The Oka Crisis
- Thread starter Canuck725
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The 1990 Oka crisis was known in the Army as OP SALON. This op, the largest military operation in Aid to the Civil Power since OP GINGER (the 1970 October FLQ crisis), was conducted in response to a request for assistance from the Quebec Government, after the Surete du Quebec (the QPP) found itself unable to deal with the situation confronting it at the aboriginal reserve located at Oka near Montreal.
While there are still many stories floating around about what happened, I was attending Army Staff College in Kingston around the time it took place, and was fortunate enough to receive a briefing to our class from the then-CLS, LGen Foster. It was very interesting, not the least for the incompetence displayed on the part of the QPP (a force with a number of blots on its record...).
The natives, many of whom were quite well armed and were engaged in tobacco smuggling and other illegal activities, had fortified portions of their reserve in response to an earlier failed assault by the QPP at the site of a proposed development by the municipality of Oka, on what aboriginals claimed was their ground. The assault was a shambles: the QPP fired teargas but a number of the officers did not have respirators. In the confusion that followed, the only fatality occurred: a QPP constable who, IIRC, was shot by another QPP in error. The Indians easily resisted the assault. In due course the QPP realized that they needed help, and the process was initiated to request military assistance from the CDS via the Govt of Quebec.
The military force that was deployed consisted mainly of 5ieme GBMC from Valcartier and Gagetown, but it was a truly joint force as it included fully armed CF-18s, armed naval elements on the nearby St Lawrence, and other assets. Army assets included the full range of battalion weapons, artillery, tanks and AEVs. A perimeter was established around the Reserve and the famous stand off began. An interesting point made by the CLS was that in one case the Army negotiated to allow an aboriginal to be brought out of the Reserve to go to a local hospital. The condition from the Indian side was that he was to be given safe passage and not fall into the hands of the QPP. According to Gen Foster, the result was that the Indian was placed in the hospital, but guarded by soldiers against the QPP!
There was quite a bit of sympathy for the aboriginals around the country, from the usual quarters but from some surprising ones as well: while I was at Staff College, the City Council of Kingston voted to send the aboriginals blankets and medicine (due to pressure from various left-wing types on and off Council). The military were of course made to look like fascist monsters but overall we conducted ourselves well, including at such potentially lethal incidents as the Mercier Bridge confrontation. In general IIRC the Army displayed a much higher level of discipline and competence than that shown by the hapless SduQ. (Who later on wanted to buy their own Leopards...scary!!)
The post-op analysis and intel stuff indicated that the Mohawks were well armed-there were reports of .50 cal, sniper weapons, and LAWs. Fortifications had been constructed, including propane cylinders wired to electrical initiator circuit. There were also persistent rumours that the local Mohawks had been reinforced by natives from the US who had US military experience.
Fortunately, the stand off ended without serious injury or death (less the one poor QPP) and offers a useful model to study ACP ops.
I'll never forget the comment made by a Botswanan Major who was sitting in the mess one afternoon and watching it on TV:
Lefty Canadians who still winge about the role of the military at Oka might want to consider how this event might have played out in 80% of the world, as opposed to the professional but forceful manner in which we managed it.
Cheers.
While there are still many stories floating around about what happened, I was attending Army Staff College in Kingston around the time it took place, and was fortunate enough to receive a briefing to our class from the then-CLS, LGen Foster. It was very interesting, not the least for the incompetence displayed on the part of the QPP (a force with a number of blots on its record...).
The natives, many of whom were quite well armed and were engaged in tobacco smuggling and other illegal activities, had fortified portions of their reserve in response to an earlier failed assault by the QPP at the site of a proposed development by the municipality of Oka, on what aboriginals claimed was their ground. The assault was a shambles: the QPP fired teargas but a number of the officers did not have respirators. In the confusion that followed, the only fatality occurred: a QPP constable who, IIRC, was shot by another QPP in error. The Indians easily resisted the assault. In due course the QPP realized that they needed help, and the process was initiated to request military assistance from the CDS via the Govt of Quebec.
