Oka Crisis, 1990 essays

Oka Crisis, 1990 essays Frequently in Canada, Aboriginal peoples rights and title to land have been disregarded as the government forces compliance from them. They are dealt with unfairly by the administration that directs this country as several of their claims to land and resources go unnoticed or are retracted when the government chooses. It is treatment like this that harvests frustration in a person, which in turn, leads to fanatical behaviour and violent outbursts similar to the one that transpired in the Municipality of Oka in 1990. When various levels of government failed to come to terms with the issue of land claims with the Mohawk people of Kanesatake and a golf course expansion was planned to go on their land, they decided to take action. It seemed unlikely that these residents of Oka would be able to achieve any results by using conventional methods of participation, so they decided to take a more radical approach. Many feel that this manifestation of anger was a logical and inevitable out come of five hundred years of inequality, but what did it accomplish? The events of the Oka crisis can be viewed as a success on some levels, but also as a failure on others. Several Aboriginals believe that the standoff was successful in drawing attention to Aboriginal issues on land rights, as others that watch the events from the outside feel that the serious issues that provoked the Oka crisis have not been resolved. This essay will examine what led up to and occurred that frightful summer, as well as describe the organization of the event and analyse how it succeeded and how it failed. The crisis began in the community of Kanesatake, where the Mohawk people live. The area is located west of Montreal in Oka, Quebec, with this small municipality only having a population of 1549 people and the Aboriginals making up a great segment of it. The Mohawk community does not officially have claims to the land ...