Tyendinaga Mohawks Brace for Arrival of Police Station

UPDATE:Police Station Thwarted by Protesters

October 29,
The Intellegencer,

TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY — A new police station came and went here Wednesday, as tensions on this native reserve continue to rise.

What was to be delivery day for a new Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory Police headquarters was thwarted by about two dozen protesters who refused to allow the modular building to be delivered to the York Road site.

Despite the show of force by native dissidents, the elected leader of the reserve — Chief R. Donald Maracle — said it’s clear the protesters do not represent the majority opinion of the 2,500 people living on the reserve, nor do they have their facts straight about the situation.

Maracle said many community members have come to the band office to voice their opinions about native protest leader Shawn Brant and his followers, who are believed to be behind the demonstration.

“They don’t feel good about being held hostage by protesters,” said Maracle. “And they don’t feel as though the community should be controlled by protesters.”

He said band council unanimously decided to move ahead with plans to install the building, despite the actions of protesters.

“It’s not me that’s steadfast about the issue, it’s council.It isn’t the chief against them, it’s council ... the five members of council.”

Wednesday morning, native police shut down York Road, between Norways Road and Sadies Lane, to prevent both the public and media from attending the site of the new station, which has been occupied by protesters since Monday.

According to native sources, trucks carrying five of the nine pieces of building pulled onto York Road in the early morning hours, but were soon turned away.

Initially, the band council and the company behind the structure planned to deliver all of the pieces Wednesday and have the building erected the following day using a crane.

However, the presence of about two dozen protesters — and a lack of police presence — prevented any attempt to have the new station put in place.

There were other reported incidents centering around the issue: a culvert near the site was set on fire and the windows of a band councillor’s vehicle were smashed out, reportedly in retaliation for supporting the new station.

Sources also told The Intelligencer native police officers from other reserves were called in to assist the Tyendinaga First Nations Police Service with the ordeal, rather than relying on nearby Ontario Provincial Police detachments for manpower.

Around noon Wednesday, Brant walked from inside the police barricade to the corner of York Road and Sadies Lane, by Quinte Mohawk School, to speak to media.

He said the protest was based on band council’s decision to prioritize spending on a police station over addressing the lack of safe water on the reserve, in particular in the nearby school.

Shipped from a Grimsby, Ont. company Wednesday morning, the building cost $1.9 million, of which $980,000 came from the band. The rest came from the provincial and federal governments.

“The bitterest pill to swallow in this is that we spent $1 million on a building and over there at that school the fountains are covered over, the kids can’t drink, they can’t wash their hands,” Brant said.

Maracle strongly refuted Brant’s allegations, however, saying the water system at the school was only identified as an issue in February.

“The water system at the school was identified as antiquated, an older system that needed replacement. There were no bad water tests that came from the school,” he said, adding that students were provided bottled water as a precaution until the new system is put in place.

In fact, Maracle said a consultant was hired months ago to design a new system for the York Road school.

“And we’re just waiting for that design, which should arrive any day now.”

Once in hand, Maracle said, a funding application will be forwarded to Indian Affairs.

“The issue was identified in February and there was immediate action taken to explain the issue,” he said.

Brant, meanwhile, was cautious to say the protest was not a personal attack on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Police service, but more to show band officials they are not pleased with their priorities.

“Nobody is against our police or against enhancing our police services,” Brant said. “People have used this building as leverage, saying you can’t have this (better water) when this is occurring right now.

“Every day I ask (Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte) Chief R. Donald Maracle and Chief of Police Ron Maracle do you have a work order to fix this? And it hasn’t happened.”

Brant said the most frustrating thing about the water issue is it has been talked about for five years.

“Five and a half years ago we took a delegation to council and brought our kids in. One by one, they showed growths on their heads, sores and rashes on their body. Health Canada convened an emergency assessment clinic to examine the children. That was five years ago. Since then we’ve shut down the train lines three times, the 401, everything has been done. We’ve appealed to this country, this government and society and said ‘fix this problem.’”

He also said he was unconcerned about breaking court-ordered conditions of his recent mischief convictions to be at the protest site. On Sept. 29 he was issued a 90-day conditional sentence to be served at home for his actions on last year’s Aboriginal Day of Action.

“My parents are over there,” he said, referring to the police station site. “I’m not going to allow the OPP to come in and brutalize my parents.”

The protest began at 5 p.m.Monday, when a group of woman walked up to the entrance of the police station site and lit a fire as police officers watched.

Officers and protesters remained at the site overnight, but the event was peaceful and no arrests were made Monday night or Tuesday morning, the police chief said.

Copyright © 2008 Belleville Intelligencer
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UPDATE:Police block York Road

October 29th, 2008
The Intelligencer,

Protesters remain at the site where Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory officials hope to erect a new police building, but the area is blocked off to the public and the media.

