Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said he is "heartened" by news that a train blockade planned by a Manitoba aboriginal community next week has been called off.

Chief Terrance Nelson of the Roseau River First Nation had threatened to block a CN Rail line running through his community on June 29, which the Assembly of First Nations says is its National Day of Action, to draw attention to aboriginal poverty and unresolved land claims.

Chief Terrance Nelson says even though his community has called off plans to block a CN Rail line on June 29, there could be blockades elsewhere in the country on the National Day of Action.
(CBC)

After announcing plans for the blockade, Nelson added to the controversy by saying, "There are two ways to deal with the white man. You either pick up a gun or you stand between him and his money."

The chief said his community decided Tuesday evening to call off the planned blockade of the rail line as a show of goodwill, specifically because of Prentice's decision to add 30 hectares of new land to the Roseau River band.

The land being transferred is northwest of Winnipeg, while the reserve itself is south of the city.

"I'm heartened by Chief Nelson's comments," Prentice told CBC Newsworld on Thursday, adding that other aboriginal leaders are discouraging illegal activities to mark the day.

Although Nelson's community has called off plans for a blockade, he said there could be problems elsewhere in the country.

"The community of Roseau River is showing good faith with the minister of Indian affairs, but we will not blunt the message on June 29 and that is, we will go to the railway line and be on standby in case of violence against any indigenous peoples across the country.

"Very clearly there could be flashpoints across the country," he told CBC Newsworld on Thursday.

Last weekend, Phil Fontaine, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said the National Day of Action is meant to reach out to Canadians, not to cause major disruptions.

Prentice said he understood that Nelson was "very frustrated." He said Nelson has met in the past 15 years with virtually every other minister of aboriginal affairs to settle a land dispute but has been "given the runaround."

The minister said he's "excited about the future" and government plans to "clear away historical injustices."

Earlier this month, the federal government promised to help clear a backlog of more than 800 land claims by creating a new, more independent tribunal to deal with the disputes.

Prentice said he has been criss-crossing the country, meeting with aboriginal leaders to ensure that June 29 is a peaceful day.

He marked National Aboriginal Day on Thursday by attending a sunrise ceremony on the banks of the Ottawa River.