An aboriginal campaign to erect posters at the site of a land claim in eastern Ontario descended into a tense road blockade on Wednesday after several army vehicles came upon the site.
Tyendinaga Mohawk residents posting signs on the contested land used several vans to block Hwy. 2 near Deseronto, Ont., for nearly half an hour after five army vehicles approached.
"It was not a planned blockade, it was just posting of the land to let people know that it is Mohawk land," said aboriginal spokeswoman Jan Hill.
"Coincidentally, the army drove through Deseronto today," she said.
The 15-soldier convoy was travelling from CFB Borden near Barrie, Ont., through several military bases as part of a three-day training exercise, said spokesman Cpt. Fraser Clark.
"The sergeant had to call the (Ontario Provincial Police) to help them, escort them through that particular part of Hwy. 2," said Clark.
"It's a planned route . . . they've been through there before and they've never had any previous incidents."
The appearance Wednesday of army vehicles during the postering campaign sparked a heated confrontation in which one Mohawk community member was "bumped" by a truck, said Hill.
"They were stopped and asked why they were there, what they were doing in the area," said Hill, who witnessed the dispute.
"They were detained for a while . . . maybe half and hour, then they were allowed to go through."
When the trucks began pulling away, one man was bumped, said Hill.
"Tempers flared a bit, but nobody was hurt and the truck was allowed to continue passing through."
The eastern Ontario town is the site of a planned 140-home subdivision - but the Tyendinaga Mohawks say the land is theirs.
The land claim is currently before the federal government, and Tyendinaga Territory Chief Don Maracle met last week with federal government officials to discuss the issue.
The claim is similar to one in Caledonia, Ont., near Hamilton, which touched off a controversial land occupation that has bitterly divided the community.
But David Ramsay, Ontario's minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, said he's not concerned this land claim will escalate into an occupation.
"I think the federal government has it in hand," he said, adding it may just be "a misunderstanding about permits being issued."
At this point, he said the province doesn't have anything to do with the claim. Ontario would only become involved if it escalates into a confrontation and provincial police are required, Ramsay said.