The military force that was deployed consisted mainly of 5ieme GBMC from Valcartier and Gagetown, but it was a truly joint force as it included fully armed CF-18s, armed naval elements on the nearby St Lawrence, and other assets. Army assets included the full range of battalion weapons, artillery, tanks and AEVs. A perimeter was established around the Reserve and the famous stand off began. An interesting point made by the CLS was that in one case the Army negotiated to allow an aboriginal to be brought out of the Reserve to go to a local hospital. The condition from the Indian side was that he was to be given safe passage and not fall into the hands of the QPP. According to Gen Foster, the result was that the Indian was placed in the hospital, but guarded by soldiers against the QPP!
There was quite a bit of sympathy for the aboriginals around the country, from the usual quarters but from some surprising ones as well: while I was at Staff College, the City Council of Kingston voted to send the aboriginals blankets and medicine (due to pressure from various left-wing types on and off Council). The military were of course made to look like fascist monsters but overall we conducted ourselves well, including at such potentially lethal incidents as the Mercier Bridge confrontation. In general IIRC the Army displayed a much higher level of discipline and competence than that shown by the hapless SduQ. (Who later on wanted to buy their own Leopards...scary!!)
The post-op analysis and intel stuff indicated that the Mohawks were well armed-there were reports of .50 cal, sniper weapons, and LAWs. Fortifications had been constructed, including propane cylinders wired to electrical initiator circuit. There were also persistent rumours that the local Mohawks had been reinforced by natives from the US who had US military experience.
Fortunately, the stand off ended without serious injury or death (less the one poor QPP) and offers a useful model to study ACP ops.
I'll never forget the comment made by a Botswanan Major who was sitting in the mess one afternoon and watching it on TV:
"In my country we give them five minutes then we kill them all"
Lefty Canadians who still winge about the role of the military at Oka might want to consider how this event might have played out in 80% of the world, as opposed to the professional but forceful manner in which we managed it.
Cheers.
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CBC has a bunch of stuff in their archives about the whole thing
http://archives.cbc.ca/300c.asp?IDCat=71&IDDos=99&IDLan=1&IDMenu=71
http://history.cbc.ca/history/webdr...1&episode_id=17&chapter_id=2&page_id=2&lang=E
http://archives.cbc.ca/300c.asp?IDCat=71&IDDos=99&IDLan=1&IDMenu=71
http://history.cbc.ca/history/webdr...1&episode_id=17&chapter_id=2&page_id=2&lang=E
x-grunt
Full Member
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Canuck725, there's a fair bit of info on the net about Oka. As an Aboriginal person who was involved on the very periphery of events, (I was no longer in the CF at that time) my take is the troops did a reasonable job at the barricades. Many of my Native friends disagree with me, but then as usual the recounting of these types of events gets polarized into "my side good - your side bad." On both sides of the issue.
So, I encourage you to read through some of what is available from both Military, mainstream and the Native perspective too. There is a heck of a lot more to this than "tobacco smuggling", which indeed was happening around that time but was NOT the cause of the crisis. Probably fueled it some though, esp. on the side of a very frustrated QPP, but that's pure speculation on my part. Kanehsatake has been a troubled place at times, both internally and with it's non-native neighbours.
My favourite memory of the time was a quote from a Texan (on CBC perhaps?), who when he heard of the Army being sent in said "By gawd, you take yer golf real serious up there, don't you?" ( the trigger issue revolving around the building of a 9 hole golf course )
So, I encourage you to read through some of what is available from both Military, mainstream and the Native perspective too. There is a heck of a lot more to this than "tobacco smuggling", which indeed was happening around that time but was NOT the cause of the crisis. Probably fueled it some though, esp. on the side of a very frustrated QPP, but that's pure speculation on my part. Kanehsatake has been a troubled place at times, both internally and with it's non-native neighbours.
My favourite memory of the time was a quote from a Texan (on CBC perhaps?), who when he heard of the Army being sent in said "By gawd, you take yer golf real serious up there, don't you?" ( the trigger issue revolving around the building of a 9 hole golf course )
Haggis
Army.ca Veteran
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x-grunt said:
The expansion of the Oka municipal golf course onto land claimed by the Mohawk of Kahnesatake was the main irritant which sparked the crisis. The Mohawk of Kahnanwake (just south of Montréal) blockaded the Mercier Bridge in sympathy with their Kahnesatake bretheren. The Mercier Bridge is the principal commuter route for those travelling from the south shore into Montréal West and other West-Island communties.
