Fragile truce at native occupation under strain from rally by angry residents
CALEDONIA, Ont. (CP) - The fragile truce between natives occupying a southern Ontario housing development and police who raided the site last week was being tested Monday by angry residents who are demanding the protesters be removed.
Negotiations aimed at settling the dispute, along with assurances police were not poised to march in and forcibly remove the occupiers, were cited as proof of the effort to build "goodwill" between two groups with a history of violent clashes.
But a scheduled protest by "frustrated" non-native residents was threatening Monday to derail the uneasy peace between locals in this quiet community of 10,000 and the protesters, who have been on the disputed 40-hectare tract of land for nearly two months.
"Tell your rabble-rousing constituents to calm down and step back," protester Doreen Silversmith said in a pointed statement directed at Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer.
The occupiers, for their part, vowed not to interfere with the rally.
"That's their community meeting," said native spokeswoman Janie Jamieson. "They have a right to hold those without interference, and we plan on respecting that."
The evening rally was to be held just 400 metres away from the native barricades.
The seven-week standoff over the contested land, located some 30 kilometres south of Hamilton, escalated from quiet protest to angry demonstration last Thursday after provincial police raided the site and arrested a group of protesters.
The mayor said the entire situation has left non-native residents "frustrated" that their rights as landowners are taking a back seat to native rights.
"They are kind of being held ransom for all of Canada," Trainer said.
Still, Trainer urged residents Monday to "use common sense" during the rally and said she hoped that "cool heads will prevail."
"They have to put pressure on their federal and provincial governments to get this solved, as long as they don't spoil what's already happened - the goodwill that's been happening between all parties."
With marathon weekend negotiations between police, natives and provincial and federal officials being described as positive, OPP deputy commissioner Maurice Pilon delivered his assurances to the occupiers Monday that they're safe from police action, at least for the moment.
"This was an opportunity... to reassure those who are inside that we have no immediate plans to return," Pilon said after emerging from a 45-minute meeting at the occupation site.
"I hope this was one small step in building trust."
Pilon's visit had indeed raised hopes among the occupiers, said protester Clyde Powless.
"I hope it's a big step to regaining trust that has been lost," said Powless, who urged federal Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice to visit the site as well.
"Maybe that should be a step."
Posters for the rally billed the event as a chance "to voice our anger, frustration and disappointment with our government and its abandonment of our community." Opposition critics have also lambasted the governing Liberals for its handling of the crisis.
In fact, negotiations between the Six Nations, Ottawa and the province had been making steady progress for two years until a "faction" of the native community lost patience and occupied the land, said David Ramsay, the minister responsible for aboriginal affairs.
"When, literally, you've got Tasers and pepper spray being used, that doesn't sound like progress to people," Hampton told the legislature.
"Why did you allow this situation to disintegrate to the point where the OPP are using force once again against aboriginal people?"
The raid, which began in the early hours last Thursday, backfired when hundreds more residents of the nearby Six Nations reserve raced to the scene and used sheer numbers to push police back.
Native leaders and provincial and federal officials met for about five hours Saturday night following a 19-hour marathon Friday in a bid to end the seven-week standoff.
Henco Industries - which is developing a subdivision known as Douglas Creek Estates on the contested 40 hectares - said Sunday that it is on the verge of bankruptcy and needs a resolution soon. .....
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/04/24/1548457-cp.html
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