1717-Governor of New France granted the lands that the cemetery is on to a catholic seminary
1800's Mohawks and Algonquins plant pine trees around the burial area to slow settlement in the area.
1868- Mohawk chief Joseph Onasakenrat wrote a letter telling the church they were illegally holding the land and demanded the return.
1869-Onasakenrat moved against the seminary with a small armed forced but was ended by local authorities
1936- Seminary sold territory and left area because of local Mohawk protest
1961 the original Le Club de golf d'Oka is built and Mohawks launched a legal protest against construction
1970 archaeologists confirm Mohawks claim of the cemetery
1974 National Geographic confirms claim
1977- an official land claim was filed to the federal office of native claims
1986- claim was rejected
1989- Mayor of Oka Jean Ouellette announces the golf courses expansion into a eighteen hole coarse. The Pines forest would have to be cleared to make available land.
1990:
March 10- Mohawks start to occupy around the burial ground to protect it and the trees they planted.
July 11- Mohawk protesters set up barricades around burial ground
5:30am- Surete du Quebec position around "the pines"
around 6:30am- Mohawks at Kahnawake block the Mercier bridge
8:45am-SQ police rush the barricades, gunfight started, and Corporal Marcel Lemay died
July 15- the SQ police are replaced by the Canadian Armed Forces
August 29-Mohawks at the bridge negotiated with lieutenant colonel Robin Gagnon. siege of the Kahnawake reserve was resolved and traffic began to flow again. Mohawks lost the bridge their best bargaining chip.
September 25- a Mohawk warrior set off all the flares that the army had set up to signal any escapes. the army hosed him but it wasn't powerful enough for a crowd and the Mohawks taunted the soldiers and through water balloons at the army.
September 26- Mohawks returned to their reserve
No comments:
Post a Comment