Potential development prompts worries of another Oka Crisis

Some Mohawks in Kanesatake are concerned thatthe prospect ofdevelopment on disputed land in Oka could stir up another conflict like the one that shook the province 26 years ago.

A municipal bylaw in the town 60 kilometres west of Montreal allows for thedevelopment of 400 homes between Oka provincial park and the townitself, south of Highway 344.

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The issue resurfaced at a municipal meeting Thursdayto update the bylaw, which has been in place for two decades.

While there are no concrete plans to develop the land just yet, some Mohawks want the federal governmentto intervene before that happens.

'International laws apply'

"We need time and we need the government to intervene and stop the craziness of the municipality of Oka, which is the same situation as that of land development and dispossession from 1990," saidEllen Gabriel, a KanesatakeMohawk activist, referring to the 78-day standoff in that year.

Gabriel saidthe land in question belongs to the Mohawks and urged the mayor to stop any future development.

I think we're jumping the gun right now...- SergeSimon,Grand Chief ofKanesatake

She hopes the federal government can use a new tool the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Canada signed last week to make that happen.

"International laws apply to the municipality of Oka. I think people are fed up with the theft of the land," she said.

Gabriel saidher community doesn't want another Oka crisis, andthey want to work together tofind a solution to longstanding land-claims issues.

Two communities agree to consult

The Grand Chief ofKanesatake,SergeSimon, saidhe and Oka MayorPascalQuevillonhave agreed to consult each other on future land developments on their respected territories.

"The mayor assured me he has no plans of development in the near future," Simon said.

"They just had to update their municipal regulations.I think we're jumping the gun right now in bringing this thing to the forefront prematurely."

For his part, Quevillon saidhehas no plans to develop the land without consulting the Mohawk band council first.

Quevillon said Ottawa can forbid Oka from developing the land, but he says it would have to compensate the town for lost tax revenue.

Quevillon says Oka has aging municipal buildings and other infrastructure, and it needs a bigger tax baseto pay for repairs.

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Oka residentSuzanne Slight said the new housing is needed.

"We need place to live.. there's not enough," she said.

Other residents, like MohawkJean-Francois Binette,hope the town will keep its promise to consult hiscommunity.

"They should ask us first before they build any new houses."