Andrew Clifford Maracle is not a victim when it comes to an ongoing land dispute, says the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.
A press release issued Thursday by the band indicates the dispute will return to court as it intends to "enforce the judgement it previously obtained." That judgement gave Maracle 30 days to vacate the property, a deadline that passed Feb. 14 though Mohawk Liquidation continues to operate on the site.
"In response, Andrew Clifford Maracle asked the band to purchase his business operations on the lands, along with improvements he has made on the lands," the release said. "Today.... the Mohawk council has announced that it has no intention to purchase his businesses and will seek to enforce its judgement."
Maracle has previously condemned the band, stating its decision hurts territory residents. Maracle says he has spent $1.6 million on the property and does not feel he is being treated fairly.
"It should be pointed out, however, that it is the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte who have been put to great expense and effort to preserve their collective rights for their land and to protect the integrity of the rule of law on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory," the release said.
The dispute involves Maracle, Shawn Brant, his father Ronald Leslie Brant and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte over ownership of Mohawk band land on the north side of Old Highway 2.
In 2008, the Brants and Maracle were ordered to return control of the land — on which sits Maracle's Mohawk Liquidation Centre — to the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.
Last summer, a court of appeal dismissed an appeal launched by Maracle and the Brants. They then took the fight to the Supreme Court when they filed a leave for appeal. The decision not to hear left Maracle 30 days to vacate the property.