‘Only the beginning,’ Mohawks vow

In a show of solidarity with other aboriginal protesters across Canada yesterday, Mohawks shut one of Montreal’s busiest bridges for 80 minutes at lunchtime and slowed morning rush-hour traffic to a crawl on highways through the Kahnawake reserve.

“It’s our experience with the government of Canada that you have to hit them over the head with a two-by-four to get their attention,” Joe Deom, a traditional longhouse elder, said after walking up the deserted Mercier Bridge with 150 other flag-waving protesters at noon hour.
“This is not the end - this is only the beginning.” The Mohawks’ day of protest began early, as rush-hour commuters could see a dozen purple and white flags of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy and red and yellow flags of the Warrior Society flying from the eastern girders of the Mercier.

“And as you can see, we’re getting their attention,” Deom told reporters.

Read the full story here