A Native leader who made anti-Semitic remarks to a newspaper reporter went on trial on Monday for violating Canada's hate crimes law.

David Ahenakew, a former chief of the Assembly of First Nations and former head of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, praised Hitler for the Holocaust, blamed Jewish people for starting World War II and then later referred to Jewish people as a "disease."

The comments prompted an outcry among Native and Jewish leaders, and led to the hate crimes charges against Ahenakew. He is now seeking to exclude from the trial a videotape of his speech of the FSIN during which he made the remarks, saying he didn't know he was being recorded. He also wants a tape of comments he made to the reporter excluded.

Get the Story:
Lawyer wants tape barred from Ahenakew hate trial (CBC 4/4)
Ahenakew: didn't know he was being taped when he called Jews a "disease" (CP 4/4)
Ahenakew's lawyer wants key tapes excluded (CTV 4/4)
Ahenakew's hate trial begins (CBC 4/4)
Hate-crimes trial of former native leader begins Monday (The Globe and Mail 4/4)

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