Oka Crisis

The Oka Crisis was a confrontation of the Mohawk First Nation People from the nearby Kanesatake reserve with the Canadian municipality of Oka (Québec) in 1990. During the course of the 78 -day crisis, a Quebec police officer was killed. It marked the beginning of a series of violent confrontation of First Nation People of Canada with the Canadian government in the late 20th century.

The Oka crisis was sparked by plans of citizens of the city of Oka to expand a golf course on land that was claimed by the Mohawk. Then the Mohawk barricades began to build. Three months later, on 11 July 1990, the Quebec police to attack the guarded barricades began. There was an exchange of fire and a policeman was killed.

This escalated the crisis. From the limited local demand of the Mohawk respect of land ownership, a general right to recognition of their independence was. The Warriors, a group defending the rights of First Nations, reinforced the Mohawk on their barricades. The Government of Canada refused to negotiate with the Mohawk, as long as the barricades stood, and began to turn to erect roadblocks on access routes to Oka and Kanesatake the reserve.

In this impasse, the Prime Minister of Quebec called the Canadian Army for help, who admitted some of the barricades. Only after lengthy negotiations, the last barricades were removed on 26 September 1990 and the Warriors gave up his struggle. Only in 1997, the Canadian authorities acquired the site of the municipality of Oka and gave it to the Mohawk.