Also at the same time, the police and Army were involved in troubles at the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne near Cornwall, Ontario. There, a battle had raged between pro and anti gambling factions over casinos on the Reserve. Several hundred residents fled the reserve to Cornwall as gunbattles between the factions became all-night affairs. Two natives were killed in gunbattles in early May 1990. This resulted in over 500 RCMP, OPP, SQ and Canadian soldiers moving onto and around Akwesasne. The bulk withdrew in early June but some remained unitl December 1990.
I suggest that if you are interested you read People of the Pines by York and Pindera. Although bias and sympathetic toward the Native "cause", it is a good overview of the events surrounding the conflict, the historical framework and the major events (told form a mostly Native view). Also, Johansen's Life and Death in Mohawk Country, and Hornug's One Nation Under the Gun. I urge all of you who are interested NOT to take any past work at face value, there was/is a lot of disinformation out there including this "fact" that Cpl. Lemay was shot by his own SQ force. NOT TRUE. The coronor's report was finally released in 1994 and it clearly states that it was NOT an SQ bullet and narrowed the shooter down to 3 people("Warriors") in the area of the lacrosse "rink" in the pines at Kanesatake. Anyway, it is important to get the facts straight, if one want to know the truth as it were about Op SALON and Op FEATHER/AKWESASNE. I beleive there is an independant Canadian film coming out soon and also a book from the army perspective using the info. now available. The books mentioned above were all written in 1990-1991, so they did not have access to gov't and mil. docs. Cheers. 
I was in J3 Plans at NDHQ at the time, so was involved at the national level. This was the same time as the Allied build-up in response to the invasion of Iraq and it was quite remarkable how the NDHQ J Staff, despite the best efforts of the bureaucracy, was able to come to grips with the situation. I do not mean that facetiously.
As for Oka, one of the areas where the CF lost and never regained the initiative was in public affairs. While the natives had an articulate and attractive voice in the person of Ellen Gabriel, DND centralized in a very few senior officers, who were not readily available to the media. Thus, Ms Gabriel would appear, make a statement and make the news almost immediately, while the forces lagged and never sounded all that convincing. All reports of that time should be read with that in mind.
As for Oka, one of the areas where the CF lost and never regained the initiative was in public affairs. While the natives had an articulate and attractive voice in the person of Ellen Gabriel, DND centralized in a very few senior officers, who were not readily available to the media. Thus, Ms Gabriel would appear, make a statement and make the news almost immediately, while the forces lagged and never sounded all that convincing. All reports of that time should be read with that in mind.
MDH,
That is intersesting, as I have no recollection of him. There was a tendency to centralize the flow at NDHQ, which is unfortunate, as the troops on the scene of all ranks were extremely frank and believable. In fact, ome of the best advertisments for the CF was the clip of two heavily-armed Vandoos being berated and swatted by an angry native woman, and keeping their cool through the whole thing.
That is intersesting, as I have no recollection of him. There was a tendency to centralize the flow at NDHQ, which is unfortunate, as the troops on the scene of all ranks were extremely frank and believable. In fact, ome of the best advertisments for the CF was the clip of two heavily-armed Vandoos being berated and swatted by an angry native woman, and keeping their cool through the whole thing.
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one of the spokesmen for the CF at that time would have been Capt St Louis - a CFRd RSM
Probably one of the most memorable pics was of the R22R Cpl (Cloutier?) that "lasagna" tried to intimidate will screams, yells and wild agitation. The fella had worked on the R22R ceremonial guard and had mastered the trick of "zoning out".... which resulted in Lasagna getting even more irritated
The Cpl was fastracked and given his MCpls. Some say that the public attention got to him - he was busted out of the army on Drug charges - did a couple of Porno flicks and pretty much faded away into the woodwork.
