Artifact 6: Violence in Kanehsatake

Citation: “Artifact 6,” HIST 261 Post-Confederation Canadian History, accessed November 23, 2024, https://hist261exhibits.ca/admin/items/show/24

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This photo was taken when the Canadian Armed Forces moved into the Kanehsatake territory to fight with the last soldiers protecting The Pines. When the army moved onto the territory the violence escalated. Many Mohawk soldiers were arrested on charges of assault and other charges. Many were acquitted and others were imprisoned while waiting for bail.  This photo is of a 14-year- old young girl named Waneek Horn-Miller who was hit in the chest by a baton when the Canadian armed forces moved in. She was carrying away her 4-year-old little sister and protecting her from violence. She was lucky to have survived the attack. She was just one of many Mohawk people who suffered from the violence between the armed forces and the Mohawk people. Unfortunately, the fight ended in violence when there could have been different options and a peaceful way to dismantle the blockades in Oka. The Oka Crisis of 1990 is just one of many fights that have been fought for the rights of indigenous people.

Bibliography: 

Bruin, Tabitha de. “Kanesatake Resistance (Oka Crisis).” The Canadian Encyclopedia, July 11, 2013. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/oka-crisis