TORONTO (JTA) — A Canadian Indian leader asked the country's Jews to use their influence to help his people.

Addressing the plenary of the Canadian Jewish Congress' Quebec region over the weekend, Quebec Cree Grand Chief Ted Moses recounted the difficulties the Cree have faced in Canada and told the Jewish crowd, "I'm asking you to fix our world."

Moses also drew several comparisons between Canadian Indians and the Jewish community. "The history of oppression and the struggle to maintain our identities are commonalities between aboriginals and Jews," he said. "It is my hope that, say, in 100 years, the Jewish and aboriginal nations will view their years of oppression the way you view your Passover today" as ancient history.