Mohawk Resistance to more 'Development' on Stolen Land

Near the eastern Ontario town of Deseronto on the morning of January 10, a group of approximately 30 people from the Mohawk community of Tyendinaga blockaded a quarry that would supply cement to an illegal condominium development on their land. It is undisputed that the land, known as the Culbertson Land Tract, was never legally sold or given to any government agency, yet the land claim settlement has been stalled since 1995. The blockade of the quarry is only planned for today, with the purpose of raising awareness. As a result, today the government appointed a negotiator to deal with the issue.

Police stood by, but did not seek to remove them. In a radio interview wtih Belleville radio staion CJBQ, spokesperson Shawn Brant said that if police try to move in, it would trigger a conflict that would "far exceed Caledonia's crisis.... The very least that we would do is kick the hell out of them. We would do whatever is necessary in order to achieve our objectives."

A woman named Tracy talked with me about what's going on, the significance of this action, and about the importance of the condominium being stopped.

Download 7:24 Recorded on January 10, 2007