This small town east of Belleville is tired and weary on what had been feared as another wild day of protest.
Living under the threatening cloud of native blockades and protests has taken its toll on the community and its residents but, deputy mayor Clarence Zieman said the municipality has no plans to concede. "We may be down, but we're not out," he said Thursday during a peaceful and quiet National Day of Action. "We're not going to roll over and die."
Zieman spoke to The Intelligencer at Deseronto's town hall on Thursday.
Unlike the events that unfolded on June 29, 2007, yesterday was a peaceful, average day for the town and its surrounding area.
Which, Zieman said, was a relief.
"It is a relief. It's about time we had some peace. It's a beautiful day and we don't need any more protests like we've had here recently," he said. "Protests are all right, that's our bloody democratic right, but peaceful demonstrations where my actions and your actions and our progress is not being impeded are better."
Zieman said those recent actions have tested the community's patience and it is time to look past the bad events of the past and focus on the future. A day of peace rather than a day of action was a welcome reprieve and will likely go a long way, he said.
"I think the people can settle down, go about their business and look forward to the summer and not be subjected to the sort of crap we have been subjected to," he said. Zieman said the blockades erected in the town on April 21 and 22, which prevented residents from moving in and out of the town freely, were too much.
With no protests or blockades erected on the National Day of Action, Zieman said, some of the tension which has pervaded the town seems to have been lifted.
Dianna Stuart, a resident of Deseronto for 42 years, agreed. "It's supposed to be a peaceful town and this is nice," she said referring to the fact there were no protesters on hand Thursday. "We never know when it's going to happen but it's nice to see it quiet today." Stuart said she's hopeful the protesters feel they have made their point and do not need to stage further displays of their unhappiness.
Sitting outside a convenience store on the town's Main Street, Joan Davis said she too was impressed with the lack of protesters on Thursday.
"The Mohawks just want all the land the white people have," she said. "They piss me off."
Mohawk protester Dan Doreen said he recognizes the residents of Deseronto are uncertain about their future and have questions surrounding their properties. The simple fact of the matter is it's not their land, he said.
"The government has been screwing Deseronto for 160 years. The people of Deseronto, they're paying tax on untaxable land. I feel for the people of Deseronto but we've been living this for 500 years. My people come first," Doreen said.