Blockades and Resistance

Ten years ago Canada witnessed one of the most disturbing incidents in its history -- the armed occupation at Oka. After Oka came Ipperwash and Burnt Church. Yet relatively little has been written on the Aboriginal resistance movements and very little has changed in Canada for Aboriginal people. The goal of this book is to help amend these conditions. Part One focuses on the experiences of participants, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, in the Temagami blockades in 1988-1989 as well as to a lesser degree in Oka in 1990. In Part Two, themes of resistance are reviewed in their historical context and examples from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are analyzed to develop those themes. Part Three analyzes contemporary aspects of resistance, including resistance in the justice system, the courts and Aboriginal title, education, language, and literature. If we are to avoid a repetition of these events, we need to know more about them, about Aboriginal people, and about their relationships with non-Aboriginal people. Blockades and Resistance evokes strong memories of the Temagami and Oka blockades, but also provides us with realistic views and practical applications. It is essential reading for all Canadians who seek to understand the causes of these blockades and the deep roots of Aboriginal peoples' resistance movements in Canada.