July 11, 1990: Day1of a 78-day standoff

Peggy Curran talks to three of the keyfigures in the Oka crisis about what happened, what should have happened, and what has changed in the past 20 years
 
The Gazette, July 10, 2010

Ellen Gabriel, Kanesatake
The crisis: "I remember the 11th of July, when we were being shot at by the Surete du Quebec and just being scared for a lot of people. ... We felt safer behind the barricades."
The lesson: "As far as the land rights issue in Kanesatake, and aboriginal peoples in Canada, we have regressed."

John Ciaccia, Quebec
The crisis: After the first deadly skirmish, efforts focused on preventing further bloodshed.
"One fatality on the first day was more than enough."
The lesson: "If Ottawa had done in 1990 what they did in the year 2000 (acquiring the land for the benefit of the natives), there wouldn't have been an Oka crisis."

Tom Siddon, Ottawa
The crisis: " There was a lot of blindness in those times. Police arrived, people got alarmed, there were weapons, and someone shot a gun."
The lesson: " It was more complicated than a simple land claim."