Aboriginal protesters who barricaded an eastern Ontario aggregate quarry Wednesday say there could be trouble if the federal government does not solve a land claim dispute in Deseronto, Ont., within 60 days. And that threat has local officials worried.
'You need a climate of civility and co-operation.'—Chief Don Maracle, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
The day-long protest over potential housing construction on disputed land ended peacefully, but protester Shawn Brant said the government must act quickly to prevent future problems.
"Our mandate is to have the lands returned by any means necessary," Brant said. "Sixty days will be the end of the aggregate company."
A federal negotiator was appointed Tuesday to help solve the land claim dispute, and Tyendinaga Mohawk Chief Don Maracle said he is concerned protests could potentially escalate and throw off the negotiations.
"You need a climate of civility and co-operation," he said. "We don't want to see a charge being laid, where the whole issue [is] brought before a court."
Deseronto Mayor Norman Clark said he is concerned the protests are driving away business from the community, and that the land claim is not being resolved fast enough.
"Possible developers are going to look at this and shy away from it," he said. "We're hoping that between the federal government, the Mohawks and ourselves, we can come to some kind of working agreement while this process is going on."
The dispute is over the Culbertson Tract, about 400 hectares that the Tyendinaga Mohawks say they never properly surrendered. Land in the tract was originally slated for a housing development but construction was suspended after members of the Tyendinaga band protested and the federal government agreed to meet with band officials in November.
On Wednesday, the protesters barricaded the quarry, which is also on the tract, after hearing that construction was to begin on a single house using aggregate mined from the quarry.