On the 23rd anniversary of the Oka Crisis...

On the 23rd anniversary of the Oka Crisis, people gathered at Oka Park, the traditional territory of the Kanehsatà:ke, to mark what organizers say is the start of a new battle against unauthorized development on Mohawk land. “We have neglected this part of our territory, thinking that what the white man calls a reservation is where we’re entitled to live,” said Ellen Gabriel, a member of the Kanien’kehà:ka nation and former leadership contender for the Assembly of First Nations. “Today we see the exploitation, appropriation of our lands, by companies like Enbridge, who already have their pipes in the park, by Gazoduc, who fracked without our knowledge.” She said it’s important the day marked the beginning of many kinds of demonstrations from Native people. “Not just Mohawks, but all people. We only have one planet, we must protect Mother Earth. And that is what this is about.”