Oka Conflict of Canada - Essay Example

Task Environmental Conflict: Oka Conflict of Canada Conflicts can be described as disputes occurring between different interest parties within the different regions. Conflicts commonly occur because of the existence of limited resources which different parties become interested in gaining. The fundamental determinant for the occurrence of conflicts is the capacity for involved parties to achieve their desired outcomes. The existence of discrepancies in the utilisation of limited resources is the fundamental course for different conflicts. Conflicts are commonly determined based on the nature of resources that are the central focus for the development of the conflict. Political conflicts are the most common form of conflicts occurring among many regions around the world. These disputes are caused by different reasons and despite their nature being political; the fundamental course defines the actual conflict. Environmental conflicts refer to disputes occurring between different interest groups because of existing resources available within the natural environment. These conflicts are defined through the various natural resources available within the environment, which might be lost or gained following the occurrence of the conflict (Napier, p18). The nature of the Oka conflict results in the identification of the conflict as being environmental. The disputed land that the conflicting parties were interested in contained numerous resources that the government and the Mohawk community were interested in keeping. The hard-line stands that each party maintained contributed significantly in the development of the conflict, from a simple dispute, to become a full-blown conflict between different parties. The failure to effectively resolve the environmental dispute resulted in the explosion of the dispute to become a conflict. The environmental dispute involved land, which was utilised by the Mohawk community as their ancestral land although the community did not have sufficient prrof of ownership of the land. Documentation for the land ownership by the community had not been of any significance until the dispute occurred. The community had lived within the confines of the land and developed an attachment to the land, which would be extremely difficult to break. This community has been involved in numerous land claims with the government, which have always been rejected by the government (Gerald, p57). The local community had continuously sought injunctions to prevent the occupancy of the land by foreigners but the government had always rejected their applications. The protection of these native communities within the Canadian law is limited, as the community could not find any legal protection for the land, form encroachment. The local government of Oka on the other hand did not have regard for the welfare of the Mohawk community before commencement of the desired project to undertake the expansion project. This resulted in a failure to undertake analysis of the challenges that the government might face during the development project. The occurrence of environmental conflicts is commonly initiated through simple assumption of elements that should be considered when undertaking any projects. A risk assessment can be able to identify many of the elements that result in development of conflicts. The Oka conflict was instigated by an element of making assumption regarding availability of land for undertaking a development project. The government ought to have secured the land before engaging in the expansion project. The uses of land have continuously increased over a long period and the land has become a limited resource that individuals must protect. This is the fundamental reason for the continued protection of the land by the Mohawk community. The community had previously attempted to seek legal documentation for enabling the land to become reserved for their use. The rejection of applications by the Mohawk community in regard to the claims for the land resulted in the local authority perceiving the community as not being a stakeholder in the development project. This resulted in the failure by the government to consult the Mohawk community concerning development being undertaken upon the land. The developers of the land failed to undertake historical of environmental review, yet this could have identified the possible effect of the project upon the Mohawk community. The reaction of the Mohawk community about the development project triggers the crisis that resulted in the Oka conflict. The deployment of barricades upon the highways and other essential entry routes into the territory significantly interrupted communication within the county. Many other native communities living in other regions of the country also supported this reaction and the local government requested police assistance in seeking to confront the local community. As the situation escalated to become a conflict, presence of armed police officers and the use of teargas in seeking to dispatch the community barricades only worsened the situation and failed to achieve the intended result. The initial utilisation of force was intended to ensure the Mohawk community members would follow the court order that had been issued regarding the development project. Conflict resolution between the involved parties was initiated through a forceful attempt to evict and destroy the barricades established by the local communities. This approach, however, only served to make the situation become worse. The Quebec government attempted forceful eviction failed in producing any positive result in the resolution of the conflict and battles between the authorities and the local communities escalated to relatively high levels. The felling of unfair treatment among the Mohawk community resulted in the hard-line stand taken by the community members. Many other local communities took actions that sought to support and display their solidarity with the Mohawk community. The unity displayed by the native communities within the country made conflict resolution become difficult because of the possibility of the conflict affecting a large population of individuals. The conflicts that occurred were ended through peaceful negotiations between the local government and the Mohawk community. The involvement of defence staff in the operations enable the approach to be transformed from violence to become a peaceful conflict through which no gunfire was exchanged between the conflicting parties. Different groups of armed force were requested in an aim of maintaining order in the volatile region that had been marred by incidents of violence between the conflicting parties. The provincial authorities requested for armed forces after assessing the situation as escalating. The arrival of the defence forces appeared to ease the tension existing between the conflicting groups. The commander of these forces initiated the negotiations that resulted in the siege of many blockades, which had been established by the native communities, in different regions. Peaceful conflict resolution remains essential in ensuring the continued harmony between the conflicting parties. Despite the occurrence of peacefully negotiated end to the crisis, many of the Mohawks residing within the Oka region felt betrayed and demoralised through cancelation of the negotiations regarding the development project, which had triggered the conflict. Following the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the subsequent cancellation of the negotiations, the mayor of Oka cancelled the development project. This appeared to present an amicable resolution of the existing conflicts which had lasted almost three months (Swain, p89). The decision that had been taken by the mayor to cancel the development plan became fundamental towards his re-election as mayor in 1991. The decision made to discontinue the development project produced an amicable end to the conflict. The occurrence of conflict can be triggered by elements that could be considered insignificant and ignored. The Oka conflict was triggered by a development project, which appeared beneficial to the society although the native individuals considered the development an infringement into their private property. Lack of sufficient communication between different stakeholders commonly results in problems escalating to become conflicts. The management of the situations, which result in tension between different groups, is essential in averting the occurrence of conflicts. The failure to make a risk assessment in development project could present developer with unforeseen challenges resulting for conflicts with some interest groups, which were not considered as potential stakeholders within the project. During conflicts, the involved parties must always seek to resolve the conflicts through peaceful and amicable means, which present satisfaction from the involved parties. Works Cited Gerald, Alfred. Heading the Voices of Our Ancestors: Kahnawake Mohawk Politics and the Rise of Native Nationalism. London: Oxford University Press, 1995. Print. Napier, Christopher. Environmental Conflict Resolution. London: WM Gaunt & Sons, 1998. Print. Swain, Harry. Oka: A Political Crisis and Its Legacy. Victoria: Douglas & McIntyre, 2010. Print.  Read More