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Oka Crisis Case Study

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The Canadian government also inappropriately dealt with Aboriginal social justice issues, as seen through the land claims like the Oka Crisis and the Ipperwash. The Oka Crisis was a 78-day standoff, beginning on July 11th, 1990 between Mohawk protesters, police, and army. The crisis began when the proposed expansion of an 18 hole golf course and development of 60 luxury condominiums on disputed land included a Mohawk burial ground. The Mohawks were infuriated, as the Euro-Canadians proposed the use of land that belonged to them was to be used for a luxury of their own, leading them to erect a barricade to Oka. The Police wouldn’t tolerate the actions of the Mohawks, and intervened 3 months later, attempting to cease the barricade. This led …show more content…

The federal government had initially made an offer to the Stony Point First Nation, but they rejected it, as the land was of particular cultural and spiritual significance due to its use as a burial ground. The government eventually expropriated the land under the War Measures Act, and compensated the Stony Point First Nation at $15 an acre. The government assured the Stony Point First Nation that, when their land was engaged, it would be returned to them. Even so, the land was not returned in the years following the war, and in 1993, members of the Stony Point First Nation began to occupy the land at what was now referred to as “Camp Ipperwash.” This was unjust, as Aboriginals should have received the land back immediately after the country’s recovery post WWII. In addition, the misuse of the burial ground by the wrongful present owners disrespected those buried there. The initial dispute was between the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Stoney Point Ojibway band, who were occupying the Ipperwash Provincial Park by protesting. In order to assert their claim to the land, on Sept. 4, 1995, a group of about 30 people from the First Nation marched in and began occupying Ipperwash Provincial Park, planning to peacefully occupy the land. In spite of that, the OPP felt threatened by the movement of Aboriginals coming in Camp Ipperwash. The Ontario government, headed by then-premier Mike Harris, wanted them removed as posthate as possible. On September 6th, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) staged a nighttime raid on the camp. Due to Harris’s firm decision to get rid of the Aboriginals on Ipperwash Camp, this led the raid to be more violent than helpful. The raid being staged at nighttime created fear, as the raid was unexpected and

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