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oka crisis
Throughout history, the Native people of North America and the Europeans have continually had arguments and disputes over land. To this day there are still issues trying to be resolved. Twenty years ago, the beginning of one of the most violent and intense land disputes in present day Canada occurred. This event is now referred to as the Oka Crisis, named after the town Oka in Quebec. This crisis caused a confrontation involving the Quebec provincial police, the Canadian armed forces and the Mohawk people.1 The stand that the Mohawk people took in the town of Oka became a major revelation for the aboriginal people spreading awareness of aboriginal rights across Canada. This paper is divided into four sections. First, I will introduce the group who fought for what was believed to be their land and why it was of such importance. The history of the land will also be included in the first section. What led up to the crisis will be portrayed next, along with great emphasis on how the idea of expanding the golf course impacted the Mohawk people and what it escalated into. Next, I will outline a sequence of events that occurred during the Oka Crisis. From beginning to end, I will discuss the significance of the major events that arose. Last but not least, the fourth section to be conversed will be the outcomes of the tragic event and how the Oka Crisis has shaped Canada today.
The Mohawk Indians are also known as the Kaniengehaga, meaning people of the place of the flint. They are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation.2 The Mohawk have three clans: the Bear, the Wolf, and the Turtle.3 Nine chiefs, three from each clan, represent the Mohawk tribe.4 Historically, the Mohawk were feared by early Europeans because of their fierce reputation. In fact the name "Mohawk" which means "man-eater," was a name given to them by their Algonquian enemies.5 The


Bibliography: Cardinal, Gil. "Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis." 2006. DVD Obomsawin, Alanis. "Kanehsatake 270 Years of Resistance." 1993. Web, http://www.nfb.ca/film/kanehsatake_270_years_of_resistance Winegard, Timothy. "THE FORGOTTEN FRONT OF THE OKA CRISIS: OPERATION FEATHER/AKWESASNE1."Military and Strategic Studies. 11. no. 2 : 1-19. "OkaCrisis legacy questioned." CBC . (2010): 1. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2010/07/10/oka-crisis-20th-anniversary.html (accessed November 16, 2011). Sarita Ahooja, "Twenty years of struggle," Upping the Anti: 1, http://uppingtheanti.org/journal/article/11-oka/ (accessed November 18, 2011).
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