The “Oka Crisis” as it has come to be known, was the 78-day stand-off between First Nations near Montreal and the Canadian Army in 1990.
It began when the town of Oka, granted permission for the expansion of a golf course on disputed territory, which included a Mohawk burial ground. People living in the neighbouring Mohawk community of Kanesatake organized to defend what they said was their land.
In response to the town council’s decision, Mohawks barricaded a dirt road leading to the golf course.
When they refused to obey a court injunction to stand down, a gunfire exchange took place with provincial police officers. It resulted in the death of Cpl. Marcel Lemay on July 11.
Incredibly no one else was killed during the tension filled days and nights that spread to neighbouring communities around Montreal.
Where the bullet came from is still a mystery, but in many ways the crisis, which garnered international attention, was the beginning of the First Nation’s rights movement that has become a powerful presence in Canada today.
We’ll talk to some of the people involved in the crisis to hear their views on the developments over these 25 years.
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