‘Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance’ directed by Alanis Obomsawin is a 1993 documentary about the Oka Crisis. It is a conflict between the Mohawk Indians living on the reserve and the Canadian Military. This crisis led to resurrecting the 270 year battle of the Mohawks rightfully fighting for their natural rights and territory. The informative film successfully portrays the Oka Crisis.
The documentary started with the Mayor of Oka’s plan to construct a luxury housing development and expanding a 9-hole golf course onto the Mohawks’ burial ground and sacred pine grove. Angered by this, the Mohawks refused to back down and blocked the road for the construction equipment to come through. This resulted with the Quebec Security called in. After a police officer was killed during a shooting between the two groups, the security was replaced with the Canadian Army.
Throughout this film there are many surprising and emotionally-engaging events. Many of them were infuriating because of way people were treating the Mohawk Indians. For example, the Canadian Army and their pointless acts of violence and also the town’s people act of throwing rocks at the Mohawks. There was a part when a 14-year-old girl, who was trying to protect her little sister, gets stabbed by a soldier. As well there was an event where the furious Anti- Mohawk group burned a doll of a Mohawk warrior while chanting ‘savages’ because the Mohawks blocked the Mercier Bridge.
In the end, the Oka Crisis lasted for 78 days. There wasn’t really a resolution to the problem.
