicles have surrounded the Indian protest camp on disputed 
private land near Gustafsen Lake, about 280 miles northeast of Vancouver, after 
shots were fired there last week.

Tensions ran high during George's funeral, as traditional songs and drumbeats 
wafted from the base. The media were barred from the funeral site.

Some natives threw rocks at a group of journalists in an effort to drive them 
farther from the perimeter of the army base.

``I wouldn't go to your family's funeral with a camera,'' said one native, 
trying to disperse the crowd of reporters, photographers and television camera 
operators.

Trouble started at the park in July when natives took over a Canadian army base 
that was confiscated from them after World War II.

The Canadian armed forces, which had planned to return the base to the natives, 
abandoned it to avoid bloodshed.

Last Monday a group of mostly younger natives set up roadblocks around the park 
adjacent to the army base.

The police said they were forced to open fire on the natives Wednesday after 
they were attacked from a moving bus.

The natives said they were not armed with any guns.

Ontario Chief Gordon Peters said Monday the natives know the police acted 
improperly.

``They are scared of the police, scared of the retribution,'' Peters told 
reporters. ``They know the truth -- the police opened fire on them.''

The rebel natives have cleared away burning barricades that blocked a main 
highway through the park, but still occupy the army base and the rest of the 
scenic park.

Negotiations are continuing to end the standoff, but native elders are not 
optimistic because the country's politicians are treating the issue as a police 
matter and will not negotiate the key issue while the occupation continues.