(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A large majority of Canadians think there could be another clash between an Aboriginal group and the police, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 79 per cent of respondents think a crisis similar to the one that took place in Oka in 1990 is likely to happen again.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A large majority of Canadians think there could be another clash between an Aboriginal group and the police, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 79 per cent of respondents think a crisis similar to the one that took place in Oka in 1990 is likely to happen again.
From July to September 1990, members of the Mohawk community of Kanesatake protested with a blockade after a decision by the town of Oka—located in the province of Quebec—to expand a golf course and build a residential development in an area that the community regarded as ancestral Mohawk land. The area included a burial site. Quebec’s police was ordered to break the protest, while natives from across Canada joined the demonstrations at Oka.
At least one person was killed and many were injured in the clashes. The crisis ended with a negotiated settlement. The golf course project was scrapped. The events at Oka prompted a national discussion and new policies on aboriginal land and relations.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the Oka crisis.
On Jul. 9, Canadian Indian affairs minister Chuck Strahl announced the appointment of Fred Caron as chief federal negotiator to settle a different land dispute with the Mohawks, also in Quebec, saying, "It is important for all parties that negotiations start off on the right track. And the appointment of Mr. Fred Caron—whose vast experience in complex multilateral land claims negotiations has brought him into contact with First Nations throughout the country as well as various provincial governments—will help ensure that these negotiations are successful."
Polling Data
As you may know, Jul. 11, 2010, marked the 20th anniversary of the Oka crisis in which Mohawks living on a reserve near the town of Oka, Quebec, clashed with authorities over plans to expand a golf course on land which had traditionally been used by the Mohawk. The Canadian Army was eventually called in to end the month-long standoff and at least one person died during the ensuing violence. Thinking about these events, how likely do you think it is that a similar crisis could happen again somewhere in Canada today?
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Very likely / Moderately likely
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79%
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Not too likely / Not likely at all
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17%
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Not sure
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4%
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Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,003 Canadian adults, conducted on Jul. 14 and Jul. 15, 2010. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
