The Oka Crisis

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Some say that Canada is safe and free. Although it may be true today, Canada was not always the nice and peaceful place it is now. Canada’s history demonstrates that the country grew and got stronger. Unfortunately, history also shows that Canada gets violent with other countries and even itself. Canada’s identity in relation to war and peace worsened since 1914. This can be shown by the victory in the Battle of Ortona and the kidnapping that caused the October Crisis. It can also be proven by the injustice during the Oka Crisis. Canadians proved their strength during the Battle of Ortona which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. The casualties of this battle were caused by Canadian violence. The Battle of Ortona was a big factor in …show more content…

The Oka Crisis had a negative impact on war and peace in the 1980s and 1990s because the people of Oka took control over the Mohawks land, and had no considerations for their rights. It was also because the Mohawks tried fighting back with violence. Firstly, the people of the town Oka took control over the Mohawks land. This made the Mohawks feel like they were unimportant. This can be proven when in 1989, the mayor of the town announced permission had been given to expand the golf course and develop a residential area on the land. Not only did the government of Oka built a golf course in the Mohawks’ sacred land, they also gave themselves permission to expand it. This shows that the Mohawks were being treated unfairly and that the people of Oka had no respect for the Mohawks land. It also proves that Canadians are greedy and they were not willing to resolve the conflict peacefully. Secondly, the Oka Crisis confirms that there was injustice towards the Indigenous Canadians. This can be proven by Sam Elkas, Quebec public security minister saying that “it was difficult negotiating because there were two camps that we were negotiating with. I’m not suggesting we should have been negotiating with (Mohawk) Warriors but that’s what happened.¨ This shows that the people of Quebec were so ill-mannered that they felt that the Mohawks did not even deserve to be negotiated with. Lastly, when the Mohawks were fed up with the horrible way they were being treated, they decided to fight back which resulted in violence. Since the Mohawks knew they could not do it alone, they needed to find help. They got help from John Ciaccia, Quebec's Minister of Native Affairs. He wrote a letter of support for the natives showing his opinion. This letter stating that "these people have seen their lands disappear without having been consulted or compensated, and that, in my opinion, is unfair and unjust,

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