Tyendinaga Mohawk Police officers and firefighters closed York Road, from Norway's Road to Sadies Lane, Wednesday morning as the protest entered the second day.

At about 5 p.m. Tuesday, a group blocked entrance to the site where a new modular police building was to be erected.

The building has already been put together by a Grimsby company, but no announcement has been made as to when the building may arrive.
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From MNN-Mohawk Nation News

HELP! TYENDINAGA MOHAWKS BRACE FOR VIOLENT ARRIVAL OF MEGA OPP “COP SHOP” TO BE BROUGHT IN TUESDAY OCTOBER 28, 2008 – THEY THINK!

MNN. Oct. 28, 2008. Friends, allies and supporters are asked to come immediately to be witnesses of the attempted carnage of the Mohawks by the Tyendinaga Mohawk Police and the Ontario Provincial Police OPP. It is snowing. Bring cameras, camcorders, food, cells, phone cards and warm clothes, especially gloves. To get to the demonstration site, take the Trans Canada Highway 401 to the Marysville exit, head south on #49 all the way to #2 then turn right into the community.

The Mohawks of Tyendinaga are under siege right now. OPP Swat Team have been spotted in the area. Canada, Ontario and the band council want to set up a mega jail in the middle of the community. The Mohawks are adamantly against this. “There’s no need for it. We need fresh water, education and health facilities. And we want a peaceful resolution”, say the concerned Mohawks. Tyendinaga is a small community of several thousand. Some fear this may be more than just a “jail”. That jail can go anywhere in any community. It doesn’t have to go in the middle of ours. It is obviously being used as a tool of provocation.

Tensions are running high today as residents wait for the arrival of this “rogue” police station. Police Chief Ron Maracle has warned the people that he is prepared to use force to set up the multi million dollar high tech security jailhouse. He already threatened that if local residents keep complaining, they’ll be the first inmates.

The police building issue was hotly debated for sometime. The band council went around the community pretending to consult the people. Just about everybody said “no”. So the chief R. Don Maracle and the council of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte made a unilateral decision to bring it in anyway.

At the meeting update today the people vowed that the cop shop and construction equipment are not coming in. They are demanding that whatever equipment is already there be removed immediately.

The Tyendinaga Mohawk Police are threatening that if the pre fab jail is not allowed in and set up they will attack. Police Chief Ron Maracle has stated he will charge and arrest anybody who gets in his way. If he stirs it up enough, they can bring in the heavily equipped para-military forces of the OPP to really “give it to us”. Hundreds of OPP are dressing, gearing up and psyching themselves up at the parking lot in of the Napanee OPP Detachment looking for some ‘injuns’ they can beat up on. They did this on April 23, 2008 when the condo construction was stopped. Who knows where else other cops will be coming in from. The Trenton Army Base is nearby too.

The local corporate flyer known as the “Belleville Intelligencer” knew about the pending attack a day or so beforehand. They have been hanging around waiting for action.

The Mohawks have said over and over again they have no weapons and want a peaceful resolution.

To stop this madness and attempted bloodbath, call the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Band Council Office to call off the hounds, TELEPHONE: 613-396-3424 Email: receptionmbq-tmt-org Fax 613-396-3627
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** This request is coming from community members in Tyendinaga **

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28th, 2008
Press Release from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

TYENDINAGA MOHAWKS BRACE FOR ARRIVAL OF POLICE STATION:
Police Chief Prepared to Use Force

(October 28, 2008) Tensions are running high today on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory today as residents anticipate the arrival of a highly controversial second police station. Some reports suggest the building could arrive as early as this afternoon. Police Chief Ron Maracle has warned that he is prepared to use force to bring the building into the community.

Residents have expressed concern over Council's apparent prioritizing of a second police station for the small community over issues such as unsafe drinking water throughout community homes and at the reserve school, where the water was declared unfit for human consumption some 19 months ago.

The matter of the police building had previously come to the forefront when, in the lead-up to its arrival, an agreement was reached on the implementation of a community consultation process. Council subsequently rescinded the motion calling for such a process and now says the building will go forward without community consultation.

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What You Can Do:

The community has asked that outside supporters contact the Band Council and respectfully express your concerns that community consultation take place, before the police station is brought to Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, against the wishes of community meetings and discussions that have taken place so far.

Suggested Phone Call Script:

I am calling to express my concern at the impending arrival of a new police station in Tyendinaga.

We recognize that this initiative is partially funded by Canada's Ministry of Public Safety, headed by Stockwell Day. However, we have been informed by community members that there is a great deal of community concern over the lack of consultation by Band Council. Please take the time to consult.

Please hold off on the immediate implementation of a $2 million police station, while the community's concerns about clean drinking water and the Culbertson Tract Land Claim remain unresolved. We are asking that you take the time to consult properly.

Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Band Council Office
TELEPHONE: 613-396-3424
EMAIL: reception@mbq-tmt-org
FAX: 613-396-3627