Teepee protesters’ issues unresolved

Recently, my wife and I had a chance to visit the teepee village in Wascana Park. We were welcomed warmly by those in attendance. We are hopeful that their efforts to meet with government officials will be fruitful because their issues have gone unanswered for far too long.

We wish to thank Regina City Police Chief Evan Bray for not forcing an end to this village. There was lots of space for all the Canada Day activity in the park. It was good that the First Nations were able to be present. Maybe this needs consideration for other years when the focus could become a celebration rather than coming from unresolved factors.

We also want to address the government’s reluctance to meet on terms with which the First Nations folk would be comfortable. We were disappointed with Premier Scott Moe’s pressure on the Regina city police to evict the village. Did he bother to walk across the street to visit the village?

We are also disappointed with Minister Don Morgan’s refusal to meet again “unless these people tear down their village as a sign of good faith.” These two responses smack of control from a distance, not from encouraging dialogue. The long-standing issues facing the First Nations deserve better than this. The government refusals will only serve to keep the issues they face alive and unresolved and that affects us all! Much more dialogue is needed on both sides. Rod A. Mcleod, Regina