Probably one of the most memorable pics was of the R22R Cpl (Cloutier?) that "lasagna" tried to intimidate will screams, yells and wild agitation. The fella had worked on the R22R ceremonial guard and had mastered the trick of "zoning out".... which resulted in Lasagna getting even more irritated
The Cpl was fastracked and given his MCpls. Some say that the public attention got to him - he was busted out of the army on Drug charges - did a couple of Porno flicks and pretty much faded away into the woodwork.
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geo said:one of the spokesmen for the CF at that time would have been Capt St Louis - a CFRd RSM
Probably one of the most memorable pics was of the R22R Cpl (Cloutier?) that "lasagna" tried to intimidate will screams, yells and wild agitation. The fella had worked on the R22R ceremonial guard and had mastered the trick of "zoning out".... which resulted in Lasagna getting even more irritated
The Cpl was fastracked and given his MCpls. Some say that the public attention got to him - he was busted out of the army on Drug charges - did a couple of Porno flicks and pretty much faded away into the woodwork.
LOL....wasn't that picture on the cover of TIMES?
i do recall a rather silly documentary about the incident that the cbc ran a couple years later.
it included an interview with a person who said the army tried to "gas" her. she even showed a photo she took as evidence of the "poison gas bomb" -- which looked suspiciously like a used paraflare projectile. :
it included an interview with a person who said the army tried to "gas" her. she even showed a photo she took as evidence of the "poison gas bomb" -- which looked suspiciously like a used paraflare projectile. :
Again, I urge you to look deeper into the "Crisis" as it were. That famous picture is NOT Lasagna. The Warrior pictured with Pte. Cloutier is one Brad Larocque, aka "Freddy Krueger." He is an Ojibway from Weyburn Sask. and at the time was an economics student at U of Sask. This goes back to my point about many "myths" that are taken and assumed to be fact. The CF did have media personnel and the two names mentioned are correct on the CF side. Yes, the Mohawks did have a PR team that was based in the basement of the Treatment Centre, but was also being controlled from Akwesasne, until Loran Thompson came to Kanesatake in the flesh. Ellen Gabriel, interestingly enough was chosen before the crisis started as a Clan Mother, as she was one of the few who had the ability to speak Englsih, French and Mohawk. Having talked to her personally since, her "control" was not as cemented as it appeared on T.V. In accordance, she had virtually no control over the events at Kahnawake. There were numerous "groups" within the Mohawk community fighting for power and various agendas. If all agreed then a unified front was portrayed; however, there was always the "well that person does not speak for me" when there were disagreements. This was one of the hardest things for the CF to figure out. The would negotiate with certain people only to find out that these people did not represent the "community" if you will, and then these "deals" would fall through, more so at Kahnawake. The original group that occupied the Mercier Bridge were not part of the Warrior Society. They actually had negotiations about power between themselves and the Kahnawake Warrior Society. If anyone has specific questions please ask. I am quite versed on the subject. Regards.
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Franko,
Cold.... Pshaw.... twas a nice warm walk in the park (JK)... could abeen worse
Sputnik
I agree with you that there were (and still are) many divided groups in the 3 Mohawk communities. Each one had his or her own agenda and no one really spent much time trying to reach consensus before steping forward with that ''unified'' face.
Fortunately, calmer heads were able to gain control of the situation and, excl the SQ Cpl, no one lost his / her life in the event.
Chimo!
Cold.... Pshaw.... twas a nice warm walk in the park (JK)... could abeen worse
Sputnik
I agree with you that there were (and still are) many divided groups in the 3 Mohawk communities. Each one had his or her own agenda and no one really spent much time trying to reach consensus before steping forward with that ''unified'' face.
Fortunately, calmer heads were able to gain control of the situation and, excl the SQ Cpl, no one lost his / her life in the event.
Chimo!
Haggis
Army.ca Veteran
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geo said:
Don't forget the two dead at Akwesasne: one "pro" and one "anti" Warrior, killed in late April and early May 1990. Not "exactly" part of the Oka crisis but a catalyst of Mohawk resistance to outside interference in their affairs which carried over to Kahnesatake some weeks later.
By and large the Mohawk are good people but are quite divided by politics, geography, blood and tradition.
