Wendat Grand Max Gros Louis also states David Sanford aka "Grey Eagle" is an imposter!!
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Residents challenge local activist's request for City funding
Thu Mar 06, 2008
Font By Kristen Calis
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PICKERING -- A couple of Pickering residents have recently challenged a local activist's request for funding from the City.
In December 2007, the News Advertiser printed an article when activist David Grey Eagle Sanford requested funding in a letter to the planning and development department so he could put together a team of First Nations' leaders and lawyers for consultation on the Pickering Official Plan. In 2006, Mr. Sanford, along with representatives from seven First Nations' bands, argued in court they were not consulted during the class environmental assessment of the Seaton land exchange and that a full environmental assessment with complete consultation should be undertaken. The Huron-Wendat Nation was not one of the seven bands challenging the Province. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice Divisional Court dismissed the appeal in February, 2007.
Pickering resident Terry Nuspl wrote a letter to the City regarding an affidavit presented during the trial from Max Gros-Louis, grand chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation, a member of the Founding First Nations Circle. She also included a copy of the affidavit. In it, the grand chief called Mr. Sanford "an imposter," after Mr. Sanford had previously stated he was a "representative of the Huron-Ouendat Nation."
"The circle consists of seven Chiefs and the Province has been consulting with them as the official representatives for the Seaton Lands," Ms. Nuspl wrote. She added the court also recognized the Founding First Nations Circle as the body to speak on behalf of First Nations regarding Seaton.
In the affidavit, Grand Chief Gros-Louis states, "I can speak no more clearly: Mr. Sanford does not speak for the Huron-Wendat Nation."
Don Harvey, a representative of the Cherrywood District Residents' Association, came to council to contest Mr. Sanford's request. He explained the court determined the Huron-Wendat Nation had the most significant connection to the Seaton lands.
"I think the court documents indicate that Mr. Grey Eagle Sanford is not one of those people as far as Seaton is concerned," he said.
In an interview, Mr. Sanford's lawyer, Nicholas Tibollo, said there's another side to the story and that he cross-examined Chief Gros-Louis and the transcripts would "suggest something different.
"Council should be aware that there is a response to that affidavit, one, and two, there's a cross-examination to that chief," he said. "So they ought not just limit their review to that affidavit because there were many, many questions asked about the contents of that affidavit and answers received."
He added Mr. Sanford did formerly represent the Huron-Wendat Nation in the past. Also in Council correspondence was the letter from Chief Wellie Picard, Grand Chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation in 2003, stating that he supported Mr. Sanford's representations pertaining to a different site, the Milroy site within the Rouge Valley. In Chief Louis-Gros' affidavit, he noted he understands support for Mr. Sanford to act on behalf of the Huron-Wendat Nation since then has halted.
City solicitor Andrew Allison wrote in a memo, "Essentially neither the Court nor the Province has recognized that Mr. Sanford is the official representative of any First Nation with an interest in the Seaton lands."
He further noted the City will work with consultants to develop a strategy to identify and consult with all First Nations that have treaty rights or aboriginal rights in any land in Pickering and it will continually invite Mr. Sanford to give his input on the process, whether or not he represents any First Nation
Posted on Mar 10, 2008, 1:05 PM from IP address 72.38.69.182