Lecture Notes: Kanesatake Resistance (Oka Crisis)

Overview

• Kanesatake Resistance: Also known as the Oka Crisis or Mohawk Resistance at Kanesatake.
• Duration: 78-day standoff (July 11 - September 26, 1990).
• Parties Involved: Mohawk protestors, Quebec police, the RCMP, and the Canadian Army.
• Location: Kanesatake, near Oka, north shore of Montreal.
• Cause: Proposed expansion of a golf course and development of townhouses on disputed land.
• Result: Cancellation of golf course expansion, land purchased by federal government, but no organized transfer to Mohawks.

Historical Background

• Longstanding Land Disputes: Issues dating back to 1761 with Mohawk attempts to reclaim land.
• Sulpicians: Roman Catholic order that held land title since 1717.
• Failed Petitions: Mohawk attempts to reclaim land continuously denied.
• Legal Rulings: Judicial Committee of the Privy Council upheld Sulpicians' land title in early 20th century.

Golf Course Expansion

• 1961: Nine-hole golf course built close to Mohawk burial ground.
• 1989: Announcement to expand the golf course and build townhouses without Mohawk consultation.
• 1990: Scheduled construction despite protests, prompting crisis.

Blockade and Police Raid

• Barricade Setup: Mohawks and Mohawk Warrior Society blocked road access.
• Police Intervention: SQ police raid on July 11 led to the death of SQ Corporal Marcel Lemay.

Escalation

• Increased Resistance: National Indigenous support and escalation of demands.
• Public Backlash: Non-Indigenous local hostility and demands for sovereignty.

Federal Involvement

• RCMP and Army Deployment: Operation Salon with 4,000 soldiers and significant military presence.
• Negotiations: Led to eventual dismantling of some blockades.

Tekakwitha Island Standoff

• Incident: Clash between SQ/Army and Mohawk community.
• Casualties: Injuries on both sides, soldiers airlifted out.

End of the Resistance

• Conclusion: Crisis ended on September 26, 1990.
• Outcomes: Limited resolution with some legal charges against Mohawk individuals.

Public Response

• Varied Opinions: Strong local opposition, nationwide sympathy rallies.
• Solidarity Protests: Across Canada, affecting transportation and commerce.

Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples

• Establishment: Initiated in 1991 as a result of the crisis.
• Recommendations: Called for restructuring relationships with Indigenous peoples.

Aftermath

• Government Actions: Purchase of land, but no formal establishment as a reserve.
• Investigations: Revealed failures and bias in police operations.

Significance

• Impact on Indigenous Awareness: Raised awareness of Indigenous rights in Canada.
• Inspirations for Movements: Linked to Idle No More and other Indigenous rights movements.

Films and Documentaries

• Acts of Defiance (1992) by Alec MacLeod
• Kanesatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993) by Alanis Obomsawin
• Rocks at Whiskey Trench (2000) by Alanis Obomsawin
• Keepers of the Fire (1994) by Christine Welsh