Kanesatake Grand Chief James Gabriel lashed out Wednesday, saying the Quebec government handed a victory to the protesters who set fire to his house this week by brokering a deal to end a standoff that gives them everything they wanted.
"I think it's disgusting that the people who burned down my house are portrayed as victors and that the minister of public security handed them that victory on a silver platter," Gabriel told Radio-Canada's all-news channel RDI.
But provincial Public Security Minister Jacques Chagnon defended his actions, saying: "I was working on a public security problem and I solved a public security problem."
Gabriel predicted that marijuana growers and sellers of contraband cigarettes in the Mohawk community near Oka would continue to go about their business without fear of prosecution, since Chagnon had agreed to terms that included the reinstatement of police chief Tracy Cross.
Gabriel's decision to replace Cross, whom he accused of being soft on crime, sparked the violence that began Monday.
Gabriel's home burned to the ground after residents angry at Cross's dismissal torched it. His dog died in the fire and his car and tractor were damaged.
"I condemn that act," Cross said Wednesday. "I'm going to be calling for an outside agency to conduct that investigation."
All day Tuesday, 60 members of the new police leadership team gathered from 18 reserves across the province barricaded themselves inside Kanesatake's police station while protesters milled outside.
Chagnon's deal with the protesters allowed the officers to leave safely just after midnight Tuesday, to be replaced temporarily by police from other reserves.
The same deal will see Cross reinstated within 48 hours, to Gabriel's disgust.
"Rest assured that things will be very quiet with Tracy Cross in charge of the police force," he said. "He won't change anything.
"The statistics will show how quiet things are. But I'll make an analogy. There's not doubt that if you don't drive your car, you won't get any speeding tickets."
Brad Gabriel, one of the protesters, said the grand chief overstepped his authority by not consulting the elected police commission when he got rid of Cross.
"There was a hostile takeover from outside forces that wasn't supported by the commission or the people."
The protesters say they will proceed with a scheduled council meeting next Tuesday. But they say they no longer recognize Gabriel as their grand chief.
Gabriel said he won't step down.