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The Oka Crisis Facts & Worksheets

The Oka Crisis, also known as the Kanesatake Resistance or the Mohawk Resistance at Kanesatake, was a 78-day standoff between Mohawk protesters, Quebec police, the RCMP, and the Canadian Army.

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The Oka Crisis, also known as the Kanesatake Resistance or the Mohawk Resistance at Kanesatake, was a 78-day standoff between Mohawk protesters, Quebec police, the RCMP, and the Canadian Army.

See the fact file below for more information on the Oka Crisis or alternatively, you can download our 21-page The Oka Crisis worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EVENTS THAT LED TO THE STANDOFF

  • The town of Oka has long been occupied by the Mohawk Tribe, even before the British colonizers ruled Canada. The natives were pressing for recognition of their right to the land since 1761.
  • Britain denied their claims, and for a long time, the Mohawk continued fighting for their rights. In 1851, they petitioned Lord Elgin, governor general of Canada, for recognition of their right to the land. Again, they were turned down.
  • Instead, the the Province of Canada gave the Sulpicians official title to the land in 1859.
  • Nine years later, the government officially denied that the Mohawk’s original land grant reserved land specifically for them.
  • The federal government also classified Kanesatake (a Mohawk settlement on the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains in southwestern Quebec) as an “interim land base” and not a reserve.
  • Hence, it did not meet the criteria of the “Indian Act.” The law could have provided the Mohawk Tribe and the rest of the local First Nations governments the rights to own reserve lands.
  • The land rights battle also reached the Canadian courts, but ownership still remained with the Sulpician missionaries until their departure at the end of the Second World War.
  • In 1975, the Mohawk people of Kahnawake, Kanesatake, and Akwesasne claimed Aboriginal title to their ancestral lands, but their claim was rejected once again.
  • Since they did not hold the land continuously from time immemorial, the court voided their their Aboriginal title.
  • A second land claim was filed by the Kanesatake band and was still rejected on the grounds that it did not meet the full legal criteria.
  • In 1961, the Mohawk lost another portion of their land when the government approved of the building of a golf course.
  • As soon as the golf course was built, the mayor of Oka, Jean Ouellette, announced its expansion and another plan to build a townhouse into the Pines and over the Kanesatake ancestral cemetery.
  • Mohawks of Kanesatake protested, and the Quebec Minister of the Environment and Minister of Native Affairs expressed his concerns. Regardless, construction was scheduled to begin in March 1990.

THE OKA CRISIS

  • Resistance escalated as Indigenous support increased, joining the Mohawk warriors in barricading the Mercier Bridge in support. This cut off access between Montreal’s southern suburbs and the Island of Montreal.
  • This resulted in worsening relations between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in the area.
  • The the provincial police force, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), constructed their own blockades and checkpoints on roads leading to Oka and Kanesatake.
  • In July 1990, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and 4,000 Candaian Armed Forces soldiers intervened and surrounded the area.
  • Under heavy pressure, 40 Mohawk warriors remained, so the army advanced and was able to remove the barricades.
  • As the SQ officers and army soldiers landed on Tekakwitha Island, they were met by hundreds of Mohawk people.
  • The Mohawks threw rocks and assaulted the soldiers, who fired tear gas and warning shots and assaulted Mohawks with the butts of their rifles.
  • This chaos left a lot of injured soldiers and at least 75 injured Mohawks.

END OF RESISTANCE AND PUBLIC RESPONSE

  • In response to the crisis, Prime Minister Mulroney promised to meet some of the Mohawks’ unspecified demands.
  • The resistance ended on September 26, 1990, but the resulting media coverage made it known to the country. Public opinion on the matter varied.
  • For those directly affected by the blockade, 10,000 people protested at the nearby town of Châteauguay, demanding that the blockade of the Mercier Bridge be removed. They hanged and burned an effigy of a Mohawk warrior.
  • On the other hand, sympathizers also held protests across the country in support of the Mohawks.

GOVERNMENT ACTIONS AND AFTERMATH

  • Not long after the Oka Crisis, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was established by Prime Minister Mulroney. It aimed to investigate questions about Indian Status and other issues.
  • New agreements between governments and Indigenous peoples were signed, as well, including the Paix des Braves (Peace of the Braves) between the Grand Council of the Crees and the Quebec government.
  • Since the resistance, the government has developed greater awareness of the territorial rights of First Nations and the need to consult Indigenous peoples when considering development projects.

The Oka Crisis Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Oka Crisis across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use The Oka Crisis worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Oka Crisis, also known as the Kanesatake Resistance or the Mohawk Resistance at Kanesatake, which was a 78-day standoff between Mohawk protesters, Quebec police, the RCMP, and the Canadian Army.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Oka Crisis Facts
  • Six Nations
  • The Mohawk Tribe
  • Reasons for the Crisis
  • Crisis Response
  • Mohawk Proverbs
  • United Canada
  • Native Respect
  • Enforcing Rights
  • 30+ Years Later
  • Wordfind

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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