By Samantha Craggs
Belleville Intelligencer
June 11, 2007
DESERONTO — The confrontation of an OPP officer driving through Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory last week had nothing to do with the ongoing occupation of a gravel quarry near here, Mohawk activists say.
Mohawks at the quarry Monday say the confrontation was unrelated to the occupation of Thurlow Aggregates or the corresponding land claim, and only connected in that it involved members of the same community.
Protesters have occupied the quarry since March 22 demanding its licence be revoked. The quarry is located on a 923.5-acre tract of land currently subject to land claim negotiations. On April 20, the protest also involved blocking a busy CN Rail corridor for 30 hours.
The confrontation between the officer and a handful of local Mohawks happened around 1 p.m. June 6 when the Prince Edward County OPP officer was driving a marked police cruiser on a provincial highway near Marysville. The officer was flagged down by two motorists and stopped to assist them, OPP said in a media release. The officer was then “confronted by two area men who immediately challenged the officer,” OPP said. A short time later, more people arrived and “participated in the confrontation.” Officers from Tyendinaga Territory Police Service were called to assist. The investigation is continuing.
Jason Maracle, a spokesman for the protesters, and other Mohawks at the quarry, dismissed the OPP version.
The reality, said Tyendinaga MT resident Kim Maracle, is OPP presence has been increasingly common on the reserve leading up to the aboriginal national day of action planned for June 29. It bothers residents, as the OPP does not police the reserve.
Word in the community, she said, is that the officer was not “flagged down,” but going so slowly the people in the car behind him pulled over. Residents of the reserve who end up in confrontations with non-native police can call an informal “community phone line,” when their neighbours will rally to support them “so it’s not seven OPP officers and one guy,” she said.
David Maracle, a Mohawk artist and musician visiting the quarry Monday, said fellow residents he’s talked to are upset at the sight of OPP cruisers on the reserve.
“They’re trying to show a sense of presence,” he said. “It’s trying to intimidate people...No more will we put up with their presence. It’s zero tolerance.”
OPP spokespeople could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.