Reflections of Oka: stories of the Mohawk standoff 25 years later

Near the town of Oka, Quebec, there is a piece of land the Mohawk people call The Pines.

It is sacred ground to the Kanesatake.It is where their ancestors are buried.

The town of Oka wanted to expand a nine holegolf course onto this land, without permission or consultation.And the line was drawn.

Blockades went up, warriors in fatigues stood at the front line,mothers and even children vowed to stand up for The Pines.

For 78 days, starting July 11, 1990, an armed standoff between the Mohawk people,the Sret du Qubec and eventually the Canadian army took place there.

All sides stood their ground as for 78 days as the army moved in. For 78 days, the country was transfixed to their televisionsand radios as the Oka Crisis unfoldedfirst in this small town and then across the country.

September 26th marks the 25th anniversary of the end of the siege that wasa turning point in the way Canadians saw Indigenous Peoples, and the way they saw themselves.

25 years later, Unreserved takes you behind the lines.

This week's playlist:

Heroes by Wab Kinew
In the Blood by RobbieRobertson
Universal Soldier by Buffy Sainte-Marie