Legault should choose words carefully, says Indigenous services minister
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller challenged claims by François Legault that protesters in the Kahnawake Mohawk territory are armed with assault rifles — and he advised the premier to “choose (his) words carefully” in this volatile situation.
“This is very difficult, very volatile and I think we have to be judicious in our choice of words,” Miller told the Montreal Gazette in a telephone interview. “In Kahnawake, I haven’t heard a word on any weapons and my understanding from any leadership inside the community is there are no weapons.
“I have no reason not to believe them.”
Miller has been in “constant contact” with Grand Chief Joe Norton, protesters on the ground and leadership in the Longhouse — Kahnawake’s traditional government. He says that beyond addressing the concerns fuelling the rail protests on Montreal’s South Shore and outside Belleville, Ont., his job is to make sure everyone is getting accurate information.
“We live in an age where, with social media, disinformation spreads quickly and things can escalate at the drop of a hat,” Miller said.
Ontario Provincial Police moved into Tyendinaga on Monday to arrest protesters that had stopped thousands of rail shipments between Toronto and Montreal since Feb. 5. That triggered a slow-moving blockade on the Mercier Bridge in Kahnawake and a blockade on Route 344 in Kanesatake.
These protests started in early February in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en chiefs standing against the construction of a pipeline through their territory in Northern British Columbia. The RCMP moved into the Wet’suwet’en’s camp and arrested the land defenders on Feb. 5.
Canadian Pacific obtained an injunction Tuesday to clear the railroad at Kahnawake but Mohawk police say they will not help enforce the court order. Legault said the Sûreté du Québec isn’t moving in because of the presence of AK-47 rifles on the reserve.
Three Mohawks at the protest camp said the premier’s words were designed to cause a panic and that they’re escalating an already tense situation.
“I just finished cleaning the kitchen tent and we’re going to smoke fish later,” one source said. “There are kids playing with their mothers over here. That’s the vibe. There are no weapons here and there never were.”
Miller and three other cabinet ministers have been negotiating with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs for the past week and he says they’re making progress on a series of key points. Namely:
■ The withdrawal of the RCMP from the Wet’suwet’en camp.
■ A pause in construction on the Coastal Gaslink pipeline while negotiations take place.
■ A face-to-face meeting between the federal government and Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs on their territory.
■ An acceleration of land claims negotiations related to the Wet’suwet’en’s 22,000 square kilometre traditional territory.
The Wet’suwet’en want the RCMP to pull out of their traditional territory but Miller says, given the sheer size of that land mass, it’s a big ask.
“What I want Canadians to know is that, while you may not agree with the protesters or their tactics, it’s important to listen to them,” Miller said.