Oka Crisis 1990

Oka Crisis Land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec. Began on July 11, 1990 and lasted until September 26, 1990. One person died as a result. The dispute was the first well-publicized violent conflict between First Nations and the Canadian government in the 20th century.

Oka Crisis The town of Oka was developing plans to expand a golf course and residential development onto land which had traditionally been used by the Mohawk. It included pineland and a burial ground, marked by standing tombstones of their ancestors. The Mohawks had filed a land claim for the sacred grove and burial ground near the neighboring Mohawk community of Kanesatake, but their claim had been rejected in 1986.

Oka Crisis Background: In 1717, the governor of New France granted the lands encompassing the cemetery and the pines of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice, a Roman Catholic order based in Paris. The Mohawk claimed that the original grant included about nine square miles reserved exclusively for their use. Although the Sulpician Seminary was supposed to hold the land in trust for them, the seminary expanded this agreement to grant itself sole ownership rights.

Oka Crisis The Mohawks petitioned and protested demanding the return of the land, but produced no results. The land was eventually sold, and in 1961 the city built a private nine-hole golf course on a portion of it. The Mohawk filed suit against the construction but, by the time the case was heard, much of the land had already been cleared.

Oka Crisis In 1977, the band filed an official land claim with the federal Office of Native Claims. The claim was accepted for filling and funds were provided for additional research of the claim. Nine years later, the claim was rejected, on the grounds of failing to meet key legal criteria. In March 1989, the golf club announced plans to expand the golf course by an additional nine holes. Protests by the Mohawks and others (environmental groups) led to negotiations and a postponement of the project by the municipality in August.

Oka Crisis Immediate Causes: Tensions between native and non-native people in Canada have been high around communities bordering reserves, mainly over competing uses of land. Tensions contributed to the Oka Crisis. The immediate cause was the 1989 announcement by the mayor of Oka, Jean Ouellette, that the remainder of the pines would be cleared to expand the private, members only golf course to 18 holes.

Oka Crisis As a protest against a court decision to allow the golf course construction to proceed, some members of the Mohawk community erected a barricade blocking access to the area. The mayor demanded compliance with the court order, but the protesters refused. Quebec’s Minister of Native Affairs wrote a letter of support for the natives, stating that “these people have seen their lands disappear without having been consulted or compensated, and that, in my opinion, is unfair and unjust, especially over a golf course.”

Oka Crisis Crisis On July 11 the mayor asked Quebec’s provincial police force to intervene with the Mohawk protest. He claimed there had been criminal activity at the barricade. The Mohawk people asked the women, the caretakers of the land and “progenitors of the nation,” whether or not the weapons should used. The women of the Mohawk Nation decided that the weapons should only be used if the police fired on the barricade and to use them as defensively as possible.

Oka Crisis The police emergency response team swiftly attacked the barricade by deploying tear gas canisters and flash bang grenades in an attempt to create confusion in the Mohawk ranks. It is unclear whether the police or Mohawks opened fire with gunshots first, but after a 15 minute gun battle, the police fell back, abandoning six cruisers and a bull dozer. The police’s tear gas blew back at them.

Oka Crisis 31 year old Corporal Marcel Lemay had been shot and died. The situation escalated as the local Mohawks were joined by natives from across the country and the U.S., together refusing to dismantle their barricade. The Mohawk people set up a blockade at the Mercier bridge, a major thoroughfare used daily by 70,000 suburban commuters. Oka stand off begins

Oka Crisis Frustration over traffic congestions and diversion due to the bridge and road blockades was expressed publicly. Radio host, Gills Proulx, raised tensions with comments such as, the Mohawks “couldn’t even speak French.” These remarks inflamed tempers that had been running especially high from comments preceding this crisis.

Oka Crisis The federal Crown in Council agreed to spend $5.3 million to purchase the section of the pines where the golf course expansion was to take place, to prevent any further development. This proposal left the Mohawks outraged, as the problems that led to the situation had not been addressed. Stewardship of the land had simply moved from one government to another, and not to the Mohawk. Negotiations at Oka break down

Oka Crisis When it became apparent that the police had not contained this escalating situation, the government brought in the RCMP, who were also unable to contain the mobs and chaos associated with the blocked traffic. 10 RCMP constables were hospitalized in August.

Oka Crisis On August 8, Quebec premier Robert Bourassa announced at a press conference that he requested military support in “aid of the civil power.” Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was reluctant to have the federal government, and especially, the Canadian Army, involved. Under the National Defence Act Bourassa had the right to requisition the armed forces to maintain law and order as a provincial responsibility.

Oka Crisis The Chief of Defence Staff placed Quebec based troops in support of the provincial authorities. On August 20, a company of the Royal 22 Regiment took over three barricades and arrived at the final blockade leading to the disputed area. Additional troops and mechanized equipment mobilized at staging areas around Montreal. Aircraft staged air photo missions over Mohawk territory to gather intelligence. Despite high tensions between the two sides, no shots were fired.

Oka Crisis Resolution On August 29, at the Mercier Bridge blockade, the Mohawks negotiated an end of their protest. The Mohawks at Oka felt betrayed at the loss of their most effective bargaining chip in the Mercier Bridge. Once traffic began flowing again, the Quebec government rejected further negotiations.

Oka Crisis On Sept. 25 witnessed the final engagement of the crisis: a Mohawk warrior walked around the perimeter of the blockade area with a long stick, setting off flares that had been originally installed by the Canadian Forces to alert them to individuals fleeing the area. Many, however, were detained by the Canadian Forces and arrested by the police. Crisis Ends

Oka Crisis The Oka Crisis lasted 78 days, and gunfire early in the crisis killed a Corporal. The golf course expansion which had originally triggered the crisis was cancelled by the mayor of Oka. The Oka Crisis galvanized, throughout Canada, a subsequent process of developing an First Nations Policing Policy to try to prevent future events.

Oka Crisis The Oka Crisis was extensively documented and inspired numerous books, songs, artistic work, documentaries and films. There was reference to it made by Al Pacino’s character in ‘The Insider.’

Class Activity Which side do you agree with the Mohawk or the Quebec government? Think about if it was your land that your ancestors were buried on. Or if someone was squatting on your land, not allowing you to further development you wanted to complete. Do you believe it was right for the Mohawk people to be armed? How do you feel about the Mohawk women and children being there? Should the police have launched the assault so quickly? Why do you think the Oka Crisis received so much attention from the media? Also, numerous films, art work, and songs inspired by it? What do you think was the long term impact on the relationship between First Nations peoples and the Canadian government? Do you think that the Oka Crisis took away from Canada being known as free and democratic nation?

Oka Crisis “Ten years later” Prepare a summary of how the participants in the Oka crisis remember it a decade after it took place. How do the participants feel now? Have their feelings changed from 10 years ago? Did the Oka Crisis affect them? If so, in what way? 10 Year Anniversary