Franko said:
It was freakin' cold doing fast boat patrols and resupply runs at Akwesasne in late October, too!
Cold in the Cougar, cold in the boat on the river...and also cold under the river, inside of a sinking Grizzly.
During Op Feather, 1RCR conducted float tests, and combat dives with our AVGP's. The float test was done first with a cable attached and only the drv and crw cmdr on board. Once a successful float test had been conducted, the Grizzly was then loaded up with troops for a combat dive. Our driver decided to enter the water at a rate of speed far in excess of the recommended one, allowing water to flow over the pointed front of the carrier and into the engine compartment before the trim vein could be lifted. This put an enormous amount of weight in the front of the carrier, which kept rolling into(and under) the St. Lawrence river.
In the back, we didn't know this had happened until water started to pour in from the top of the turret...Oh boy, thats not supposed to happen!...went through my mind. At that point people started to try to get out, but the weight of the water prevented that option until the pressure was equalized on the inside. In other words, we had to wait for the thing to fill up before we could escape!
Getting out was difficult, we had on LPU's (life preserver units) which made the individual wider and therefor harder to get through the hatches. I literally kicked the first guy (a pl cmdr) through the hole to get him out. He had already struggled with the lever of the hatch trying to pull it with his hands, so I got my back on the seat and kicked the lever to open it. I didn't want to wait anymore, so putting the boots to him(to get him out) seemed like the thing to do. That part amuses me (a little bit) to this day. I didn't pull the tab to inflate my lpu because I thought we were much closer to the surface. That was an unfortunate miscalculation, and made for a unnecessarily long trip up.
The rescue boat(s) picked us up and brought us to shore. I was walked over to a waiting passenger van, and given a blanket to warm up with but what I really wanted was a smoke! I had quit, over a year prior, but I must have smoked about five packs in the next hour alone.
I don't remember ever seeing that driver again. Wonder what happened with him.
If there are others who visit this site, who were also in that carrier gone submarine, feel free to PM me anytime.
During Op Feather, 1RCR conducted float tests, and combat dives with our AVGP's. The float test was done first with a cable attached and only the drv and crw cmdr on board. Once a successful float test had been conducted, the Grizzly was then loaded up with troops for a combat dive. Our driver decided to enter the water at a rate of speed far in excess of the recommended one, allowing water to flow over the pointed front of the carrier and into the engine compartment before the trim vein could be lifted. This put an enormous amount of weight in the front of the carrier, which kept rolling into(and under) the St. Lawrence river.
In the back, we didn't know this had happened until water started to pour in from the top of the turret...Oh boy, thats not supposed to happen!...went through my mind. At that point people started to try to get out, but the weight of the water prevented that option until the pressure was equalized on the inside. In other words, we had to wait for the thing to fill up before we could escape!
Getting out was difficult, we had on LPU's (life preserver units) which made the individual wider and therefor harder to get through the hatches. I literally kicked the first guy (a pl cmdr) through the hole to get him out. He had already struggled with the lever of the hatch trying to pull it with his hands, so I got my back on the seat and kicked the lever to open it. I didn't want to wait anymore, so putting the boots to him(to get him out) seemed like the thing to do. That part amuses me (a little bit) to this day. I didn't pull the tab to inflate my lpu because I thought we were much closer to the surface. That was an unfortunate miscalculation, and made for a unnecessarily long trip up.
The rescue boat(s) picked us up and brought us to shore. I was walked over to a waiting passenger van, and given a blanket to warm up with but what I really wanted was a smoke! I had quit, over a year prior, but I must have smoked about five packs in the next hour alone.
I don't remember ever seeing that driver again. Wonder what happened with him.
If there are others who visit this site, who were also in that carrier gone submarine, feel free to PM me anytime.
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The resurection of the CF in the Country's good books started with events like Oka, Winnipeg.
I still find it irritating that the bureaucrats let old wounds fester to the point where an armed standoff did occur. Does not speak well for the competence of the people into whom we (the people) put our trust.
I still find it irritating that the bureaucrats let old wounds fester to the point where an armed standoff did occur. Does not speak well for the competence of the people into whom we (the people) put our trust.
