Dudley George, who was killed in a controversial 1995 police shooting at Ipperwash Provincial Park, is smiling down because of the creation of Ontario's new Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, his brother says.

Sam George says Tuesday's appointment of Michael Bryant is a big step forward in resolving aboriginal disputes and longstanding land claims.

"I think that my brother Dudley is smiling and chuckling right now at how things have turned out so far," George said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"I hope they will do it soon so that I and the spirit of my brother can maybe start to relax.''

George met with Bryant for a morning cup of coffee, and the two discussed implementing some of the 100 recommendations from the Ipperwash inquiry.

Dudley was unarmed when he was killed during a police raid to remove native protestors from the park on Sept. 6, 1995.

Commissioner Sydney Linden's report on the incident, released in May, laid blame for the tragedy on the federal and Ontario governments, as well as police.

Among Linden's recommendations was the creation of a stand-alone ministry to deal with aboriginal affairs. Premier Dalton McGuinty fulfilled an election promise by doing so.

Bryant says he is committed to creating a better relationship between the government and natives.

"We're going to push the boundaries when it comes to getting solutions, not only for the state of the general public good, but obviously specifically for the state of the relationship between aboriginal peoples, government and citizens," Bryant told reporters.

George suggests Bryant should immediately meet with native leaders and set up a treaty commission to quickly settle outstanding land claims.

Speaking about the longstanding occupation in Caledonia, George said the government should resist a "get tough" approach.

"The way the government has been handling it is a way that seems to be working -- to move ahead slow and cautiously so that we don't have the same result as Ipperwash," he said.

Bryant said he is planning to visit Caledonia soon, but isn't promising to end the occupation, which has at times turned violent.

"I want to hear from people,'' he said. "I want to see first-hand. There is nothing like going on the ground to see what's happening. I want to let people know that the McGuinty government is very committed to trying to play our role in getting a resolution.''

Neither McGuinty nor Bryant's predecessor have visited Caledonia.

George said native leaders in Ipperwash are meeting with the federal government this week in hopes of negotiating the return of the 109-acre army base situated near the Ipperwash lands.

Opposition critics, meanwhile, say the McGuinty government has been slow to act on addressing aboriginal issues over the last four years.

New Democrat Gilles Bisson says the state of aboriginal housing is appalling and the province can't get away with pointing the finger at the federal government.

Grand Council Chief John Beaucage, leader of the Anishinabek Nation, said there are about 80 unresolved land claims in his northern Ontario community alone.

"Nothing has been done in terms of land claims work in any substantial way over the past 10 years. We have many land claims that are languishing (like) Caledonia,'' he said.

With a report from CTV's Paul Bliss and files from The Canadian Press