Date: _________
Block:______
Name: _____________________________
The Oka Crisis
Before Exploring:
Do you know anything about the Oka crisis of 1990, or can you think of any other situations where
Aboriginal Peoples and governments have come into conflict over specific issues in the last decade?
Why do you think that the relationship between Canada's First Nations peoples and governments has
occasionally been marked by troubles and conflicts?
Activity:
 Browse the CBC archives section: The Oka Crisis for 15-20 minutes.
o Make sure you watch:
 Mohawks protest golf course plans at Oka
 Tension mounts at Oka roadblock
 1990: Canadian soldier, Mohawk warrior face off at Oka
1. What were the main causes of the Oka crisis?
2. Who were the major individuals involved in it?
3. What were the main events of the crisis during the summer of 1990?
4. How was the crisis eventually ended?
5. What was the impact of the crisis on relations between First Nations peoples and governments in
Canada?
Revisit and Reflect:
With a partner discuss the following two discussions. Write down your thoughts in point form.
1. Why did the Oka crisis receive so much attention in Canada during the summer of 1990?
2. What was its long-term impact on relations between First Nations peoples and the Canadian
government and society?
What is the tone of the photograph (what emotions or feelings are evoked)?
Write a caption from the point of view of the military solider:
Write a caption from the point of view of the Mohawk Warrior:
Lesson Plan: What Was Oka About?
Type:
Introductory
Subjects:
History, Social Studies
Duration:
1 lesson
Purpose:
To identify causes, issues, individuals, events, results, and consequences of the Oka crisis of 1990
Summary:
In this introductory activity, students explore the topic to learn more about the Oka crisis.
Lesson Plan
Before Exploring
Ask students what they know about the Oka crisis of 1990, based on their study of the history of First
Nations issues in Canada. Also ask them if they know of any other situations where Aboriginal Peoples
and governments have come into conflict over specific issues in the last decade.
Have students explain why they think the relationship between Canada's First Nations peoples and
governments has occasionally been marked by troubles and conflicts. What are the main concerns of
First Nations peoples in Canada today, and how have they sought to present these concerns to
governments and society as a whole? How successful have they been in having their issues addressed,
and gaining a resolution to their main concerns?
Outline the Opportunity
Have students browse the topic The Oka Crisis for 15 to 30 minutes, watching and listening to the video
and audio clips in any order they wish. As they explore, they should make notes about the following:
What were the main causes of the Oka crisis?
Who were the major individuals involved in it?
What were the main events of the crisis during the summer of 1990?
How was the crisis eventually ended?
What was the impact of the crisis on relations between First Nations peoples and governments in
Canada?
Revisit and Reflect
Write the following questions on the board: Why did the Oka crisis receive so much attention in Canada
during the summer of 1990? What was its long-term impact on relations between First Nations peoples
and the Canadian government and society?
Have students discuss these questions, based on the information they obtained from their exploration of
the topic. Make notes on the board to summarize their answers, or have students prepare their own pointform notes indicating their responses to the questions.
Extension
Have students view the clip "Ten years later" and prepare a summary of how the main participants in the
Oka crisis remember it a decade after it took place. In what ways are their recollections of this event
similar? In what ways are they different? Why would there be differences in the ways different individuals
recall these events?